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Stalag 344 Prisoner of War Camp
Stalag 344 began life in late 1939 as Stalag 8B (VIII-B), which was established to hold Polish POWs taken during the German invasion of Poland. It was located outside of the village of Lamsdorf (now called Lambinowice) in southwestern Poland, not far from the Czech border. As a result of German conquests during the next four years, the size and composition of the camp's population increased greatly, comprising POWs from all over Europe, the Soviet Union, the UK, and Canada (later, many American prisoners were housed there as well). In June 1943, to accommodate the huge and growing number of POWs, several satellite camps were opened in the region, with the original Stalag 8B in Lamsdorf as the administrative hub. At this time, Stalag 8B Lamsdorf was re-named Stalag 344. The satellite camps included: Stalag 8C (VIII-C) in Sagan; Stalag 8D (VIII-D) in Teschen; Stalag 8E (VIII-E) in Neuhammer (now called Swietoszow); and Stalag 8F (VIII-F), which was also located in Lamsdorf but was reserved primarily for Soviet prisoners. In early 1945, the camp was evacuated in the face of advancing Soviet forces, which reached Lamsdorf in mid-March 1945.
11 May 1940 218 Squadron Battle lost
22nd Jul 1941 Parcels
15th Aug 1941 15 Squadron Stirling lost
14th Oct 1941 207 Squadron Manchester lost
19th Feb 1942 420 Squadron Hampden lost
7th March 1942 Wellington lost on radar detection
9th Apr 1942 419 squadron Lancaster lost
31st May 1942 Aircraft Lost
19th Jul 1942 88 Squadron Boston lost
26th Jul 1942 15 Squadron Stirling lost
26th July 1942 Halifax abandoned over the Netherlands
27th July 1942 Four aircraft lost
27th July 1942 Enemy unseen
1st Aug 1942 9 Squadron Wellington lost
6th August 1942 Halifax shot down over the Netherlands
7th August 1942 Airmen avade capture
11th Aug 1942 Bomber Command
28th August 1942 Wellington bomber lost
29th Aug 1942 149 Squadron Stirling lost
29th August 1942 Four Wellingtons lost
2nd Sep 1942 218 Squadron Stirling lost
14th September 1942 Halifax crew taken PoW
17th Sep 1942 25 Operational Training Unit Wellington lost
19th September 1942 Desert crash
19th September 1942 Halifax broke up in midair
20th September 1942 156 Squadron Wellington lost.
22nd Sep 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
25th Sep 1942 161 Squadron Whitley lost
2nd Oct 1942 78 Squadron Halifax lost
6th Dec 1942 Ventura of 464 Squadron lost
10th Dec 1942 Aircraft lost
9th January 1943 Rear gunner survived
28th Jan 1943 51 Squadron Halifax lost
4th Feb 1943 Halifax lost
11th Feb 1943 107 Squadron Boston lost
13th March 1943 102 Squadron Halifax lost
22nd Mar 1945 Arrival
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Want to know more about Stalag 344 Prisoner of War Camp? There are:2936 items tagged Stalag 344 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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WM Smith Royal Armoured Corps WM Smith served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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TG Scott 46th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps TG Scott served with the 46th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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JW Rollinson 3rd Btn Royal Tank Regiment JW Rollinson served with the 3rd Btn Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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F Howarth 44th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment F Howarth served with the 44th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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WE Green 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars WE Green served with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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AG Gostling 7th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment AG Gostling served with the 7th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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GM Bodey 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars GM Bodey served with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Alfred J. Arnold 5th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment Alfred Arnold served with the 5th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Pte. Christopher Robert Green 4th Btn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Christopher Green was reported to War Office as Prisoner of War on 24th of September 1940, Casualty list No.316, update from previous report no. 244. on 25th of June 1940 which reported him missing.
He was a PoW held at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf, PoW No. 14770.
With all other prisoners, was taken on The Long March in 1945.
Casualty list 1807 reported that on 13th of July 1945 he had been released from German hands and was no longer a PoW.
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Ronald Alec Hogben Royal West Kent Regiment My father, Ronald Hogben was captured by the Germans in France at a port where the Germans were waiting. He was marched to Poland and put in Stalag 344 in Czeladz in Poland. He escaped in 1944 and hid from the Germans with my mother's family, who were not too pleased about that.
He ended up getting back home to England.
My mother escaped also and they eventually moved to Australia.
He was emotionally damaged and was basically experimentally medicated for what was probably PTSD.
He had a small farm where he tended a beautiful vegetable garden and small orchard. Also farmed a few jersey cows for cream which he sold to the butter factory.
He never really spoke of his experience in the war.
He was a classic broken war veteran.
I can only appreciate what he must have suffered now.
I'm proud that he escaped.
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Sgt. Alfred "Tom" Thomas Coldstream Guards   My father Alfred Thomas served in Palestine before the war. On 13th April 1939 he was back in Egypt, where he stayed until another tour of duty in Palestine starting on 27th of May 1940. With the Second World War now well under way, Tom was posted back to Egypt on 27th of June 1940 to face the Italians and, later, Rommel's Afrika Korps.
