POW Camp Index
|
|
Links |
- Stalag 2A Prisoner of War Camp during the Second World War -
POW Camp Index
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this siteplease consider making a donation.
Site Home
Add Stories
WW2 Features
Submissions
FAQ's
Advertisements
World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945
Stalag 2A Prisoner of War Camp
Stalag IIA was situated near Neubrandenburg i. Meckl which today is known as Mecklenburg in Western Pomerania. It opened in September 1939 and initially housed Polish Prisoners of War. British and Serbian prisoners of war began to arrive in 1941 from the Balkan Campaign, the first Italians in 1943 and Americans in 1944. The camp was liberated by the Russian Army in late April 1945.
22nd Jul 1941 ParcelsIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Those known to have been held in or employed at
Stalag 2A Prisoner of War Camp
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Barnett Thomas Eugene. Cpl.
- Brown Cloyd.
- Brown James D.. Pte.
- Brownsell A.. Cpl.
- Chambers Glenn Lewis. Cpl.
- Clark Keller Cloe. Pte.
- Cleland Alexander Walter. Sgt.
- Edwards Arlin Clay. PFC.
- Gacka Leonard.
- Garren Robert David. PFC.
- Golez Franjo Josip.
- Grabowsli Pawe.
- Hansen Ernest V..
- Hughes Russell V. Pfc
- Jones Stanley George. L/Cpl.
- Leyba Jose Dolores. PFC
- Lodato Philip. Staff Sargent
- Mayo Howard Franklin. PFC.
- Meulendyk John. Pte.
- Noon Raymond Thomas. Pte.
- Prytulak Ivan.
- Slay Noel G.. Tech. Sgt.
- Snyder Morris Franklin. T/Sgt.
- Swanson Samuel Maynard. Staff Sargent
- Swanson Samuel Maynard. Staff Sargent
- Tryon Robert F.. PFC.
- Wedekind John W. PFC.
- Williams Ralph L.. PFC
- Yaros George. Pvt.
- Yaros George. Pvt.
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 Stalag 2A Prisoner of War Camp other sources.
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 18th Dec 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 265120 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research? Please read our Family History FAQs
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this siteplease consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home.If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes.
Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
Want to know more about Stalag 2A Prisoner of War Camp?
There are:4 items tagged Stalag 2A 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.
Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson 45th Infantry Division
My father-in-law, Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson, served with the 45th Infantry Division, US Army and a was a POW in Stalag IIA.It would be great to learn of anyone who may have known, had a picture or a story about my father-in-law. He died in 2003 in Galesburg, Illinois, his home town.
Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson 45th Infantry Division
My father-in-law, Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson, served with the 45th Infantry Division, US Army and a was a POW in Stalag IIA.It would be great to learn of anyone who may have known, had a picture or a story about my father-in-law. He died in 2003 in Galesburg, Illinois, his home town.
Staff Sargent Philip Lodato Company F, 100th Division 399 Infantry
I am disparately trying to find a WWII POW who was in Stalag II A located in Neubrandenburg. My name is Philip Lodato I was a staff sargent who was captured and held in this prison. I am trying to located a fellow POW who went by the name of Bosco.Philip Lodato
Cpl. A. Brownsell
A Brownsell, when he was demobbed, worked with me for a short period. He gave me a book about the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, which contains actual photographs and German text. On the frontispiece he had printed in pencil: Cpl. A. Brownsell Ex. POW Stalag 2A Newbrandenburg. Germany. Captured at Arnhem Sept 1944. Liberated by Russian Army at midnight 28th of April 1945. I am now 93 years old, and I would like to offer this book to any of this person’s family, if they can be found. Can you help me with this project?Norman Malthouse
Leonard Gacka 16th Infantry Division
On the 29th August 1939, under General Mobilisation my poppy, Leonard Gacka, was recalled to his unit, the Polish 16th Infantry Division stationed on the border with East Prussia. A day later on the 1st September, the German's launched their blitzkrieg on Poland, beginning World War 2.Pop's unit felt the full force of this new lightning war and was subjected to constant bombing, artillery and tank attack. As they fell back in disarray, he found himself cut off from behind enemy lines and then captured by German Soldiers, who were going to shoot him. At that time he said to them in perfect German "You are German Soldiers, you fight for your country...... I am a Polish soldier, I fight for mine". A German officer nearby who overheard the conversation asked Poppy where he had learnt to speak German so well and was convinced he was a German Pole. The officer told him to disappear over the hill if he knew what was good for him. Pop needed no further prompting, and he tore up that hill and towards a forest where he found a Polish Cavalry horse, jumped on and galloped back towards the Polish lines. A further 2 weeks of confusion followed for Pop, during which time he was buried in rubble then rescued with his uniform in tatters.
