Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp

22nd Jul 1941 Parcels

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.

Those known to have been held in or employed at
Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Kilgour Raymond Victor. Bombdr.
Lewis Martin Albert Henry. Pte.
Massie William. Lt.
Rowarth David Armentieres. L/Cpl.
Wardale Francis. L/Bdr.
Whyte William John Cuthbertson. Lt.

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

Records from Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp other sources.

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Want to know more about Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp?

There are:3 items tagged Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp 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.

Lt. William Massie 9th Btn. Durham Light Infantry

From the General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War the main camps in which William Massie was imprisoned were, PG 78 Sept 1942 - July 1943, PG 19 July 1943 - Sept 1943, Oflag VA Oct 1943 - Jan 1944, Oflag V111F Jan 1944 - May 1944 and Oflag 79 May 1944 - April 1945. On 7th of January 1944, he escaped from a train in Silesia in company of Lt D W March of the Essex Regiment. Both were recaptured during morning of 9th on a goods train in Waldenburg.

Heather Massie

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Pte. Martin Albert Henry Lewis Welch Regiment

My father, Martin Lewis was captured outside Bengazi on 29th of January 1942 and arrived at Weinsburg on 9th October the following year. Leaving the North African port of Tripoli on 23rd of February 1942 he reached Naples four days later and eventually found himself at an Italian POW camp in Capua. When this camp was taken over by German forces he was moved in July 1943 and travelled via Rome, Foggia, Padua, Bologna and Moderna eventually, after several months travelling, reaching Weinsburg on the 9th October. En route to Oflag VA in Germany my father spent time in Strasburg as well as a transit camp near Munich, Stalag VIIA, Moosberg before finally reaching Weinsberg.
Strangely he was placed in a camp for officers for his rank was a private, however he was a gents' hairdresser so perhaps this was the reason he was placed in an Oflag rather than a Stalag POW camp, the latter being for enlisted men as opposed to officers. His war diaries articulate the routine and events of life within a German POW camp which he stated was far tougher than in his previous two camps run by the Italians. There were obviously difficulties he and Other Ranks faced, this being a camp for officers, one example being given just 15 marks per month for working almost daily cutting hair in the camp salon.
Sadly, my father suffered psychologically as time went on in the Weinsberg camp, so much so that on being released in 1945 he had a complete nervous breakdown and never really recovered full mental health during the rest of his life. He died at an early age in 1973 when he took his own life.

Martin Lewis

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Lt. William John Cuthbertson Whyte South African Artillery

My grandfather, William Whyte, who was a Lieutenant for the South African Artillery, was reported missing on 20th of June 1942 in Libya. Judging from the letters, July 28th, 1942 he still was "missing", until roughly August 23rd, 1943 when he sent a letter to his parents from PG 75 Italy.
He seemed to stay in Italy for a while, as he sent letters on March 2nd, 1943 through until May 2, 1943. He sent a letter on 11th September 1944 from Oflag VA, his Geangennummer was 3180/37, he spoke about how his birthday had come and gone, he was reading a lot, and he was very fit for the two and a half years he'd been prisoner. The last letter I came across was also sent from Oflag VA on 2nd March 1945. Shortly thereafter, once released, he went to his closest relatives in Scotland and finally back home to South Africa. He died shortly after from stomach cancer.

Add to this record.

