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Stalag 18C (317) Prisoner of War Camp
22nd Jul 1941 Parcels
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Want to know more about Stalag 18C (317) Prisoner of War Camp? There are:21 items tagged Stalag 18C (317) 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. |
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William Parker Kings Own Royal Regiment I have found a piece of paper that has a serial number on it, my father, William Parker's POW number which is 9668. It says prisoner of war camp contact officer is Lt. Co. R.A.S. Sparks, then it says issued at Markt Pongau (in red) dated 11.5.45.
Editor's note: The POW camp in the town of Markt Pongau, which is near Salzburg and is now called St. Johann im Pongau, was Stalag XVIII-C, also known as Stalag 317.
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Gnr. Douglas Edward Hill Durban Light Infantry I have been putting a timeline together of my Dad's wartime experience.
After being wounded in either Bi'r Royale or Tobruk, Libya, Douglas Hill was captured. It appears he spent approximately two months in hospital in Tripoli. He was transported by the Italian hospital ship, Virgilio, and was in Caserta Hospital in Naples, Italy. Some weeks later, he was admitted to Castel St. Pietro Hospital in Bologna, Italy. It appears he then spent a number of months at Campo PG 73 before being transferred to Stalag XVIIIC near Salzburg before being held at Stalag XVIIIA in Graz, Austria.
In April 1945, almost 3 years after his capture, my Dad escaped. Two months later, he was reunited with his unit.
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Gdsmn. Wilfred David Birchall Grenadier Guards I can only tell you that I recently bought two postcards sent by Guardsman Wilfred Birchall to his former employers, a textile warehouse at 31 Dale Street Manchester. The first card is an Italian card dated 15th of April 1943 from Camp 82, No. 1, Sector 3200, Italy, from which I deduce that Guardsman Birchall was captured by the Italians in North Africa before the Allied invasion of Italy. The second card was dated 9th of December 1943, again to his employers in Manchester, from Stalag XVIII-C which I understand was in Markt Pongau (now St. Johann im Pongau) in Austria. Both cards say he is doing fine, but maybe he had to say that.
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Cpl. Florian Wegrzyn Florian Wegrzyn joined the Polish Home Army when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. He and his compatriots fought primarily in the ever dwindling circle that was prewar Warsaw. They transported their wounded and moved troops and ammunition through the bombarded streets of the city. They fought the Nazis with heroic ferocity. When the streets were no longer passable they used the city sewer system to move about as necessary.
The Allies tried to supply them with airdrops, but they were often taken by the Germans instead when the winds blew the parachutes off course. The Russians were given the task to airdrop food by the Allies. When they did, they simply threw sacks off their airplanes without parachutes so they would burst on impact with the ground rendering them useless. The Red Army stood by on the banks of the Wisla river and watched the massacre of the city.
With all ammunition and supplies expended the Polish Army staff approved the surrender of Polish troops to the Nazis. The troops laid down their arms and marched in rank to the train stations where they were dispersed to various prison camps.
My father was taken to Stalag18 C in Austria. His German POW number was 223513. He told me they were forced to labor on a tunnel in the Alps that was often strafed by allied airplanes while the workers were forced to remain at work under threat of death from their prison guards.
Upon camp liberation he was inducted into the British Army for the short duration and was discharged from the service in England where he married and emigrated to the United States.
He was awarded the Polish Army Cross
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Pte. Francis Ernest Gooch 25th Battalion My late father, Frank Gooch, was captured during the desert campaign in Egypt at El Meir during the First battle of el Alamein on the 22nd of July 1942. After capture he was transported to Italy were he was a prisoner of war at Campo PG 85 then Campo PG 57.
After Italy capitulated Frank was transported to Germany were he was imprisoned at Stalag 344 then at Stalag 317.
I still have my father's Stalag 317 dog tags which have stamped on them number 33135.
Unfortunately, Frank died at the relatively young age of 51 years in May 1970 so stories of his war service experience and subsequent capture were not passed on to his family.
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Sgt. Neville Leonard Ashley 2nd Btn. A Coy. 2 Pltn. Parachute Regiment Neville Ashley had served with the TA, 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment before the war. He saw action with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and France during the retreat to Dunkirk. He was evacuated from beache at La Panne on the Dutch ship, Horst and taken to Margate. He was discharged from the army, but later re-enlisted and joined No.2 Platoon, A Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion. He was taken Prisoner of War near Arnhem in September 1944 and held in Stalag 12a and Stalag 18c.
