Wednesday, 7 May, 2008 17:30    |   Contact

Requests for Help - B

Select the letter of the alphabet from the list below to view requests for help concerning that surname, location or camp.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Numerics

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Jack H Burdess

John Burdess is trying to find information on his father, L/CPL Jack H Burdess, DLI 6th Battalion, who was a prisoner of war during 1940-1945 during which time he spent a period at Stalag XXA until, John believes, the Russian advancement on the camp when the Germans marched them out (a hunger march). Here are some photos of Jack that John has kindly sent to me to help jog any memories (please click them to enlarge).

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James Buchanan

Fred Buchanan is interested in finding information about his cousin, James (Jim) Buchanan, who he believes was a piper with the Black Watch Regiment. Jim was born in Belfast ca.1914, the son of Fred's uncle, James Buchanan and is wife Cissy Kennedy. Family tradition has it that Jim was captured in France during the early days of the war. Fred would like to find out Jim's family history and his wartime experiences. Please let me know if you know of Jim or his family.

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Robert (Bob) Barkley

Deborah is looking for photographs or information on her grandad, Robert (Bob) Barkley. Bob was captured in Boulonge on 25 May 1940. He marched to Germany and held prisoner in Stalag XXA, moved to 3A Camp17 and finally to Camp135. He was with the Auxilliary Military Pioneer Core attatched to 4 Squadron Royal Air Force. He was from Blyth, Northumberland.

Bob's PoW number was 10533. He was part of a group left behind with a rifle to share between 8-10 men. He hid behind a wheel as the Germans approached and watched one of his friends shot. He was captured not long after.

One of his stories was of an incident which took place in the wash facilities. He took a too long and was reprimanded and suffered being hit in the face with the butt of a rifle. He lost several teeth and had to have the remainder out when they were broken by another prisoner.The kind act that followed was another prisoner actually made him a set of teeth out of wood! Needless to say he was forever grateful, but his family never new who this man was.

Bob came back a changed person and never really got over the war which he volunteered to join against his wife's wishes.

Sadly he has now passed away and Deborah and her uncle are gathering information and tracing his family tree. They would love to hear from anyone who knew him or shared the same hut.

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George Harold Bowdidge

Sandy is seeking information her father, George Harold Bowdidge, Royal Artillery, who was captured at St Valerie and imprisoned in Stalags XXA, XXB and IIIC. George entered the RA as a boy trumpeter in 1926 and with his musical ability could have participated in camp shows.

Sandy has provided a little more information that may help jog somebody's memory. Her parents marriage broke up shortly after his return to England and he died in 1960. Sandy has his Army record but no details of time spent as a PoW apart from dates. He served with the Royal Artillery and was posted to the 23rd Field and promoted WO11 1st September 1939. Reported missing 12th June 1940 and then reported PoW captured St Valerie (12th June 1940) 9th August 1940. Sandy only has vague recollections of him, perhaps the most vivid of herself at about five sitting on top of a piano in a mess whilst he thundered out popular tunes.

If you know of George or were a PoW with him, please contact Sandy directly.

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Marta Berska

Marta Berska is trying to find some history on her father, which she thinks might be limited. She is also adding details in to a book she is writing about her family.

Marta's family background is Polish and it appears to have an element of mystery of which she is trying to reasearch and solve.

Her mother was in a forced labour camp in the Bremen area North Germany which is where she meet her father and Marta has a photograph of him in uniform. Prior to the war he was in the Police Force in Warzawa, so having survived the war she thinks he may have been with a British company anywhere from 1940-45 in the area.

Martha's big question is how can she find out his history?

It had been mentioned by a past family member that her father was presented with medals of which she would like to find out more about.

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Andrew Boyle

Mark is trying to find out some information on his grandad who was a PoW at Stalag Luft 3 during the war. His name was Andrew Boyle. He assisted in the building of the tunnels. Please contact Mark with any information.

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Sgt Biggs and Sgt Rouse

Looking to find out about Sgt Biggs PoW 979 and Sgt Rouse PoW 1033, from Squadron 103 Stalag 357 in 1943.

If anyone has any information, please contact Sandey.

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Joseph William Brunskill

Craig's grandfather was a PoW at Stalag XXB. His name was Joseph William Brunskill and his PoW number was 7744. He used to live at 18 Johnson Terrace, West Auckland.

Please contact Craig or David if you can help him with information on Joseph.

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Robert Perry Burke

"No-name" is looking for father-in-law, Robert Perry Burke, who was in the 3rd Army, 35th Division, 134th infantry, C company. He was captured by the Germans March/April of 1945 and spent some time in Stalag X11A in Linburg, Germany and was liberated on March 28, 1945.