Capitulation soon followed and together with thousands of Polish POW's he was marched hundreds of kilometres through Poland and into Germany where he was interned in Stalag 2A, North of Berlin. Along the way an interesting incident took place, a German NCO strode through the crowds of POW's asking for a barber who could give him a good shave and he would pay them 6 cigarettes. Although not of that trade, Pop obliged and cut him up so badly the poor bloke almost bled to death. However, he was unaware of this until he made it to a mirror some time later. For 3 days the Germans hunted that demon barber but he was hidden by his mates.
There, then followed years of internment with frequent beatings. During the severe winter of 1941, with his uniform in tatters and only a ragged blanket he almost perished had it not been for the gift of a pair of Long Johns sent through the Red Cross by his former employers wife, who informed him that her husband had been executed by the Nazi's.
In 1942 the Germans moved many POW's out of Stalag onto farms where they were used as Forced Labour. Farms meant food so they could supplement their meagre ration of 1 boiled potato a day by pinching the odd egg, chicken or a bit of pork.
Pop also joined the camp choir who sang as they marched to work each day, much to the annoyance of the German population who complained to the Commandant, "How can you allow the prisoners to sing at the top of their voices while our boys are dying on the Eastern Front in Russia".
Poppy often recounted how only 3 nations were marked by the Nazi's during those terrible times, Poles C who had to wear a P , Jews C a Star of David, and Russians a similar emblem, failure to do so could result in summary execution. One day towards the end of the war while being marched out to work, Pop passed another P coming from the opposite direction, she was a young girl named Lola, as they passed they exchanged greetings and pledged to meet sometime in the future. Lola too had had a harrowing time. Arrested in a Warsaw street round-up in 1940, she was taken to Soldau Concentration Camp where she was interred for a year then released to work as forced labour to a German family who treated her very badly with frequent beatings. Enduring enough, she removed her letter P and ran away only to be caught soon after and sent to prison for 6 months. On release, she was placed with another German family who told her to behave and obey her Nazi Masters.
Both Pop and Nanny, were liberated by the British Army near Lubeck, North Germany in 1945. Pop and Nanny married in early 1946. Poppy got a job with the British Army as a Police Interpreter and even acquired his own Jeep. He also played soccer with a Polish team. They beat an RAF side 7-1 in a friendly, and he also played the drums in a dance band. At the time of the birth of their first child Uncle Lenoard in 1946, they lived in the Falinbostel Camp together with thousands of other displaced persons. They then planned a return to their native Poland, however a letter from Pop's mother changed all that. She wrote, "Dear Son, it may be best for you to remain where you are at present, Soviet Occupation Forces are arresting Polish soldiers and Home Army Officers as they return home. Already 15,000 Officers have been executed and hundreds of thousands of Poles have been deported to Siberia." It was clear that the Russian regime wanted no opposition to its plans for their new Poland. In 1949 Pop took the family to France, but returned to Germany 9 months later disillusioned by the unfriendly attitude of the French to outsiders. On their return to Falinbostel, Nanny gave birth to her second son Edward (my dad) in 1950. Poppy had also heard that a delegation of Australian Immigration Officials were scouring the Camp for potential New Aussies, he couldn't find them quickly enough. Within months they had set sail from Bremerhaven on the SS Skaugum bound for Port Melbourne and arriving in November 1950. From there it was bus to Bonnegilla, then Cowra Migration Centre. Pop found a job with the NSW Railways and also supplemented his income by playing drums in a dance band. They played a lot of Country Dances in Cowra, Forbes and Orange districts. Times were difficult at first, but poppy loved the freedom and the friendly Aussies. This was akin to his Polish Soul. Often work took him hundreds of miles away and he could only return to the family on the weekends. Also, he had to pay lodgings for the family in the camp as well as his lodgings close to work. However, he always ensured his family was well fed and clothed and even bought the children an occasional gift.
