Pte. Robert Wilson Steele . British Army 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders from 38 High Street, Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland My husband's Dad, Robert Wilson Steele served in the 2nd World War with the British Army in the 51st Seaforth Highlanders Regiment]. His Brother James Steele also served as well in the same Regiment. They landed at Dunkirk but Robert was captured at the beaches of St. Valery while his brother James made it on to one of the rescue boats.
What I know is that Robert had a long journey walking etc. to the Stalag IV A 40 POW camp. (M.Stammlager IV A ARB-Kdo 508) whatever that means? [Arbeits-Kommando means Labour Detail] He served for 5 long years and he once told us a story about the conditions there and the German guards made him dig out the latrines with an axe pick in the winter. Every time he chipped away at it he would get a mouth full and had to spit it out. When they were repatriated Robert said that the Germans treated them better than the Russians. As they got away they came upon a broken down German war truck and him and his mates found a camera, a German Army Uniform and a tin of biscuits. The Russians took the camera and the German Army Uniform off of them and the said to Robert Steele, give me the biscuits. He said "munga munga while rubbing his stomach". They said "give us them or we will shoot" So, starving he reluctantly gave them up. He also told us he rode on the top of the trains on the way home and one of the first things he did was eat a handful of salt.
If anyone knows of Robert Wilson Steele POW and any other stories about the 51st Seaforth Highlanders, I would be so interested. My cousin Davy Steele wrote the ballad The beaches of St. Valery. A must see on YouTube. Sadly Robert passed away in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but had a good life
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Roger Steele . My father was a POW at Stalag 12a. If anyone has history about this camp, please contact me.
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PFC. Rolland E. Steele . United States Army Infantry from Perrysburg, Ohio My wife and I are investigating what her father Rollie Steele endured at Stalag 7A and it has been a very interesting endeavour. He was a prisoner from 17th December 1944 to 14th June 1945, which does not agree with the liberation of 29th April 1945 by American forces, but this information is what we received from the VA. Obviously it took time to get them out of there since there were 80,000 prisoners (six weeks from 29th April to 14th June). My wife never heard anything about his time in the prison camp because, as others said, he would not speak about it at all. He died very young (49 years old) so unfortunately I never had the honour to know him and that definitely would have been a wonderful experience.
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T Steele . British Army Royal Scots Fusiliers T Steele served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers 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: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact 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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W Steele . British Army Highland Light Infantry W Steele served with the Highland Light Infantry 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: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact 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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Fus. William Joseph Steele . British Army 1st Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers from Spangle Hill, Farenree, Cork City (d.26th May 1940 ) My granddad, William Steele was born 1920 in Cork City. He died around the 26th of May 1940 while the Dunkirk evacuation was happening. I remember my great gran telling about him as a child. I researched it and found he was killed in Belgium and buried in France. I used to play with his medals when I was a young child.
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Sgt Robert James Steele. . (d.26th May 1943) Pilot Robert Steele was killed on 26th May 1943 flying Lancaster ED967 PH-F with 12sqd
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C Steels . British Army C Steels served with the 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: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact 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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Irvin Steels . Army 7th Medium Regt, Royal Artillery My father Irvin Steels of 7th. Medium Regiment RA was captured in North Africa by Italians and taken to Italy via Naples. One of my father’s favourite sayings was ‘People say see Naples and die. When we were there the buggers threw bricks at us.’ They were handed over to the German Army who took them to Stalag 8B. My dad spent the rest of the war there working in the coal mines ‘where the pit props were like telegraph poles’. He joined the Army to get away from Fryston Colliery where the seam was only 2 feet thick. He left Poland on the forced March and was liberated by the Americans who had to operate on him to remove a leg which had gone gangrenous as a result of the frostbite which he suffered on the March. Needless to say my father who died in 1997 was never very forthcoming about his experiences and this is all I know of his time in captivity.
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Frank Edward Steene . Royal Air Force My father, Frank Steene, was an air gunner in WWII. He was sent to Kuala Lumpur and caught malaria.
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S/Sgt. Johannes Jacobus "Stoney" Steenkamp MID.. South African Army 2nd South African Division Johannes Steenkamp escaped when Italy capitulated. At a house near Viterbo they found a number of Italian soldiers also on the run. In the middle of the night the Germans came. They were lined up against the wall. The Italians begged not to be shot. He identified himself and was led away. When they were leaving he heard the shots. While on a train heading for Germany he worked open the door of a cattle truck and jumped out during the night. In June 1944 he penetrated the Allied lines and was captured by the Americans in Rome and eventually recognised by one of his own
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G. A.D. Steepe . Royal Canadian Air Force 419 Sqd.
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AJ Steer . British Army AJ Steer served with the 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: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact 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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Able Sea. Frederick Arthur Steer . Royal Navy HMS President III from Mitchum, Surrey (d.12th January 1942) Frederick Steer aged 32, died at sea on the HMS President III and is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial
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Flight Sergeant J Steer 564 898. RAF 59 Squadron
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John Steer . Royal Navy HMS Sirius
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F/Lt. Benignus Stefan . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 313 (Czech) Sqdn. from Czechoslovakia (d.8th March 1943) I am looking for information on F/Lt Benignus Stefan of Czechoslovakia who was killed in action over Paimpol, Bretange, France on 8th Mach 1943.