His family are trying to find him in Marseilles, France as this is where he went after leaving the USA.

If anyone help with information, please use the Feedback button on the Contact page.

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Bremen Troops

Martha would like to find out more about the troops in the Bremen area 1945, and Polish soldiers attached to the British units. March 1945- May 1945.

Please contact Martha if you have any information.

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Jim Boyle

John Boyle is seeking information regarding his uncle, Jim Boyle, a PoW in Germany during World War II. He was born in Co. Mayo, Ireland and served in The Irish Guards, so John believes. He died in the U.S.A. in 1969.

Please contact John if you have any information.

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Elijah (Tom) Brooker

Kelvin's late father, Elijah Brooker (aka. Tom Brooker) of the 6th Airborne Division, Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, was in Stalag X1B.

He was captured the same day that Operation Varsity started and he was there for a month.

Kelvin would like to hear from anyone who has photographs of the camp or knew Elijah.

If you have any information that can help in tracing these medals, please contact Kelvin

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Stan Bookman

Sandra Vincent is looking for information on Stan Bookman.

He was in Stalag X11A and she has his dog tags.

If you can help, please contact Sandra

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Gordon Murry Bastiani

Rebekah is searching on any information on the Queen's Own 1st Royal West Kent Regiment during WWII. In 1961 the Regiment was amalgamated with 1st Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), to form the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Buffs, Royal Kent Regiment [information about amalgamation found at Land Forces]

Her grandfather, Gordon Murry Bastiani, was in the Regiment under a Lieutenant Braithwaite.

The Regiment toured a vast amount of places including Egypt, Turkey, Greece and South Africa.

If you can help with information on Gordon or the Regiment, please contact Rebekah

Neil Jackson contacted me to say his father-in-law was Gordon Bastiani. Unfortunately Rebekah's email address no longer functions so please, if you know of Rebekah, get her to email me again via the contact page.

Luke Reyerse has contacted me on 24th February 2008 to say he is Gordon's grandson and is very close to him if anyone needs further information.

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Dennis Bateson

John's uncle, Dennis Bateson, lived in Hull and served with the Coldstream Guards. He was taken prisoner at Dunkirk and force marched to Stalag XXA in Poland, PoW number was 5356. He escaped a couple of times but was re-captured.

John's mother is now 80 and he would very much like to find information about Dennis' capture, regiment friends and time in PoW camp.

If you can help with any information, please contact John

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Burma Road

I received the following message but unfortunately the person did not give their name, their uncle's name nor their email address. Please could this person contact me again and provide an email address so I can get in touch with you?

I quote: "My uncle is a WW2 veteran I have a original copy of his batalion when the US army was segrated he fought on the Burma Road"

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Keith George Burbridge

Sarah wondered if anyone remembers her late father, Keith George Burbridge, a Signaller in the Middlesex Yeomanry.

Keith was a PoW in Austria for 4 years. He was captured in Greece and imprisoned in Stalag XVIII C (she thinks).

Sarah knows that Keith worked on the railway at Klagenfurt and also on nearby farms.

If you can help with any information, please contact Sarah

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Harry Baber

Kaye is trying to find any details about her partner's father, Harry Baber, who was in the Kings Royal Regiment in the 2nd World War. She is looking for general information or photographs.

If you can help, please contact Kaye

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Guy Baker

Someone is looking for any information about his/her great uncle, Guy Baker.

The information they have is that he was in the Army from 1943-1945 and was missing/killed in the South Pacific. Guy was presumed to be a PoW.

Guy's parents were Joseph and Ida Baker and he was from Illinois.

If anyone has any information or remembers him, please email

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Marlyn Arch Bunting

Karma is looking for information on her father, Marlyn Arch Bunting, born 12th December 1925 in Iowa.

His Service Number was 37696614 and he enlisted on 5th August 1944. Marlyn was nicknamed 'Preacher' because he carried his Bible with him and is a born again Christian.

He may have been injured in England and hospitalized in France. Karma's aunt told her that her father volunteered to crawl out to a strategic point to plant some explosives. She told me he volunteered because of his Christian faith.

Marlyn came from a farming family of 12 brothers and sisters and his father's name was Arch Charles Bunting and his mother's name was Beulah (nee Crow).

If anyone has any information or remembers him, please email Karma

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Leslie William Bryan

Mark is looking for information on his father, Leslie William Bryan, a Fusilier in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and was a PoW in Stalag XXA for 5 years.