In 1953, Nanny sadly gave birth to a stillborn girl Halina, this was followed by a move to Scheyville Migrant Centre near Windsor, where another son Tadeusz was born, but sadly also died at 10 months of age from convulsions. Then, in 1957 Uncle Peter, the baby of the family came along and Nanny decided that was enough. She often lamented the lack of a daughter to help her with the housework. By 1959, Poppy had saved enough money for a house in Blacktown and the family moved. At the same time, Pop joined his beloved Blacktown Workers Club while it was still a tin shed. His badge number was 63. In tribute to Poppy and Nanny they raised a great family through some very difficult times. Early in their arrival they learnt English and assimilated well into Australian Society. In fact, English has been the first language at home for more than 50 years, even though poppy was a bit hard to understand in later life. My poppy sadly passed away in 2008 with his family surrounding him. He will be greatly missed.
Tracey Shaw
Pawe "Gauka" Grabowsli 8th Unit of Gendarmerie
My grandfather, Pawe Grabowski was a member of 8th Unit of Gendarmerie which was located in Tczew, 40 km South from Gdansk, East Prussia (part of Poland today). He was captured by Germans on September 10, 1939 near Warsaw only a few days after WWII began. He was send to Stalag II A in Neubrandenburg from where he was released on November 12, 1940. We don't know much about this period of his life because he never talked about it.Later he traveled to England where he became a driving instructor. Sometime during the war my grandmother got a note from the Red Cross informing her that my grandpa was killed in a bomb explosion while driving an army truck. She went on with two children. She spoke fluent German while living in East Prussia, which helped her to survive the war. She was surprised when, after the war, grandpa came back in one piece.
For many years grandpa's dog tag from Stalag II A has been hanging on my wall in Montreal, Canada but just lately my cousin in Poland (great granddaughter) found the paperwork corresponding to grandpa's dog tag on line. The original document is in the hands of POW Museum in Lambionowice-Opole, Poland.
We are so very proud of our grandfather and that is why we decided to share his story with the world.
Roma Kowalska
Ivan Prytulak
My father Ivan Prytulak was Ukrainian, but served in the Polish Army, as Western Ukraine was under Polish rule. He was captured by the Germans, on his way to defend Warsaw, on the banks of the River Vistula, around October of 1939. After spending six weeks in a POW camp in Ostrowo, Poland, he was transported to Neubrandenburg Stalag No. 2A. His camp no was 19318. He must have been one of the first to arrive, as he wrote, they were building barracks, so he slept in tents. I am translating my father's autobiography from Ukrainian into English.J. Prytulak
PFC. Howard Franklin "Dink" Mayo Infantry
Private First Class Howard F Mayo was my father. He was born in Cheatham County, Tennessee on 9th July 1923 and died in 2008 at his home in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He served from 20th January 1944 to 2nd December 1945 when he was liberated from Stalag 2 and returned to military control. My father told me that he walked over France and Germany. He went missing in France and was held prisoner for approximately six months at Gustrow, Germany, from 7th November 1944 to 8th May 1945. They were housed 25 men in one room in the camp. They worked in the forest and cut two trees per day. They were served two meals a day which consisted of soup and bread. They received little else and there was no food available. Even the guards were starving. When they received their Red Cross package the German guards ate it and the prisoners did not get them.They were shipped out the first of the year from the Stalag. When the war was over the Russians came through and murdered men and raped women. The villagers liked the prisoners and treated them well. When they learned the Russians were coming the villagers hid them to prevent the Russians from killing them.
After returning home my father was troubled with stomach problems for years from the lack of food and the way they ate in camp. He weighed 98 pounds when he was released. Unfortunately, the family doesn't have a lot of information regarding his service because the Archives in St. Louis, Missouri no longer have records of Army military personnel for the period of 1912 through 1959. They had a fire in 1973 and many records were destroyed.
Wanda Powers
Pfc Russell V Hughes 9th Army 102 Div.