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Henri Tajfel Henri Tajfel volunteered for the French army in 1940 (we think). He was a Polish Jew, living in Paris at the time (known then as Hersz Tajfel). He later became a famous social psychologist whose biography I am writing.
In this picture, taken at Stalag XVIIIC, Markt Pongau, Austria, he is second from the right, next to the man in the white shirt. He was also imprisoned in Stalag VIIIA
I would love to hear from any relatives of other prisoners from Stalag XVIIIC, whether French or other nationality, who might have known Henri or who have diaries or other accounts of camp life.
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Chaim Mojsze "Maxi" Brafman My father Maxi Brafman served under a different identity to protect his Jewish identity. The cover identity was of James Johnson.
He was injured and captured in Brac Yugoslavia, on 6th of June 1944.
He first arrived at Stalag 7a, transferred to Stalag 18c few weeks later.
He made a few attempts to escape with a British POW by the name of Anthony Ambleton Smith an artillery officer.
Hope someone can fill me in with more information and hopefully pictures.
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QMS. John Thomas Tebbett Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Jack Tebbett was my granddad. All we know is that he was a prisoner of war in Stalag 317, we don't have any dates. His prisoner number 9067.
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Krys My father was sent to Stalag XVIIc. Apparently he had participated in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and had surrendered in October 1944 and was marched off to Pongau. How can I verify his internment at Stalag 317? He did not, apparently, use his real name. It seems most AK (Armia Krajowa-AK) fighters had falsified papers.
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S/Sgt. Olan Rice 99th Bomb Group Dad, Olan Rice, was a tail gunner on a B-17. He flew out of Foggia, Italy with the 15th AAF, 99th Bomb group. He was shot down over Austria on 25th of April 1945. He was taken prisoner and held at Stalag 18c at Pongau.
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Joseph Cordier I've recently read the diary my Grandfather wrote in WW2.
I know that he has been to Stalag XVIIIC because it is written on several of his personsl affairs (his diary and his German-French dictionary).
He was French and his name was Joseph Cordier.
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Winston Yeatman 19th Army Troop Engineers My father, Winston Yeatman from Christchurch, New Zealand was an Engineer (or 'sapper') in the 19th New Zealand Army Troop Engineers. He was a prisoner of war in Stalag V111B after being captured on Crete in 1941, arriving back in UK May 1945. His POW number was 7490. From his war record he seems to have been in a few camps - Salonika, where he was first registered as a POW at the Front. Stalag 18c; V111b; 344; Stalagluft 6;
He was an Engineer in the NZ Army.
He changed identities with Richard Pape (and others) and his exploits are in the book written by Richard Pape 'Boldness Be My Friend' and it's sequel.
Dad passed away in 1986, he was always actively involved in the RSA, Ex-POW & Tin Hat Club in Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Soldat. Oscar David Oscar David was taken POW on the 23rd of June 1940 and held in Stalag VIIIc.
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Sgt. Ronald Mayfield Cridge 26th Battalion My Father, Ronald Mayfield Cridge, enlisted 24/6/1940 in the No 8 Company N Group: initially as Pte. Cridge in Charge - then Batt Corporal, and Sergeant - 4 Service Chevrons as at 3.10.1944 & The Africa Star.
After enlisting, Ronald was sent to Burnham Camp for initial training before being sent with his friend Brownie Dann to Wellington with the 1st Section of the 4th Reinforcements on the evening of the 7th November on the “Rangitira”. Embarking the following morning on the Polish ship the “Batory” sailing on the eve of the 8th Nov into a howling gale, they were acompanied by the “Achilles” & the “ Maunganui” to Sydney. The troops had 2½ days leave then sailed in convoy with three larger ships full of Australian troops escorted by three Australian Cruisers to Fremantle. The Batory was a liner of 14287 tons and Captained by Deyczakowski, but owned by the British and employed as a troop carrier during the war, also used to uplift the families from Singapore.
The Convoy spent 5 days in Fremantle while the cruisers searched for a German Raider in the Indian Ocean. The convoy then departed for Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they had a days leave in Colombo. While on board Ronald was excused many duties and lectures as he worked six evenings a week as film projectionist in the ship’s cinema.
