E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b

E3 Blechammer arbeits kommando was situated in Upper Silesia, Poland between the Oder-Donau canal and the main road, next door to BAB21 Kanal Lager, and about three quarters of a mile from the main gate of the Oberschlesisiche (Upper Silesia) Hydrierwerke oil refinery. The camp was was 220 yards by 220 yards square, the huts were originally erected on the sandy dredgings of the Adolf Hitler Canal.The camp was better equipped than most and even had a small operating theatre whihc was lit by a 500-watt globe surrounded by reflecting mirrors.

22nd Jul 1941 Parcels

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Those known to have been held in
E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Asquith Wilfred. Dvr.
Conliff Alf.
Goldsmith Frederick John.
Kelly Robert. Pte.
Mercer Herbert. Pte.
Pike William Alfred.
Randall George Douglas. Dvr.
Rogers Austra Llewellyn. Pte.
Russel George.
Wells William Alfred.
Wickenden Samuel.
Worth Albert William. Pte.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

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Want to know more about E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b?

There are:1 items tagged E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.

Pte. Robert Kelly East Lancashire Regiment

Like many survivors my Dad never really wanted to talk about his time in the war. It was only when he passed that I found a few photos and the newspaper cutting. I inherited his Football plaque on the passing of his Uncle who had clearly treasured it since my Dads return. He had been part of the "Long March" and when he finally arrived home he weighed less than seven stone and according to my Grandma he would still scavenge for food that had been thrown to the hens in their neighbourhood for several months. Despite this terrible period in his life he eventually became the most positive and optimistic person I have ever known.
Robert Kelly served with the East Lancashire Regiment during WW2 and was captured at Dunkirk in 1940. Released by the advancing Russian forces in Upper Silesia.
1st and 4th Battalions East Lancashire Regiment who joined the 42nd Division in 1940 prior to Dunkirk. It is not clear which battalion Robert served with however it is more probable that it was the 1st Battalion which formed part of the final defence force around the Dunkirk beaches.
Shortly after the outbreak of war with Germany the 1st South Lancashires and 1st Loyals crossed to France with, respectively, the 4th and 1st Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). By early October 1939 both battalions were in position on the Belgian frontier, where they were joined in April 1940 by the 1st and 4th East Lancashires, both of 42nd Division.
On 10th May 1940 the ‘Phoney War’ came to an abrupt end when Germany invaded Belgium and Holland. The BEF advanced into Belgium but the Allied front rapidly collapsed before the German ‘blitzkrieg’ and the British force, with its flanks exposed and its rear increasingly threatened, was obliged to make a succession of withdrawals. Ordered back from one defensive line to the next, amid scenes of growing chaos, the four Lancashire battalions fought a number of delaying actions, most notably at Tournai on the Escaut, at Lannoy and at Rousbrugge, before reaching Dunkirk.
Dunkirk 1940
All three of the 1st Battalions then took up defensive positions to cover the evacuation of the BEF. The South Lancashires held the far left of the British line, west of Nieuport, the Loyals occupied the fortified town of Bergues on the right, while the East Lancashires plugged a gap in the centre of the line along the Bergues Canal. All three units held their positions, under constant attack, until ordered to withdraw. On 1st June a determined enemy attack on the Dunkirk perimeter was halted by the gallant stand of B Company, 1st East Lancashires, for which Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews was awarded the Victoria Cross (the only one at Dunkirk), assisted by a counter-attack by the Loyals. The three Lancashire battalions were among the last British troops to embark on the night 2nd/3rd June.
E3 Blechhammer was a working party area part of the overall Stalag 8b Complex. The prefix E referred to English although other national were included. The Room 42 on the football plaque could refer to a room containing mainly POWs from the 42nd Division.
The whole camp covered the area of 230m x 290m. The crematorium where 1500 bodies were burnt was in the south-east part of the camp. The camp was commanded by SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Brossmann. During winter 1944/45, as the Red Army was closing fast, the Germans decided to evacute the camp (which became a transfer point for the prisoners from Auschwitz and other camps) and forced the prisoners into columns of 500 men each. They were ordered to march to the West. During the "Death March" people who were suffering from cold (marched barefoot, without proper winter clothing) soon started to die of exhaustion. Those who were unable to march were killed with the butts of the guns by the so-called Nachkommando which followed the columns. The camp was liberated by the Red Army on the 26th of January 1945. There were less than 200 survivors found.