I was captured in Linnich, Germany and sent to Stalag 11B on 6th December 1944. I arrived at Stalag 2A on 19th January 1945, and was at Gottin Farm on 6th February 1945 (located between Hetero and Lauge in the province of Mecklenburg). I was liberated around 1st May 1945.Dan Giantonio
Sgt. Alexander Walter Cleland 1st Btn. Gordon Highlanders
Alex Cleland was born at 22 Eve Road, Plaistow, East Ham, Essex. He went to the Napier Road School, and left at the age of 14. He joined the Army Territorials, before joining the Gordon Highlanders, he signed on for 7 years on the 23rd of Aug 1928. He served in India and Palatine leaving the Army in 1936. He joined the British Post Office but was returned to the Army for the 2nd World War on the 2nd of September 1939 and was promoted to Sargent. He was captured during the British retreat at Dunkirk on the 12th of Jun 1940 and was a POW until 19th of Apr 1945 in Stalag XXA Thorn, Poland and Stalag XXB Marienburg, East Prussia. He spent time in hospital and recuperating at Hatfield House, and was discharged on the 13th of Nov 1945.Graham Cleland
PFC. Robert David Garren 334th Infantry Regiment
David Garren was captured in the town of Plummern, north of Aachen, Germany in November of 1944. After being sent to StalagIIA, he was subsequently sent to an nearby work camp. He talked about the fight in Plummern, but not much about his time in the POW system. The food hurt his stomach for the rest of his life and the cold left him cold natured for the rest of his life.Van Jones
Tech. Sgt. Noel G. Slay 9th Armored Div.
My father was in 9th Armored Division and a POW at Stalag 2a.Mark
Pte. James D. Brown 175th Infantry Regiment
My father-in-law, Private James D. Brown served in the 9th Army, 29th Division, 175th Infantry. He became a POW in November 1944 and was sent to Stalag IIA. He fled in April 1945.Herb Becker
Cloyd "Doc" Brown 142nd Infantry Regiment
This is the full story that went with this photo from my grandfather:"I went through bits and pieces of this 50+ year old story. I went through the Italian campaigns - Sicily, Naples, Santa Maria, Anzio Beach, Rapido River, Salerno, Rome, Florence. Then invasion so to France, Frajtes Beach, I was captured on the 30th of August1944 at 3:30 am, in the Rhone Valley outside Valeure, France.
I was a machine gunner (30 caliber water cooled) CO. M. 142 INF 36th Division. Held in France six weeks; put in box car to Stalag 12A Limburg, Germany. Wound up in the prison hospital five days later with pneumonia. After I was released I was again loaded onto boxcar “40 ton car.†Locked in for 14 days. Wound up in Neubrandenburg Germany, Stalag IIA on the Baltic Sea. There I stayed till liberated by Russians in April ’45. I escaped once, Ray Vanarsdale, Frenchie Thibadeaux and myself. Were caught 20 days later. Put in city jail til German guards came and got us. We evaded the guards when this young German soldier took us up through the compound. (Lucky).
The picture of Ray, Frenchie, Henry Morris, Rohland Stager and myself and the horse and buggy we stole five days after the Russians left. We stole a camera, too to take pictures and map. We travelled 11 days hiding out in barns, etc. We ran into the 82nd Airborne Headquarters on the 11th day. They deloused us, burnt our clothes and gave us uniforms and we were on an Army plane within 50 minutes. Taken to Le Havre, France Army Hospital."
Shari Lewis
Ernest V. Hansen 109th Infantry Rgt
My father Ernest Hansen served with 28th Inf. Div. 109th Infantry Rgt andwas captured at the Battle of the Bulge on or about 15/16 December, and spent time in Stalag 12A, Stalag 2A, Stalag 11A and possibly one near Bitburg, Germany. If anyone can help I would be pleased to hear from them.Darrell E Hansen
Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson 45th Infantry Division
My father-in-law, Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson, served with the 45th Infantry Division, US Army and a was a POW in Stalag IIA.It would be great to learn of anyone who may have known, had a picture or a story about my father-in-law. He died in 2003 in Galesburg, Illinois, his home town.
Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson 45th Infantry Division
My father-in-law, Staff Sargent Samuel Maynard Swanson, served with the 45th Infantry Division, US Army and a was a POW in Stalag IIA.It would be great to learn of anyone who may have known, had a picture or a story about my father-in-law. He died in 2003 in Galesburg, Illinois, his home town.