The Convoy reached Port Tewfik on the 16th Dec. where the New Zealanders disembarked and travelled by train to the Maadi Military Camp a few miles out of Cairo. Christmas day was spent at Maadi. After further weeks of training and two weeks guarding Italian Prisoners of War, the reinforcements were finally moved to the Helwan Military Camp where they were drafted into different battalions and other support units. Ronald joined the 26th Battalion and Brownie Dann the 20th, separated after a long time sharing the same platoon, barracks and ships.
3rd March the Infantry Battalions moved to Amiriya, about 12 miles from Alexandria and camped. On the 6th March the NZ Division sailed from Alexandria, reaching Greece the following day. Some Convoys took several days due to a storm, therefore arriving in Greece about the 11th or 12th. All Infantry Brigades camped on the slopes of Mt Hymettus on the outskirts of Athens before moving up to the front. They were there for about a week.
Ronald was taken prisoner at Kalamata with some 1000 NZers and 1100 Australians and several thousand British. They were forced marched to Corinth arriving on the 2nd May 1941 when he again met up with his friend Brownie Dann. From Corinth they were moved to Salonika arriving there on the 9th June. Two train loads carrying most of the NZers left Salonika on the 11th & 12th June. Ronald was on the train to Wolfsberg in Austria. The main camp for all the Allied Prisoners Of War was established at Wolfsberg, Stammlager XVIIIA, attached to Wolfsberg were dozens of different types of working camps all with their own quarters and guards. Ronald spent some 300 days in solitary confinement, generally for endeavouring to escape. He also had to wear a French Uniform as his had been removed from him which meant short trousers and as he had no leggings and only had the “clogs” (boots with a fabric top and a wooden sole, very hard to walk in and NOT waterproof) he suffered from the cold until at last the Red Cross supplied him with a new uniform and boots arrived from his parents.
I have a photograph taken in the POW Camp Austria 18 .1 .1942
showing - S. Whittel,
- T Newton,
- B. Oldham,
- D. Duggan.
- Ron Cridge,
- R. Jahmeton,
- G. Quirk,
- Q Gray,
- R. Woods
- G. McKay,
- G. Bissel,
- F. McCallum,
- S. Ryans,
- G. Herring
Some Letters from my Father to his Family:
22nd July 1941
My Dear Folks,
At last we have been given the opportunity to write something like a decent letter I do hope that you have received my numerous notes through the Red Cross. Well we have been captured some 3 months now and have seen more in that time than I ever imagined possible. The scenery through the Balkan States is marvellous, but I will tell you more about that at a later date. You may write as often as you like to the given addresss. We are allowed to receive parcels from home amounting to 10lbs per month. The Red Cross officials were around today, they have promised us parcels in the near future, my health is keeping up well so you have no need to worry,Your ever Loving Son Ron.
16th Aug. …Red Cross parcels, received 120 cigerettes this week something we haven’t had for months, a real luxury!
We are made to work outside the camp, then we are fed, long hours, hard work but at least we see some of the countryside. You’d laugh at their antiquated farming methods, really old fashioned, bullock ploughs, haycarts and the crops are cut by scythe, lots of women work in the fields who look very pretty in their gaudy and quaintly fashioned dresses. The men in short trousers made of leather and as they last up to 6 years are very short by the end.
The “Jerry” ration is, 1 bowl of cabbage soup per day and 1 loaf of bread, normal size, among 8 men per day. Once a week, we get a piece of meat, but we don't starve, as some POW camps without parcels do.
12th July, all in the pink, just received a parcel of winter clothes from NZ .. A Scotish chap and I have put together an Act to entertain the guys. Had no mail for a while.we do a fair bit of gambling mainly two up or “Swy” and by the way our stakes are cigarettes which hold high esteem in our little circle, mail is very slow lately. We had some reinforcements this week, some more NZers received some news too, big changes in N.Z, keep those Ruddy Japs out is the Big Thing…
Moved - part of Work Camp in Klagenfurt
2nd Jan. 1943…Christmas & New Year over, very good, got a bit of a spark up too. Received your Aug. parcel with Boots, grand !! Received some more smokes, they burned down our Concert Hall, but we still carry on, Best of Love Ron
Winter is on the wane, thank god, there’s a blasted parade on for something may be Armictice ?? am keeping well, short of smokes & food, don’t think it’ll last much longer than 12 months now, my job at present is cutting ice which is a foot thick, just had a “pep” talk from the Officers, been Bad Boys !! no need for concern, I’m OK..