Leslie was a boxer and a drummer in the band. Does anyone remember him or remember hearing his name?

If anyone has any information or remembers him, please email Mark

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Chaim Brafman

Daphne is writing her father's biography and is looking for information on anyone who remembers him from Stalag XVIIIC in Markt Pongau. Her father's name is Chaim Brafman (aka Maxi) and he mainly remembers Anthony Ambleton Smith. Anthony and Chaim made few attempts to escape.

If anyone can help, please email Daphne

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Victor Beedell and Rev. C.A. Macvicar

Mark has a card sent from Stalag XXA in 1941to a Rev. C. A. Macvicar in Birkenhead from a Victor Beedell.

Mark's father was in the same camp and he would like to know if anyone knows of these people.

If you can help, please email Mark

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Robert Baxter

Robert's late father, Robert Baxter, was a PoW at a camp near Dirschau, Poland, between 1940 and 1942 when he was transferred to Stalag 383, Hohenfels, Bavaria. He was from Galashiels, Scotland and a Sergeant in the REME. He was badly injured in an air attack on a vehicle convoy near Dunkirk and left behind when the British troops retreated. Robert would like to find out the name and number of the camp at Dirschau.

If you can help, please email Robert

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Jock McDonald

Mo's grandfather was a PoW at Stalag XXA. His name was Jock McDonald and he played saxaphone with a band formed in the camp.

Mo would love to know more about his life when imprisoned there. Unfortunately he died in 1977 and did not like to talk about his spell at this awful place.

He became freindly with a Polish family and one name that Mo has is Fritz Begelski (unsure about the spelling) he continued to keep intouch with the family after the war.

Please contact Mo if you can help.

Thank you to Bill Niven for this information.

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Kenneth Barrett

On behalf of a neighbour, Kenneth Barrett, who is 81 now, Thelma is looking for anyone who served on HMS Chameleon from 1944 - 1946.

Kenneth also served on HMS Jervis, HMS Canton and HMS Thyme. He was in the 12th Minesweeing Flotilla.

Here are some photographs (click to enlarge them):

Kenneth Barrett	Ken (far right) with friends	Ken (left) and friend - taken in either Durban or Port Elizabeth

Please contact Thelma if you can help.

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Arthur Gilbert Barraclough

Anthony has recently began trying to trace his grandfathers WWII history. His full name is Arthur Gilbert Barraclough. He was in the BEF at Dunkirk. He served in the 2nd/7th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington Regiment and was possibly captured at Dunkirk sometime between May-July 1940. From there, Anthony believes he was declared Missing in Action, until he reappeared in a PoW camp in Poland (Stalag XXID).

Like many, Arthur would not discuss his War service with Anthony and he would dearly like to find out more as he died in 1984.

Anthony would like any help or information on Stalag XXID and to find out about any of Arthur's regiment/PoW friends, especially any that are still alive and remember him.

Please contact Anthony if you can help.

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John Burke

A gentleman is seeking help in finding information about his grandfather, John Burke, of Newcastle upon Tyne who served with the Gordon Highlanders. John was a PoW from 1940 to 1945

Please email if you can help.

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Kenneth Breakey

Jeff is trying to trace anyone who has any memories of Gunner Kenneth Breakey, South African Army Number 108866, Ack-Ack Division, taken prisoner at Tobruk in June 1942, PoW Number 75147. He was at Campo 60, Section M in Lucca, Italy and transferred to Stalag VIIIC in 1943.

Jeff is also looking for family of a "Brown" who was in section M with Kenny. Brown drew a picture of the camp with an inscription we would like to share with his family.

Please email Jeff if you can help.

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George Henry Brookfield

Trevor is trying to find out about his father, George Henry Brookfield, whom he believes was a PoW in Stalag XXA. He died in 1987 and rarely talked much about his experiences. After Trevor's mother died recently he came across an old photograph which his father is in and which has Stalag XXA written on the back.

Trevor's sister believes he was in the Durham Light Infantry and Trevor also has a postcard that George sent to his mother from France that may have his army number on it, 4034142.

Please email Trevor if you can help.

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William (Bill) Blows

Michael contacted me after seeing the picture provided of PoWs in Stalag XXA/B by Helen of her father, James McCard Devlin (reproduced here) and he believes his father, William Blows (Bill), may be the chap standing in the second row far right.

Bill was in the Royal Sussex Regiment Service, No 5727656 Stalag XXA.

Michael is trying to find out as much as he can about his father as he passed away in 1987.