Staff Sargent Philip Lodato Company F, 100th Division 399 Infantry
I am disparately trying to find a WWII POW who was in Stalag II A located in Neubrandenburg. My name is Philip Lodato I was a staff sargent who was captured and held in this prison. I am trying to located a fellow POW who went by the name of Bosco.Philip Lodato
Cpl. A. Brownsell
A Brownsell, when he was demobbed, worked with me for a short period. He gave me a book about the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, which contains actual photographs and German text. On the frontispiece he had printed in pencil: Cpl. A. Brownsell Ex. POW Stalag 2A Newbrandenburg. Germany. Captured at Arnhem Sept 1944. Liberated by Russian Army at midnight 28th of April 1945. I am now 93 years old, and I would like to offer this book to any of this person’s family, if they can be found. Can you help me with this project?Norman Malthouse
Leonard Gacka 16th Infantry Division
On the 29th August 1939, under General Mobilisation my poppy, Leonard Gacka, was recalled to his unit, the Polish 16th Infantry Division stationed on the border with East Prussia. A day later on the 1st September, the German's launched their blitzkrieg on Poland, beginning World War 2.Pop's unit felt the full force of this new lightning war and was subjected to constant bombing, artillery and tank attack. As they fell back in disarray, he found himself cut off from behind enemy lines and then captured by German Soldiers, who were going to shoot him. At that time he said to them in perfect German "You are German Soldiers, you fight for your country...... I am a Polish soldier, I fight for mine". A German officer nearby who overheard the conversation asked Poppy where he had learnt to speak German so well and was convinced he was a German Pole. The officer told him to disappear over the hill if he knew what was good for him. Pop needed no further prompting, and he tore up that hill and towards a forest where he found a Polish Cavalry horse, jumped on and galloped back towards the Polish lines. A further 2 weeks of confusion followed for Pop, during which time he was buried in rubble then rescued with his uniform in tatters.
Capitulation soon followed and together with thousands of Polish POW's he was marched hundreds of kilometres through Poland and into Germany where he was interned in Stalag 2A, North of Berlin. Along the way an interesting incident took place, a German NCO strode through the crowds of POW's asking for a barber who could give him a good shave and he would pay them 6 cigarettes. Although not of that trade, Pop obliged and cut him up so badly the poor bloke almost bled to death. However, he was unaware of this until he made it to a mirror some time later. For 3 days the Germans hunted that demon barber but he was hidden by his mates.
There, then followed years of internment with frequent beatings. During the severe winter of 1941, with his uniform in tatters and only a ragged blanket he almost perished had it not been for the gift of a pair of Long Johns sent through the Red Cross by his former employers wife, who informed him that her husband had been executed by the Nazi's.
In 1942 the Germans moved many POW's out of Stalag onto farms where they were used as Forced Labour. Farms meant food so they could supplement their meagre ration of 1 boiled potato a day by pinching the odd egg, chicken or a bit of pork.
Pop also joined the camp choir who sang as they marched to work each day, much to the annoyance of the German population who complained to the Commandant, "How can you allow the prisoners to sing at the top of their voices while our boys are dying on the Eastern Front in Russia".
Poppy often recounted how only 3 nations were marked by the Nazi's during those terrible times, Poles C who had to wear a P , Jews C a Star of David, and Russians a similar emblem, failure to do so could result in summary execution. One day towards the end of the war while being marched out to work, Pop passed another P coming from the opposite direction, she was a young girl named Lola, as they passed they exchanged greetings and pledged to meet sometime in the future. Lola too had had a harrowing time. Arrested in a Warsaw street round-up in 1940, she was taken to Soldau Concentration Camp where she was interred for a year then released to work as forced labour to a German family who treated her very badly with frequent beatings. Enduring enough, she removed her letter P and ran away only to be caught soon after and sent to prison for 6 months. On release, she was placed with another German family who told her to behave and obey her Nazi Masters.
Both Pop and Nanny, were liberated by the British Army near Lubeck, North Germany in 1945. Pop and Nanny married in early 1946. Poppy got a job with the British Army as a Police Interpreter and even acquired his own Jeep. He also played soccer with a Polish team. They beat an RAF side 7-1 in a friendly, and he also played the drums in a dance band. At the time of the birth of their first child Uncle Lenoard in 1946, they lived in the Falinbostel Camp together with thousands of other displaced persons. They then planned a return to their native Poland, however a letter from Pop's mother changed all that. She wrote, "Dear Son, it may be best for you to remain where you are at present, Soviet Occupation Forces are arresting Polish soldiers and Home Army Officers as they return home. Already 15,000 Officers have been executed and hundreds of thousands of Poles have been deported to Siberia." It was clear that the Russian regime wanted no opposition to its plans for their new Poland. In 1949 Pop took the family to France, but returned to Germany 9 months later disillusioned by the unfriendly attitude of the French to outsiders. On their return to Falinbostel, Nanny gave birth to her second son Edward (my dad) in 1950. Poppy had also heard that a delegation of Australian Immigration Officials were scouring the Camp for potential New Aussies, he couldn't find them quickly enough. Within months they had set sail from Bremerhaven on the SS Skaugum bound for Port Melbourne and arriving in November 1950. From there it was bus to Bonnegilla, then Cowra Migration Centre. Pop found a job with the NSW Railways and also supplemented his income by playing drums in a dance band. They played a lot of Country Dances in Cowra, Forbes and Orange districts. Times were difficult at first, but poppy loved the freedom and the friendly Aussies. This was akin to his Polish Soul. Often work took him hundreds of miles away and he could only return to the family on the weekends. Also, he had to pay lodgings for the family in the camp as well as his lodgings close to work. However, he always ensured his family was well fed and clothed and even bought the children an occasional gift.