21st Feb 1943.. have changed my address to Stalag, quite a nice change to see all my Christchurch friends, spring is fast approaching and things in general are brightening up, except the mail which has slowed again, the last one I got was sent in Nov. I came back to the Stalag with more clothes than I ever carried in my life, a great asset here, great to meet up with the old friends, Cranny Hearn & others. I am looking forward to a change. There are about 1000 men here in Stalag with a big percentage of New Zealanders. Hoping to start operating a film & organising a concert soon which is more interesting than pick & shovel especially with the food shortage, we survive on the parcels. Attending lectures mostly on episodes of different chaps lives here. ..
5th April, Mail is infrequent a shortage of sorters here in Stalag, weather is becoming warm yesterday we had an International Boxing & Wrestling match, the French man won after a hard fight, we get some news from the boys working outside when they return, we also have a very good chap as Padre here name of Ledgerwood. My Kit Bag with personal articles & souvenirs may be had on request from the Military Authorities. I hear the NZ Division is keeping up to it’s name, I wonder how many of my (26th) Battallion are left?? Please thank the NZ Patriots Soc I received 200 cigs today.
Cranny Hearn broke the 1000 metre Record today 3mins 2.5secs.
11th July1943 – yesterday we had a Christchurch reunion a few personalities, Vic MacDonald, Maurice Collins, Lance Rankin 26 in all a truly grand afternoon, news is good, but nothing can happen quickly enough for us.
22nd Nov. 1943, I have been moved out of Stalag to this terrible godforsaken hole Luzon , we in Germany are entitled the “Toothless Terrors”, there are exactly 104 but 12 went through, they are doing time in the local “Boob”, there have been more “Captains” here dishing out orders than I have ever seen before even in the front line.
by the late Eric Fearnside
“At four o'clock in the morning, we heard the cries, "Raus! Raus!" and we were tumbled out of bed for what was to become the last time at Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsberg. Bewildered and shivering with the cold on the parade ground, we were told by the Commandant that we were being evacuated to a safer area. Taking only the bare essentials, we marched off into the unknown. At first, the going was easy, but as we reached the mountains, it became more tiring. After twenty miles we lay down where we were. Most of our clothes were not warm enough and our shoes were not for marching in, a lot of us had sore feet and blisters. A chap in the engineer's shed at the camp had invented a little stove made from two tin cans soldered together, so it wasn't long before the darkness was lit by little stoves brewing up tea and warming our hands. We scrambled over the Tauern Pass which was 1740 mtrs above sea level, it was bitterly cold walking through snow; we were covering twenty miles every day for eleven days, it was hard going. We finally arrived at Stalag XVIIIC Markt-Pongau prison camp, where the German guards offered us their rifles. The date was the 10th of May, 1945. The war had been over for two days, we could not believe it, we were at last going home."
28th May 1945 – Margate England N.Z.E.F.
Dear folks, Reception in this Country wonderful, received cable & letters, I don’t expect to be back in NZ for some time about Xmas I guess. Everything is mighty expensive here, my friend Maurice and I are arranging a flat in Londons West End I shall look up Des Scott and see if he is interested. I landed in England with practically nothing, just ever so relieved.
We had a wonderful trip over by “Lancaster” Bombers, boy what a kite. We were with the Yanks in Germany for 3 weeks they gave us a most marvellous time, they’ll do me.
Today we are busy getting re equipped, we are almost finished. Just received a ‘tenner” mighty queer to handle real money again. I shall write again shortly .
Cherrio, love to all Yours Ron.
In London Ronald again met up with his friend Brownie Dann at a service Club. The travelled together on the “Rangitiki” which sailed from Liverpool on the 26th July 1945, the same day as the U.K. elections when Churchill lost to Clement Atlee. The voyage home via Panama and a leave at Colon. The day after the ship had passed through the Canal the troops received word that Japan had surrendered. The ship stopped for an hour off Pitcairn Island and eventually reached Wellington on the morning of 2nd September 1945. All South Islanders were transferred to the “Wahine” which had been held back especially to make a daylight sailing.