The Italians under Marshal Graziano launched a limited invasion of Egypt in September 1940, going as far as Sidi Barrani about 50 miles across the border from Libya, where they stopped and fortified the area. This gave General Wavell time to reorganise his forces before going on the counter-attack in Operation Compass, which began on the 7th/8th December 1940 and lasted until 7th February 1941. At that point, the Italians having lost, Sidi Barrani, the port of Bardia, Tobruk, and Benghazi surrendered south of Beda Fomm. During Operation Compass, 133,298 Italian soldiers were captured along with a large number of guns and tanks. The British now halted their attack, having to send troops to Greece. On 12th of February, Rommel flew to Tripoli ahead of his troops, who arrived on the 14th. Rommel almost immediately went on the offensive and by 24 March had taken El Agheila, which was the leading British position. He then advanced on Mersa el Brega, which fell on 31st of March. The British were by now in chaotic retreat with Benghazi falling on 4th of April. The only place holding out against Rommel’s forces was Tobruk.
My father probably fought in both campaigns, but it was during the retreat from Rommel's forces that on 27th of May 1941 he was reported as missing and only later as having been taken prisoner. It is possible that this was while defending the Halfway Pass from the German advance. My father rarely talked about his wartime experience, but he did believe that he remained alive when taken prisoner due to the fact that Rommel showed up around that time, which ensured that prisoners were treated correctly.
Prisoners of war tend to be written out of history apart from a few sensational cases of escape. These escapes were rarely successful and the reprisals could be life threatening. Many POWs were traumatised by their experiences and treatment, along with feelings of guilt for being captured. The first record of Tom, after he was shipped out of North Africa to Italy, was of being interned in Italian POW camp number 66. This camp was in Capua, a few miles south of Naples. It was situated on a vast plain that offered views of the Vesuvius volcano. When the Allies invaded Sicily on 10 July and Southern Italy on 3rd of September 1943, POWs would have been moved north as the Allies advanced. Apparently, when the Italians stopped their participation in the war, they withdrew their guards from the POW camps. This gave an opportunity for prisoners to escape. However, a secret branch of the Ministry of Defence (known as MI9) ordered that British POWs in Italy should remain in their camps after Italy surrendered. Many senior officers within the camps enforced this. As a result of this, the German army was able to walk into dozens of camps and round up the POWs.
Eventually, Tom ended up in Poland at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf (formerly Stalag VIIIB) in Silesia. This was a large German POW camp located in the small town of Lamsdorf, now called Lambinowice in Poland, that was initially built during WW1 to house French and British prisoners. His POW number was 30702.
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Tpr. John Reginald "Darkie" Hemmings 8th Hussars My dad, John Hemmings was captured by General Rommel and marched to Italy where he was in POW Camp number 65 Cressina, Bari then was taken to Stalag 344. My dad was evidently in a escape but it failed when the tunnel collapsed on him.
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Tpr. Eric Reginald Smith Royal Tank Regiment Eric Smith enlisted as a professional soldier in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1930. He was at Dunkirk and later fought in the North African campaign against Rommel. He was captured at Mehili, Libya in 1941 whilst with the forward Reconnaissance Corps. Subsequently, he was held as a POW in Sulmona, Italy, then at a camp in Germany, and finally at Stalag 344 in Lambinowice, Poland as POW number 220281. With thousands of other POWs, he took part in the infamous Long March as Russian forces advanced westward.
He was repatriated in 1945 and left the Army in 1946.
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Pte. George Albert "Rob" Partridge Seaforth Highlanders George Partridge was my wife's father.
He was a private with the Seaforth Highlanders and was imprisoned at Lambinowice, Poland, Camp 344 during WW2.
This was a Stalag type camp and his POW number was 17013.
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Rfmn. William James Sturgeon 2nd Btn. Rifle Brigade Bill Sturgeon was I believe in the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade and was taken prisoner of war at the Battle of Calais in 1940. He was held, we think in Poland and came home after the war. We believe he was a boy soldier in the Rifle Brigade before the war and was recalled in 1939.
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WM Smith Royal Armoured Corps WM Smith served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
TG Scott 46th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps TG Scott served with the 46th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
JW Rollinson 3rd Btn Royal Tank Regiment JW Rollinson served with the 3rd Btn Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
F Howarth 44th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment F Howarth served with the 44th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
WE Green 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars WE Green served with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
AG Gostling 7th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment AG Gostling served with the 7th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
GM Bodey 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars GM Bodey served with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
Alfred J. Arnold 5th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment Alfred Arnold served with the 5th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
Pte. Christopher Robert Green 4th Btn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Christopher Green was reported to War Office as Prisoner of War on 24th of September 1940, Casualty list No.316, update from previous report no. 244. on 25th of June 1940 which reported him missing.
He was a PoW held at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf, PoW No. 14770.
With all other prisoners, was taken on The Long March in 1945.