In 1953, Nanny sadly gave birth to a stillborn girl Halina, this was followed by a move to Scheyville Migrant Centre near Windsor, where another son Tadeusz was born, but sadly also died at 10 months of age from convulsions. Then, in 1957 Uncle Peter, the baby of the family came along and Nanny decided that was enough. She often lamented the lack of a daughter to help her with the housework. By 1959, Poppy had saved enough money for a house in Blacktown and the family moved. At the same time, Pop joined his beloved Blacktown Workers Club while it was still a tin shed. His badge number was 63. In tribute to Poppy and Nanny they raised a great family through some very difficult times. Early in their arrival they learnt English and assimilated well into Australian Society. In fact, English has been the first language at home for more than 50 years, even though poppy was a bit hard to understand in later life. My poppy sadly passed away in 2008 with his family surrounding him. He will be greatly missed.
Tracey Shaw
Pawe "Gauka" Grabowsli 8th Unit of Gendarmerie
My grandfather, Pawe Grabowski was a member of 8th Unit of Gendarmerie which was located in Tczew, 40 km South from Gdansk, East Prussia (part of Poland today). He was captured by Germans on September 10, 1939 near Warsaw only a few days after WWII began. He was send to Stalag II A in Neubrandenburg from where he was released on November 12, 1940. We don't know much about this period of his life because he never talked about it.Later he traveled to England where he became a driving instructor. Sometime during the war my grandmother got a note from the Red Cross informing her that my grandpa was killed in a bomb explosion while driving an army truck. She went on with two children. She spoke fluent German while living in East Prussia, which helped her to survive the war. She was surprised when, after the war, grandpa came back in one piece.
For many years grandpa's dog tag from Stalag II A has been hanging on my wall in Montreal, Canada but just lately my cousin in Poland (great granddaughter) found the paperwork corresponding to grandpa's dog tag on line. The original document is in the hands of POW Museum in Lambionowice-Opole, Poland.
We are so very proud of our grandfather and that is why we decided to share his story with the world.
Roma Kowalska
Ivan Prytulak
My father Ivan Prytulak was Ukrainian, but served in the Polish Army, as Western Ukraine was under Polish rule. He was captured by the Germans, on his way to defend Warsaw, on the banks of the River Vistula, around October of 1939. After spending six weeks in a POW camp in Ostrowo, Poland, he was transported to Neubrandenburg Stalag No. 2A. His camp no was 19318. He must have been one of the first to arrive, as he wrote, they were building barracks, so he slept in tents. I am translating my father's autobiography from Ukrainian into English.J. Prytulak
PFC. Howard Franklin "Dink" Mayo Infantry
Private First Class Howard F Mayo was my father. He was born in Cheatham County, Tennessee on 9th July 1923 and died in 2008 at his home in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He served from 20th January 1944 to 2nd December 1945 when he was liberated from Stalag 2 and returned to military control. My father told me that he walked over France and Germany. He went missing in France and was held prisoner for approximately six months at Gustrow, Germany, from 7th November 1944 to 8th May 1945. They were housed 25 men in one room in the camp. They worked in the forest and cut two trees per day. They were served two meals a day which consisted of soup and bread. They received little else and there was no food available. Even the guards were starving. When they received their Red Cross package the German guards ate it and the prisoners did not get them.They were shipped out the first of the year from the Stalag. When the war was over the Russians came through and murdered men and raped women. The villagers liked the prisoners and treated them well. When they learned the Russians were coming the villagers hid them to prevent the Russians from killing them.