Bombdr. Raymond Victor Kilgour 5th Brigade Field Artillery

Sebastiano Venier aground at Methoni Point

My late father Ray Kilgour was captured at Sidi Resegh, just south of Tobruk in Libya, North Africa on 23rd of November 1941. He was shipped across the Mediterranean where the Italian freighter, Sebastiano Venier, carrying 2000 allied POW's was torpedoed off the coast of Greece by the British submarine HMS Porpoise. The ship then grounded directly in front of Methoni Castle with the loss of some 400 lives. Then the survivors were all incarcerated in the ancient Pylos fortress overlooking the bay. Conditions were freezing cold and food was scarce.
Later they were re-shipped to Italy where my father landed up in POW Camp 52. When Italy capitulated the POW's were en-trained to Germany and my father was placed in Oflag Va at Weinsberg near Heilbron. His log book records the legend of the Faithful Wives of Weinsberg, whose heroic legend is enshrined in a stone statue in the town square. During the Middle Ages it is said that when the castle at the summit of Weinsberg was besieged during the wars of the Holy Roman Empire, the attacking general offered to let the women and children exit the fortress, provided they did not take more than they could carry. Soon after, the gates opened and the women came out carrying their husbands, sons and lovers on their backs. The general kept his word and the menfolk were spared.
When nearby Heilbron, a railway junction town, was mercilessly fire-bombed by the allies towards the end of 1944, the POW's were used to help clean up afterwards. My father related how they had to be protected by their own camp guards from the incensed survivors, overcome with rage and hate towards their enemies who had perpetrated the horrible attack upon an essentially civilian population.
Shortly afterwards they were sent to Mooseberg Camp where they were finally liberated by American forces. He recorded "A dirty brown Yankee tank has rolled through the camp gates. We are free."

Bruce Kilgour

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L/Bdr. Francis Wardale Royal Horse Artillery

My father Frank Wardale was a regular soldier joining the RHA in 1936 aged 20 and serving in Palestine and North Africa. Captured in May 1941 he was imprisoned in a number of Italian camps before being held in Oflag VA in October 1943 and then Stalag IV B in July 1944. He was there until the end of the war although I understand he left from the camp in May 1945 and made his way to the American lines. He was ill and malnourished and hospitalised until returning home to Liverpool in November 1945.
Like many entrants here my father spoke very little about the war. I do have a small picture of him and other members of the camp football team. He died in 1986. The Red Cross supplied most of the information here.

Ken Wardale

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L/Cpl. David Armentieres Rowarth Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

My father, David Rowarth, joined the DCLI in 1938 and was in India when WW2 broke out. He was also in Baghdad and in North Africa and was captured by the Italians then later transferred to the care of the Germans. I have some diaries kept by my father while captured. These include programmes and photographs of plays and pantomimes the prisoners put on.

Kate Cole

Add to this record.

Lt. William Massie 9th Btn. Durham Light Infantry

From the General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War the main camps in which William Massie was imprisoned were, PG 78 Sept 1942 - July 1943, PG 19 July 1943 - Sept 1943, Oflag VA Oct 1943 - Jan 1944, Oflag V111F Jan 1944 - May 1944 and Oflag 79 May 1944 - April 1945. On 7th of January 1944, he escaped from a train in Silesia in company of Lt D W March of the Essex Regiment. Both were recaptured during morning of 9th on a goods train in Waldenburg.

Heather Massie

Pte. Martin Albert Henry Lewis Welch Regiment

My father, Martin Lewis was captured outside Bengazi on 29th of January 1942 and arrived at Weinsburg on 9th October the following year. Leaving the North African port of Tripoli on 23rd of February 1942 he reached Naples four days later and eventually found himself at an Italian POW camp in Capua. When this camp was taken over by German forces he was moved in July 1943 and travelled via Rome, Foggia, Padua, Bologna and Moderna eventually, after several months travelling, reaching Weinsburg on the 9th October. En route to Oflag VA in Germany my father spent time in Strasburg as well as a transit camp near Munich, Stalag VIIA, Moosberg before finally reaching Weinsberg.
Strangely he was placed in a camp for officers for his rank was a private, however he was a gents' hairdresser so perhaps this was the reason he was placed in an Oflag rather than a Stalag POW camp, the latter being for enlisted men as opposed to officers. His war diaries articulate the routine and events of life within a German POW camp which he stated was far tougher than in his previous two camps run by the Italians. There were obviously difficulties he and Other Ranks faced, this being a camp for officers, one example being given just 15 marks per month for working almost daily cutting hair in the camp salon.
Sadly, my father suffered psychologically as time went on in the Weinsberg camp, so much so that on being released in 1945 he had a complete nervous breakdown and never really recovered full mental health during the rest of his life. He died at an early age in 1973 when he took his own life.