James Kelly

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Frederick John Goldsmith

My father, Frederick John Goldsmith, was in Stalag 8B all the war years. He was captured at Dunkirk, spent all the years working in the forests cutting wood. He has since passed away and had suffered all his life with depression due to his time in the camp. I have some photos and records plus his ID tags: Federick John Goldsmith british No 1506983, Stalag 8B No 10410.
I also have a POW present sent to Alf Conliff, also at the camp, from Les. This is a lighter made out of a wartime 22mm shell. Other people in the camp, nicknamed Lol, Charlie2, Reddy, Burgess Bottles, Dago, Charlie 1, Nobby, Haggis Dapper and Jahann, I have as a sketch called '50 The Riffs'. Other things of interest is a photo of Stalag E3, and an E3 Reunion Committee book, classified copy by George Russel and Sammy Wickenden. After the war they all met up for a reunion, and had some fun in London. They challenged the camp scrounger to steal the old New Scotland yard sign and take it to the Daily Mirror building for proof. This they did.

Stuart Goldsmith

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Pte. Austra Llewellyn "Hank" Rogers Royal Army Service Corps

Dad, Austra Rogers was captured in Greece and was transferred by train to Stalag 8B, where he worked in a quarry but when they asked for engineers he stepped forward. He was transferred to Blech Hammer E3 Arbeits Kommando to work on the Hydro work, a project to obtain oil from coal. When he started there the huts had doors and locks but no keys. He was put in the blacksmiths shop to make keys! He was known as Wili to the Germans.
Like a lot of ex-POWS he didn't talk about his experiences much but luckily he wrote a book and had it printed. I have only one copy but I plan to scan it. It wasn't all doom and gloom. However, the site was part of Auschwitz Birkenau and he did meet Jews, some of whom were in a bad way.

Alan Rogers

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Dvr. George Douglas "Sticks" Randall Royal Army Service Corps

Dad, Douglas Randall was a POW for the whole six years after being captured at the beginning of the war. He was driving the Padre somewhere in France when he got stopped by German soldiers. He had his front teeth knocked out by the butt of a gun. They shot the padre and made Doug dig his grave. All the time he was thinking he was digging his own grave too. He buried the padre and was taken to a POW camp. He was in several camps during this time. The four camps that I know of were, Friegegeben Stalag IIID, Stalag XXA, Stalag XXB & Blechhammer E3. He was on the long walk to a camp in Poland in which many died. He was always called Doug as his father was named George but his nickname was Sticks as he was a drummer and performed in the camp entertainment shows. My father said he was treated well by his captors.
Dad was on a re-union committee for ex pows from Blechhammer E3 camp after the war and was chosen to host a visit from a German Prince as a good relations exercise. So Prince Hohenlohe came to stay with my Mum & Dad in their tiny house in London.

Jackie Gifford

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Pte. Albert William Worth Durham Light Infantry

My father Albert Worth was captured very early in the battle of El Alamein, on 23rd October 1942. How a lifelong Devonian ended up in the Durham Light Infantry I don't know. He ended up in in E344 Blechammer POW camp Stalag 8b and despite being bombed a number of times he survived. He then survived the notorious death march from this camp. One thing he told me was being brought home as passenger in a Lancaster. He saw terrible things during his imprisonment, and was himself a little over 7 stone on returning to his Devon village.
Any information would be welcome

Albert Worth

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Dvr. Wilfred Asquith 2nd Search Light Regiment, 5th Battery Royal Artillery

Wilfred Asquith was captured near Calais on 26th of May 1940, he was caught when an ambulance he and his mates had liberated hit a mine.
He was imprisoned in the following camps:
Stalag 21B from 08/06/1940 till 12/07/1940,
Stalag 21D from 12/07/1940 till 22/11/1940,
Stalag 344 from 22/11/1940 till 23/01/1945,
Stalag 7A from 12/04/1945 till 29/04/1945.

He was also at the work camp at Blechhammer from 22/11/1940 till 23/01/1945 as a Wireman

Liam Asquith

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William Alfred Pike 7th Btn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

Fusilier William Alfred Pike was taken prisoner at St Valery in June 1940 and was part of the 51st Highland Division. He was a prisoner in Stalag 8b/E344 and also E344/E3 Blechammer.

Ken Beavington

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William Alfred Wells

My late Father, William Alfred Wells, was a POW in Stalag VIIIB E3 Blechammer. Captured at Dunkirk, he spent the rest of the war in Stalag VIIIB before making the forced death march of 13 weeks at the end of the war. Marching all the way to Moosburg in Austria, they were liberated by the American Army and he returned home in May 1945. I have photos of him in the camp, and also a report he gave to our local paper some years afterwards when interviewed as a member of the Dunkirk Veterans Association. Could any one be able to fill in some gaps in his time there for me.

Brian Wells

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Pte. Herbert Mercer 140th Field Rgt ,367 Battery Royal Artillery

My father, Pvt Herbert Mercer, Royal Artillery, 140th Field Reg, 367 Battery, was held as a prisoner at Stalag 8B - E3 Blechhammer he lived in hut 33 for about 4 years.

Jan Dennett

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E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b

Those known to have been held in
E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

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E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b

Those known to have been held in E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8bduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b during the Second World War -

Those known to have been held in
E3 Arbeits Kommando, Stalag 8b
during the Second World War 1939-1945.