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William Parker Kings Own Royal Regiment I have found a piece of paper that has a serial number on it, my father, William Parker's POW number which is 9668. It says prisoner of war camp contact officer is Lt. Co. R.A.S. Sparks, then it says issued at Markt Pongau (in red) dated 11.5.45.
Editor's note: The POW camp in the town of Markt Pongau, which is near Salzburg and is now called St. Johann im Pongau, was Stalag XVIII-C, also known as Stalag 317.
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Gnr. Douglas Edward Hill Durban Light Infantry I have been putting a timeline together of my Dad's wartime experience.
After being wounded in either Bi'r Royale or Tobruk, Libya, Douglas Hill was captured. It appears he spent approximately two months in hospital in Tripoli. He was transported by the Italian hospital ship, Virgilio, and was in Caserta Hospital in Naples, Italy. Some weeks later, he was admitted to Castel St. Pietro Hospital in Bologna, Italy. It appears he then spent a number of months at Campo PG 73 before being transferred to Stalag XVIIIC near Salzburg before being held at Stalag XVIIIA in Graz, Austria.
In April 1945, almost 3 years after his capture, my Dad escaped. Two months later, he was reunited with his unit.
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Gdsmn. Wilfred David Birchall Grenadier Guards I can only tell you that I recently bought two postcards sent by Guardsman Wilfred Birchall to his former employers, a textile warehouse at 31 Dale Street Manchester. The first card is an Italian card dated 15th of April 1943 from Camp 82, No. 1, Sector 3200, Italy, from which I deduce that Guardsman Birchall was captured by the Italians in North Africa before the Allied invasion of Italy. The second card was dated 9th of December 1943, again to his employers in Manchester, from Stalag XVIII-C which I understand was in Markt Pongau (now St. Johann im Pongau) in Austria. Both cards say he is doing fine, but maybe he had to say that.
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Cpl. Florian Wegrzyn Florian Wegrzyn joined the Polish Home Army when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. He and his compatriots fought primarily in the ever dwindling circle that was prewar Warsaw. They transported their wounded and moved troops and ammunition through the bombarded streets of the city. They fought the Nazis with heroic ferocity. When the streets were no longer passable they used the city sewer system to move about as necessary.
The Allies tried to supply them with airdrops, but they were often taken by the Germans instead when the winds blew the parachutes off course. The Russians were given the task to airdrop food by the Allies. When they did, they simply threw sacks off their airplanes without parachutes so they would burst on impact with the ground rendering them useless. The Red Army stood by on the banks of the Wisla river and watched the massacre of the city.
With all ammunition and supplies expended the Polish Army staff approved the surrender of Polish troops to the Nazis. The troops laid down their arms and marched in rank to the train stations where they were dispersed to various prison camps.
My father was taken to Stalag18 C in Austria. His German POW number was 223513. He told me they were forced to labor on a tunnel in the Alps that was often strafed by allied airplanes while the workers were forced to remain at work under threat of death from their prison guards.
Upon camp liberation he was inducted into the British Army for the short duration and was discharged from the service in England where he married and emigrated to the United States.
He was awarded the Polish Army Cross
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Pte. Francis Ernest Gooch 25th Battalion My late father, Frank Gooch, was captured during the desert campaign in Egypt at El Meir during the First battle of el Alamein on the 22nd of July 1942. After capture he was transported to Italy were he was a prisoner of war at Campo PG 85 then Campo PG 57.
After Italy capitulated Frank was transported to Germany were he was imprisoned at Stalag 344 then at Stalag 317.
I still have my father's Stalag 317 dog tags which have stamped on them number 33135.
Unfortunately, Frank died at the relatively young age of 51 years in May 1970 so stories of his war service experience and subsequent capture were not passed on to his family.
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Sgt. Neville Leonard Ashley 2nd Btn. A Coy. 2 Pltn. Parachute Regiment Neville Ashley had served with the TA, 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment before the war. He saw action with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and France during the retreat to Dunkirk. He was evacuated from beache at La Panne on the Dutch ship, Horst and taken to Margate. He was discharged from the army, but later re-enlisted and joined No.2 Platoon, A Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion. He was taken Prisoner of War near Arnhem in September 1944 and held in Stalag 12a and Stalag 18c.