After returning home my father was troubled with stomach problems for years from the lack of food and the way they ate in camp. He weighed 98 pounds when he was released. Unfortunately, the family doesn't have a lot of information regarding his service because the Archives in St. Louis, Missouri no longer have records of Army military personnel for the period of 1912 through 1959. They had a fire in 1973 and many records were destroyed.
Wanda Powers
Pfc Russell V Hughes 9th Army 102 Div.
I was captured in Linnich, Germany and sent to Stalag 11B on 6th December 1944. I arrived at Stalag 2A on 19th January 1945, and was at Gottin Farm on 6th February 1945 (located between Hetero and Lauge in the province of Mecklenburg). I was liberated around 1st May 1945.Dan Giantonio
Sgt. Alexander Walter Cleland 1st Btn. Gordon Highlanders
Alex Cleland was born at 22 Eve Road, Plaistow, East Ham, Essex. He went to the Napier Road School, and left at the age of 14. He joined the Army Territorials, before joining the Gordon Highlanders, he signed on for 7 years on the 23rd of Aug 1928. He served in India and Palatine leaving the Army in 1936. He joined the British Post Office but was returned to the Army for the 2nd World War on the 2nd of September 1939 and was promoted to Sargent. He was captured during the British retreat at Dunkirk on the 12th of Jun 1940 and was a POW until 19th of Apr 1945 in Stalag XXA Thorn, Poland and Stalag XXB Marienburg, East Prussia. He spent time in hospital and recuperating at Hatfield House, and was discharged on the 13th of Nov 1945.Graham Cleland
PFC. Robert David Garren 334th Infantry Regiment
David Garren was captured in the town of Plummern, north of Aachen, Germany in November of 1944. After being sent to StalagIIA, he was subsequently sent to an nearby work camp. He talked about the fight in Plummern, but not much about his time in the POW system. The food hurt his stomach for the rest of his life and the cold left him cold natured for the rest of his life.Van Jones
Tech. Sgt. Noel G. Slay 9th Armored Div.
My father was in 9th Armored Division and a POW at Stalag 2a.Mark
Pte. James D. Brown 175th Infantry Regiment
My father-in-law, Private James D. Brown served in the 9th Army, 29th Division, 175th Infantry. He became a POW in November 1944 and was sent to Stalag IIA. He fled in April 1945.Herb Becker
Cloyd "Doc" Brown 142nd Infantry Regiment
This is the full story that went with this photo from my grandfather:"I went through bits and pieces of this 50+ year old story. I went through the Italian campaigns - Sicily, Naples, Santa Maria, Anzio Beach, Rapido River, Salerno, Rome, Florence. Then invasion so to France, Frajtes Beach, I was captured on the 30th of August1944 at 3:30 am, in the Rhone Valley outside Valeure, France.
I was a machine gunner (30 caliber water cooled) CO. M. 142 INF 36th Division. Held in France six weeks; put in box car to Stalag 12A Limburg, Germany. Wound up in the prison hospital five days later with pneumonia. After I was released I was again loaded onto boxcar “40 ton car.†Locked in for 14 days. Wound up in Neubrandenburg Germany, Stalag IIA on the Baltic Sea. There I stayed till liberated by Russians in April ’45. I escaped once, Ray Vanarsdale, Frenchie Thibadeaux and myself. Were caught 20 days later. Put in city jail til German guards came and got us. We evaded the guards when this young German soldier took us up through the compound. (Lucky).
The picture of Ray, Frenchie, Henry Morris, Rohland Stager and myself and the horse and buggy we stole five days after the Russians left. We stole a camera, too to take pictures and map. We travelled 11 days hiding out in barns, etc. We ran into the 82nd Airborne Headquarters on the 11th day. They deloused us, burnt our clothes and gave us uniforms and we were on an Army plane within 50 minutes. Taken to Le Havre, France Army Hospital."
Shari Lewis
Ernest V. Hansen 109th Infantry Rgt
My father Ernest Hansen served with 28th Inf. Div. 109th Infantry Rgt andwas captured at the Battle of the Bulge on or about 15/16 December, and spent time in Stalag 12A, Stalag 2A, Stalag 11A and possibly one near Bitburg, Germany. If anyone can help I would be pleased to hear from them.Darrell E Hansen
Recomended Reading.
Available at discounted prices.
Links
|
The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small
to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV - All Rights Reserved We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites. |