For a time F/Lt Stefan was at Cosford Hospital early in 1940. Any notes, memories or documentation would be much appreciated. F/Lt Stefan is buried in St Brieuc Western Communal Cemetery in France.
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CPO. Albert Stein . Royal Navy My Dad, Albert Stein met my mom in Morocco during WWII. I have so many wonderful stories about how they met. They got married in the traditional Moroccan wedding then a military wedding, and civil wedding. If anyone has info about their wedding, please contact me.
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Pte. Berto Stein . British Army 4th Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry from Godalming, Surrey Bertie Stein served with the 4th Btn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
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Sgt. I. Stein . 102 Squadron
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Sgt. K. Stein . 102 Squadron
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Mike Steinberger . United States Army 29th Infantry Div from NY, USA
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Sgt George Steinhauer. . RCAF 35 Sqd.
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Ens. Joseph Alexander Steinmetz . United States Navy USS Boise from Baltimore, MD My stepfather, Joe Steinmetz was aboard the USS Boise (Light Cruiser) during 1942 and told stories about being in Ceylon after the ship hit an uncharted reef and had to go to India for repairs. He also told us about being the OOD one night on the bridge, when he saw a Japanese torpedo stream by to starboard. He summoned the captain and asked permission to do evasive turns but this request was refused. He was very upset about it and made a terse comment in the ship's log. I would love to see the log entry, but I don't know where to look....
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Sgt. J. W. Stell . 102 Squadron
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Sigmund Stempka . Polish Army from Popow Dist. Czechostowa Sigmund Stempka (born 12.5.1911 in Krolewski, Poland) is my son-in-law's grandfather who came under the IRO Assistance scheme to Australia in 1950 with his family. I have recently obtained the immigration documents from the Australian Govt. It indicates that Sigmund Stempka was in the Polish Army in 1939 and was taken POW by the Germans in 1939 - 1940. He was sent to Stalag IV A. He was released from Stalag IV A in March 1940 and he spent 2 years in Popow Dist. Czechostowa Poland. In Aug 1942 he joined (or maybe forced) to join the German Army but in Sept 1943 he was taken as a POW by the Americans. He was a POW in Chicago from Sept 43 to July 44 and then joined the English Polish Army and fought in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. In Sept 1947 until he left for Australia he lived in Aschendorf and Dortmund, Germany. He arrived in the British Zone of Germany in 1948. He married (30 Dec 1948) a widow Edith Obluda (born 23.10.1918, Domkau, Germany). Edith had previously married Carl Obluda sometime in 1938-39 and they had two children Klaus Obluda/Stempka(26.10.39) and Adelheid Obluda(17.10.41). Carl Obluda died sometime during WW2 (reasons and date unknown). Sometime in 1946 Edith met Sigmund and they had a daughter Sieglinde Stempke (21.3.1947). Edith arrived in the British Zone of Germany in 1945. The only information my son-in-law and in fact any of the family know is that Edith lay on top of the children during bombing raids to protect them. Edith was unemployed for the entire time of WW2. The family never spoke on WW2, and sadly now Sigmund and Edith are both deceased. Does anyone know why a Polish POW would have been allowed to leave Stalag IV A to then spend two years as a civilian in Popow. Was this usual?
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P/O Harold Olaf Stenborg. DFC. RAAF 12Sqd.
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Francis Ernest Stendel . Royal Air Force 640 Sqd from Welling, Kent My Uncle Frank served with 640 squadron with the following people:-
- Fl/Lt John Skinner - Pilot
- Fl/Sgt Peter Tannen - Navigator
- Fl/Sgt Jack Masters - Wireless Operator
- Fl/Sgt Bertram Wright - Bomb Aimer
- Fl/Sergt Bill Hasial - M.U. Gunner
- Frank Stendel - Rear Gunner
We were told that they landed badly on returning to England and Frank was out of action the next time the crew took off. I have found records to say that the Halifax crashed at Boutigny sur Opton on 2nd/3rd June 1944 and that John Skinner was killed. Bert Wright, Peter Tannen and Jack masters were POWs. Cannot find anything about Bill Hasial. Frank never recovered from the fact that he wasn't with them as he was the oldest member of the crew.
If anyone has any information about any of the crew members I would love to hear from them.
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Wing Cdr. Charles Darwen Stenner DSO, DFC.. Royal Air Force 50 Squadron My father, Wing Commander Charles Darwen Stenner, DSO, DFC. was stationed at Coningsby from 28/06/41 to 30/09/42, with 106(B) and 106 and 97 H.C.F. His regular crew when he flew Hampdons with 50 sqd, are all mentioned in your memory section. Alfred George Bake, John Downie Brown, William Lewis Lambert, George Robson, Robert Isaac Hart, they were all killed on 2nd June 1942, when, when their Lancaster 5844, crashed.
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Wing Cdr. Charles Darwen "Lofty" Stenner DSO, DFC.. Royal Air Force No. 50 Squadron Charles Stenner flew 61 missions, 1 in a Lancaster 5844 (as part of the first 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne); 4 in Manchesters; and 56 in Hampdens. He flew 33 different types of aircraft whilst in the RAF, and was an instructor for many years at Advanced Flying Units.
After his RAF service, he flew for Airwork, Ghana, Caledonian and Donaldsons. During this time, he flew 23,500 hours, 9,000 of them on Britannias. He retired in 1972.
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