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Henri Tajfel Henri Tajfel volunteered for the French army in 1940 (we think). He was a Polish Jew, living in Paris at the time (known then as Hersz Tajfel). He later became a famous social psychologist whose biography I am writing.
In this picture, taken at Stalag XVIIIC, Markt Pongau, Austria, he is second from the right, next to the man in the white shirt. He was also imprisoned in Stalag VIIIA
I would love to hear from any relatives of other prisoners from Stalag XVIIIC, whether French or other nationality, who might have known Henri or who have diaries or other accounts of camp life.
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Chaim Mojsze "Maxi" Brafman My father Maxi Brafman served under a different identity to protect his Jewish identity. The cover identity was of James Johnson.
He was injured and captured in Brac Yugoslavia, on 6th of June 1944.
He first arrived at Stalag 7a, transferred to Stalag 18c few weeks later.
He made a few attempts to escape with a British POW by the name of Anthony Ambleton Smith an artillery officer.
Hope someone can fill me in with more information and hopefully pictures.
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QMS. John Thomas Tebbett Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Jack Tebbett was my granddad. All we know is that he was a prisoner of war in Stalag 317, we don't have any dates. His prisoner number 9067.
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Krys My father was sent to Stalag XVIIc. Apparently he had participated in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and had surrendered in October 1944 and was marched off to Pongau. How can I verify his internment at Stalag 317? He did not, apparently, use his real name. It seems most AK (Armia Krajowa-AK) fighters had falsified papers.
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S/Sgt. Olan Rice 99th Bomb Group Dad, Olan Rice, was a tail gunner on a B-17. He flew out of Foggia, Italy with the 15th AAF, 99th Bomb group. He was shot down over Austria on 25th of April 1945. He was taken prisoner and held at Stalag 18c at Pongau.
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Joseph Cordier I've recently read the diary my Grandfather wrote in WW2.
I know that he has been to Stalag XVIIIC because it is written on several of his personsl affairs (his diary and his German-French dictionary).
He was French and his name was Joseph Cordier.
|
Winston Yeatman 19th Army Troop Engineers My father, Winston Yeatman from Christchurch, New Zealand was an Engineer (or 'sapper') in the 19th New Zealand Army Troop Engineers. He was a prisoner of war in Stalag V111B after being captured on Crete in 1941, arriving back in UK May 1945. His POW number was 7490. From his war record he seems to have been in a few camps - Salonika, where he was first registered as a POW at the Front. Stalag 18c; V111b; 344; Stalagluft 6;
He was an Engineer in the NZ Army.
He changed identities with Richard Pape (and others) and his exploits are in the book written by Richard Pape 'Boldness Be My Friend' and it's sequel.
Dad passed away in 1986, he was always actively involved in the RSA, Ex-POW & Tin Hat Club in Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Soldat. Oscar David Oscar David was taken POW on the 23rd of June 1940 and held in Stalag VIIIc.
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Sgt. Ronald Mayfield Cridge 26th Battalion My Father, Ronald Mayfield Cridge, enlisted 24/6/1940 in the No 8 Company N Group: initially as Pte. Cridge in Charge - then Batt Corporal, and Sergeant - 4 Service Chevrons as at 3.10.1944 & The Africa Star.
After enlisting, Ronald was sent to Burnham Camp for initial training before being sent with his friend Brownie Dann to Wellington with the 1st Section of the 4th Reinforcements on the evening of the 7th November on the “Rangitira”. Embarking the following morning on the Polish ship the “Batory” sailing on the eve of the 8th Nov into a howling gale, they were acompanied by the “Achilles” & the “ Maunganui” to Sydney. The troops had 2½ days leave then sailed in convoy with three larger ships full of Australian troops escorted by three Australian Cruisers to Fremantle. The Batory was a liner of 14287 tons and Captained by Deyczakowski, but owned by the British and employed as a troop carrier during the war, also used to uplift the families from Singapore.
The Convoy spent 5 days in Fremantle while the cruisers searched for a German Raider in the Indian Ocean. The convoy then departed for Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they had a days leave in Colombo. While on board Ronald was excused many duties and lectures as he worked six evenings a week as film projectionist in the ship’s cinema.