Casualty list 1807 reported that on 13th of July 1945 he had been released from German hands and was no longer a PoW.
|
Ronald Alec Hogben Royal West Kent Regiment My father, Ronald Hogben was captured by the Germans in France at a port where the Germans were waiting. He was marched to Poland and put in Stalag 344 in Czeladz in Poland. He escaped in 1944 and hid from the Germans with my mother's family, who were not too pleased about that.
He ended up getting back home to England.
My mother escaped also and they eventually moved to Australia.
He was emotionally damaged and was basically experimentally medicated for what was probably PTSD.
He had a small farm where he tended a beautiful vegetable garden and small orchard. Also farmed a few jersey cows for cream which he sold to the butter factory.
He never really spoke of his experience in the war.
He was a classic broken war veteran.
I can only appreciate what he must have suffered now.
I'm proud that he escaped.
|
Sgt. Alfred "Tom" Thomas Coldstream Guards My father Alfred Thomas served in Palestine before the war. On 13th April 1939 he was back in Egypt, where he stayed until another tour of duty in Palestine starting on 27th of May 1940. With the Second World War now well under way, Tom was posted back to Egypt on 27th of June 1940 to face the Italians and, later, Rommel's Afrika Korps.
The Italians under Marshal Graziano launched a limited invasion of Egypt in September 1940, going as far as Sidi Barrani about 50 miles across the border from Libya, where they stopped and fortified the area. This gave General Wavell time to reorganise his forces before going on the counter-attack in Operation Compass, which began on the 7th/8th December 1940 and lasted until 7th February 1941. At that point, the Italians having lost, Sidi Barrani, the port of Bardia, Tobruk, and Benghazi surrendered south of Beda Fomm. During Operation Compass, 133,298 Italian soldiers were captured along with a large number of guns and tanks. The British now halted their attack, having to send troops to Greece. On 12th of February, Rommel flew to Tripoli ahead of his troops, who arrived on the 14th. Rommel almost immediately went on the offensive and by 24 March had taken El Agheila, which was the leading British position. He then advanced on Mersa el Brega, which fell on 31st of March. The British were by now in chaotic retreat with Benghazi falling on 4th of April. The only place holding out against Rommel’s forces was Tobruk.
My father probably fought in both campaigns, but it was during the retreat from Rommel's forces that on 27th of May 1941 he was reported as missing and only later as having been taken prisoner. It is possible that this was while defending the Halfway Pass from the German advance. My father rarely talked about his wartime experience, but he did believe that he remained alive when taken prisoner due to the fact that Rommel showed up around that time, which ensured that prisoners were treated correctly.
Prisoners of war tend to be written out of history apart from a few sensational cases of escape. These escapes were rarely successful and the reprisals could be life threatening. Many POWs were traumatised by their experiences and treatment, along with feelings of guilt for being captured. The first record of Tom, after he was shipped out of North Africa to Italy, was of being interned in Italian POW camp number 66. This camp was in Capua, a few miles south of Naples. It was situated on a vast plain that offered views of the Vesuvius volcano. When the Allies invaded Sicily on 10 July and Southern Italy on 3rd of September 1943, POWs would have been moved north as the Allies advanced. Apparently, when the Italians stopped their participation in the war, they withdrew their guards from the POW camps. This gave an opportunity for prisoners to escape. However, a secret branch of the Ministry of Defence (known as MI9) ordered that British POWs in Italy should remain in their camps after Italy surrendered. Many senior officers within the camps enforced this. As a result of this, the German army was able to walk into dozens of camps and round up the POWs.
Eventually, Tom ended up in Poland at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf (formerly Stalag VIIIB) in Silesia. This was a large German POW camp located in the small town of Lamsdorf, now called Lambinowice in Poland, that was initially built during WW1 to house French and British prisoners. His POW number was 30702.
|
Tpr. John Reginald "Darkie" Hemmings 8th Hussars My dad, John Hemmings was captured by General Rommel and marched to Italy where he was in POW Camp number 65 Cressina, Bari then was taken to Stalag 344. My dad was evidently in a escape but it failed when the tunnel collapsed on him.
|
Tpr. Eric Reginald Smith Royal Tank Regiment Eric Smith enlisted as a professional soldier in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1930. He was at Dunkirk and later fought in the North African campaign against Rommel. He was captured at Mehili, Libya in 1941 whilst with the forward Reconnaissance Corps. Subsequently, he was held as a POW in Sulmona, Italy, then at a camp in Germany, and finally at Stalag 344 in Lambinowice, Poland as POW number 220281. With thousands of other POWs, he took part in the infamous Long March as Russian forces advanced westward.
He was repatriated in 1945 and left the Army in 1946.
|
Pte. George Albert "Rob" Partridge Seaforth Highlanders George Partridge was my wife's father.
He was a private with the Seaforth Highlanders and was imprisoned at Lambinowice, Poland, Camp 344 during WW2.
This was a Stalag type camp and his POW number was 17013.
|
Rfmn. William James Sturgeon 2nd Btn. Rifle Brigade Bill Sturgeon was I believe in the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade and was taken prisoner of war at the Battle of Calais in 1940. He was held, we think in Poland and came home after the war. We believe he was a boy soldier in the Rifle Brigade before the war and was recalled in 1939.
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