Martin Lewis

Lt. William John Cuthbertson Whyte South African Artillery

My grandfather, William Whyte, who was a Lieutenant for the South African Artillery, was reported missing on 20th of June 1942 in Libya. Judging from the letters, July 28th, 1942 he still was "missing", until roughly August 23rd, 1943 when he sent a letter to his parents from PG 75 Italy.
He seemed to stay in Italy for a while, as he sent letters on March 2nd, 1943 through until May 2, 1943. He sent a letter on 11th September 1944 from Oflag VA, his Geangennummer was 3180/37, he spoke about how his birthday had come and gone, he was reading a lot, and he was very fit for the two and a half years he'd been prisoner. The last letter I came across was also sent from Oflag VA on 2nd March 1945. Shortly thereafter, once released, he went to his closest relatives in Scotland and finally back home to South Africa. He died shortly after from stomach cancer.

Bombdr. Raymond Victor Kilgour 5th Brigade Field Artillery

My late father Ray Kilgour was captured at Sidi Resegh, just south of Tobruk in Libya, North Africa on 23rd of November 1941. He was shipped across the Mediterranean where the Italian freighter, Sebastiano Venier, carrying 2000 allied POW's was torpedoed off the coast of Greece by the British submarine HMS Porpoise. The ship then grounded directly in front of Methoni Castle with the loss of some 400 lives. Then the survivors were all incarcerated in the ancient Pylos fortress overlooking the bay. Conditions were freezing cold and food was scarce.
Later they were re-shipped to Italy where my father landed up in POW Camp 52. When Italy capitulated the POW's were en-trained to Germany and my father was placed in Oflag Va at Weinsberg near Heilbron. His log book records the legend of the Faithful Wives of Weinsberg, whose heroic legend is enshrined in a stone statue in the town square. During the Middle Ages it is said that when the castle at the summit of Weinsberg was besieged during the wars of the Holy Roman Empire, the attacking general offered to let the women and children exit the fortress, provided they did not take more than they could carry. Soon after, the gates opened and the women came out carrying their husbands, sons and lovers on their backs. The general kept his word and the menfolk were spared.
When nearby Heilbron, a railway junction town, was mercilessly fire-bombed by the allies towards the end of 1944, the POW's were used to help clean up afterwards. My father related how they had to be protected by their own camp guards from the incensed survivors, overcome with rage and hate towards their enemies who had perpetrated the horrible attack upon an essentially civilian population.
Shortly afterwards they were sent to Mooseberg Camp where they were finally liberated by American forces. He recorded "A dirty brown Yankee tank has rolled through the camp gates. We are free."

Bruce Kilgour

L/Bdr. Francis Wardale Royal Horse Artillery

My father Frank Wardale was a regular soldier joining the RHA in 1936 aged 20 and serving in Palestine and North Africa. Captured in May 1941 he was imprisoned in a number of Italian camps before being held in Oflag VA in October 1943 and then Stalag IV B in July 1944. He was there until the end of the war although I understand he left from the camp in May 1945 and made his way to the American lines. He was ill and malnourished and hospitalised until returning home to Liverpool in November 1945.
Like many entrants here my father spoke very little about the war. I do have a small picture of him and other members of the camp football team. He died in 1986. The Red Cross supplied most of the information here.

Ken Wardale

L/Cpl. David Armentieres Rowarth Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

My father, David Rowarth, joined the DCLI in 1938 and was in India when WW2 broke out. He was also in Baghdad and in North Africa and was captured by the Italians then later transferred to the care of the Germans. I have some diaries kept by my father while captured. These include programmes and photographs of plays and pantomimes the prisoners put on.

Kate Cole

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- Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp during the Second World War -

Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp

Those known to have been held in or employed at
Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

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

Announcements

Want to know more about Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp during the Second World War -

Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp

Those known to have been held in or employed at Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Campduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

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

Announcements

Want to know more about Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp during the Second World War -

Those known to have been held in or employed at
Oflag 5A Prisoner of War Camp
during the Second World War 1939-1945.