The Convoy reached Port Tewfik on the 16th Dec. where the New Zealanders disembarked and travelled by train to the Maadi Military Camp a few miles out of Cairo. Christmas day was spent at Maadi. After further weeks of training and two weeks guarding Italian Prisoners of War, the reinforcements were finally moved to the Helwan Military Camp where they were drafted into different battalions and other support units. Ronald joined the 26th Battalion and Brownie Dann the 20th, separated after a long time sharing the same platoon, barracks and ships.
3rd March the Infantry Battalions moved to Amiriya, about 12 miles from Alexandria and camped. On the 6th March the NZ Division sailed from Alexandria, reaching Greece the following day. Some Convoys took several days due to a storm, therefore arriving in Greece about the 11th or 12th. All Infantry Brigades camped on the slopes of Mt Hymettus on the outskirts of Athens before moving up to the front. They were there for about a week.
Ronald was taken prisoner at Kalamata with some 1000 NZers and 1100 Australians and several thousand British. They were forced marched to Corinth arriving on the 2nd May 1941 when he again met up with his friend Brownie Dann. From Corinth they were moved to Salonika arriving there on the 9th June. Two train loads carrying most of the NZers left Salonika on the 11th & 12th June. Ronald was on the train to Wolfsberg in Austria. The main camp for all the Allied Prisoners Of War was established at Wolfsberg, Stammlager XVIIIA, attached to Wolfsberg were dozens of different types of working camps all with their own quarters and guards. Ronald spent some 300 days in solitary confinement, generally for endeavouring to escape. He also had to wear a French Uniform as his had been removed from him which meant short trousers and as he had no leggings and only had the “clogs” (boots with a fabric top and a wooden sole, very hard to walk in and NOT waterproof) he suffered from the cold until at last the Red Cross supplied him with a new uniform and boots arrived from his parents.
I have a photograph taken in the POW Camp Austria 18 .1 .1942
showing - S. Whittel,
- T Newton,
- B. Oldham,
- D. Duggan.
- Ron Cridge,
- R. Jahmeton,
- G. Quirk,
- Q Gray,
- R. Woods
- G. McKay,
- G. Bissel,
- F. McCallum,
- S. Ryans,
- G. Herring
Some Letters from my Father to his Family:
22nd July 1941
My Dear Folks,
At last we have been given the opportunity to write something like a decent letter I do hope that you have received my numerous notes through the Red Cross. Well we have been captured some 3 months now and have seen more in that time than I ever imagined possible. The scenery through the Balkan States is marvellous, but I will tell you more about that at a later date. You may write as often as you like to the given addresss. We are allowed to receive parcels from home amounting to 10lbs per month. The Red Cross officials were around today, they have promised us parcels in the near future, my health is keeping up well so you have no need to worry,Your ever Loving Son Ron.
16th Aug. …Red Cross parcels, received 120 cigerettes this week something we haven’t had for months, a real luxury!
We are made to work outside the camp, then we are fed, long hours, hard work but at least we see some of the countryside. You’d laugh at their antiquated farming methods, really old fashioned, bullock ploughs, haycarts and the crops are cut by scythe, lots of women work in the fields who look very pretty in their gaudy and quaintly fashioned dresses. The men in short trousers made of leather and as they last up to 6 years are very short by the end.
The “Jerry” ration is, 1 bowl of cabbage soup per day and 1 loaf of bread, normal size, among 8 men per day. Once a week, we get a piece of meat, but we don't starve, as some POW camps without parcels do.
12th July, all in the pink, just received a parcel of winter clothes from NZ .. A Scotish chap and I have put together an Act to entertain the guys. Had no mail for a while.we do a fair bit of gambling mainly two up or “Swy” and by the way our stakes are cigarettes which hold high esteem in our little circle, mail is very slow lately. We had some reinforcements this week, some more NZers received some news too, big changes in N.Z, keep those Ruddy Japs out is the Big Thing…
Moved - part of Work Camp in Klagenfurt
2nd Jan. 1943…Christmas & New Year over, very good, got a bit of a spark up too. Received your Aug. parcel with Boots, grand !! Received some more smokes, they burned down our Concert Hall, but we still carry on, Best of Love Ron
Winter is on the wane, thank god, there’s a blasted parade on for something may be Armictice ?? am keeping well, short of smokes & food, don’t think it’ll last much longer than 12 months now, my job at present is cutting ice which is a foot thick, just had a “pep” talk from the Officers, been Bad Boys !! no need for concern, I’m OK..
21st Feb 1943.. have changed my address to Stalag, quite a nice change to see all my Christchurch friends, spring is fast approaching and things in general are brightening up, except the mail which has slowed again, the last one I got was sent in Nov. I came back to the Stalag with more clothes than I ever carried in my life, a great asset here, great to meet up with the old friends, Cranny Hearn & others. I am looking forward to a change. There are about 1000 men here in Stalag with a big percentage of New Zealanders. Hoping to start operating a film & organising a concert soon which is more interesting than pick & shovel especially with the food shortage, we survive on the parcels. Attending lectures mostly on episodes of different chaps lives here. ..
5th April, Mail is infrequent a shortage of sorters here in Stalag, weather is becoming warm yesterday we had an International Boxing & Wrestling match, the French man won after a hard fight, we get some news from the boys working outside when they return, we also have a very good chap as Padre here name of Ledgerwood. My Kit Bag with personal articles & souvenirs may be had on request from the Military Authorities. I hear the NZ Division is keeping up to it’s name, I wonder how many of my (26th) Battallion are left?? Please thank the NZ Patriots Soc I received 200 cigs today.
Cranny Hearn broke the 1000 metre Record today 3mins 2.5secs.
11th July1943 – yesterday we had a Christchurch reunion a few personalities, Vic MacDonald, Maurice Collins, Lance Rankin 26 in all a truly grand afternoon, news is good, but nothing can happen quickly enough for us.
22nd Nov. 1943, I have been moved out of Stalag to this terrible godforsaken hole Luzon , we in Germany are entitled the “Toothless Terrors”, there are exactly 104 but 12 went through, they are doing time in the local “Boob”, there have been more “Captains” here dishing out orders than I have ever seen before even in the front line.
by the late Eric Fearnside
“At four o'clock in the morning, we heard the cries, "Raus! Raus!" and we were tumbled out of bed for what was to become the last time at Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsberg. Bewildered and shivering with the cold on the parade ground, we were told by the Commandant that we were being evacuated to a safer area. Taking only the bare essentials, we marched off into the unknown. At first, the going was easy, but as we reached the mountains, it became more tiring. After twenty miles we lay down where we were. Most of our clothes were not warm enough and our shoes were not for marching in, a lot of us had sore feet and blisters. A chap in the engineer's shed at the camp had invented a little stove made from two tin cans soldered together, so it wasn't long before the darkness was lit by little stoves brewing up tea and warming our hands. We scrambled over the Tauern Pass which was 1740 mtrs above sea level, it was bitterly cold walking through snow; we were covering twenty miles every day for eleven days, it was hard going. We finally arrived at Stalag XVIIIC Markt-Pongau prison camp, where the German guards offered us their rifles. The date was the 10th of May, 1945. The war had been over for two days, we could not believe it, we were at last going home."
28th May 1945 – Margate England N.Z.E.F.
Dear folks, Reception in this Country wonderful, received cable & letters, I don’t expect to be back in NZ for some time about Xmas I guess. Everything is mighty expensive here, my friend Maurice and I are arranging a flat in Londons West End I shall look up Des Scott and see if he is interested. I landed in England with practically nothing, just ever so relieved.
We had a wonderful trip over by “Lancaster” Bombers, boy what a kite. We were with the Yanks in Germany for 3 weeks they gave us a most marvellous time, they’ll do me.
Today we are busy getting re equipped, we are almost finished. Just received a ‘tenner” mighty queer to handle real money again. I shall write again shortly .
Cherrio, love to all Yours Ron.
In London Ronald again met up with his friend Brownie Dann at a service Club. The travelled together on the “Rangitiki” which sailed from Liverpool on the 26th July 1945, the same day as the U.K. elections when Churchill lost to Clement Atlee. The voyage home via Panama and a leave at Colon. The day after the ship had passed through the Canal the troops received word that Japan had surrendered. The ship stopped for an hour off Pitcairn Island and eventually reached Wellington on the morning of 2nd September 1945. All South Islanders were transferred to the “Wahine” which had been held back especially to make a daylight sailing.
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