In the 1960's there was a short story published in an Englis newspaper called "Escape to a Firing Squad" It was written by a man called Bob Masters and he knew Michael's father from the camp. Bill and Bob corresponded for a while but over the years they lost contact.

Please email Michael if you can help with any information on Bill, Bob or Stalag XXA/B.

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Arthur Bailey

Arthur Bailey enlisted in the Regular Army at Middlesborough on 5th October 1931, the Corps for which he enlisted was The North Staffordshire Regiment. He was 17 at the time.

His daughter, Helena, has records of his service from 1931-1945, and a few photographs.

Arthur found it to upsetting to talk of his PoW experience, so there is very limited information. However, he suffered 2 or 3 nervous breakdowns which were a result of the traumatic experiences. Here is the limited information available about Arthur's War experience, from the odd occasion Arthur would mention it.

It was during the retreat of BEF to Dunkirk in June 1940 he was injured, it appears he was marching beside a train, under an invasion banner (possibly) which was a big white star, probably at Le Mans. He was seriously wounded and made a tournequet himself as he had a main artery severed at the top of his leg. He was taken to hospital in Rennes and there is a photo of him with his nurse. He received a blood transfusion with the donor being a German Medical Officer. Following a fair recovery, (his leg was paralised) he was taken to Germany to work in salt mines and stone quarries. He mentioned Stalag 9C and Oflag 9A(H?). The Swiss Red Cross, on an inspection, said he was unfit to work so he was moved to an Officers Prison Camp as a servant. At the end of the War he was taken to Paris, then Le Havre, and returned home to England. After 3 months leave he went to Ilkley and was discharged from the Armed Forces as medically unfit.

At this moment Helena can add that whilst Arthur was put to work as a servant for the Officers, he used to sleep in the Officer's beds on the nights an escape was planned so as to make it look as if the Officers were all present. Also he did tell her just before he died that he remembers giving a German Officer a bar of soap for his new baby, and how grateful the German was for this. A brief mention was made that the prisoners were only given one meal a day of some stale bread and water - he weighed only just over 6 stone on his return to the UK.

Arthur met his wife in late 1945, and during their 45 year marriage he could never bring himself to speak much of his life before they met, he remained troubled and had nightmares of his PoW experiences until he died in 2000.

Today we have to be so very grateful to all those men and women who sacrificed so much during such troubled times. His family say "thank you dad for your part and thank you to all the servicemen who fought for England".

If you can help Helena to fill in the gaps of her father's military/PoW life, or would like to see the photographs available to see if you have a family member in them (the photos are probably 1933-1938 taken in India), please get in touch.

Please email if you can help.

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Thomas Baxter

Scott is searching for information on his grandfather, Thomas Baxter, who was born in Glasgow (date of birth unknown).

Scott knows that he served in North Africa during WWII but due to the fact that he lost so many close friends and allies during the conflict, he was reluctant to talk about it.

Thomas was in the Scottish Infantry and possibly fought in the battle of El Alamein. He reached the level of General but this may have occured after the War. Any information on Thomas Baxter and his duties during the second world war would be much appreciated.

If you can help, please email Scott.

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Ernest Birchley

Julie's father, Ernest Birchley, was an Australian pilot shot down over the North Sea whilst stationed at Leuchars in Scotland. He was shot down while attacking the German Cruiser Prinz Eugen and spent the next 3 years (1942 - 1945) imprisoned at Stalag Luft 3 apart from a short stint in Sagsn while Stalag Luft 3 was being extended.

If you remember Ernest or were in Stalag Luft 3 with him, please email Julie

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John Herbert Buckley

Derek is looking for information on his father, John Herbert Buckley, who served in the RASC and was captured at St. Valarie. Before and after the war John lived in Jersey, Channel Islands. His wife was Mabel and he had one son, Derek Mandy. Here is a photo of John.

If you remember Derek, were you in the RASC or at St. Valarie with him? If so, please email Derek

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Joseph Bowen

Maureen is seeking information about her grandfather, Joseph Bowen, who died on 25th July 1916.

Joseph was in the Kings Royal Rifle Corp (KRRC) regiment, R5283 Private, Catologue Ref WO 372/3.

Any information about his battles and death would be most appreciative also his service medal, if any.

If you can help, please email Maureen

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Patrick James Boyle

Tom is trying to find any information on his grandfather, Patrick James Boyle, from Glasgow Gorbals.

Tom knows that he was in the Pioneers.

Patrick was born in 1908 and married Mary Ann Kilkie at St Francis Church, Gorbals and died at 10.1/2 Eglington Street, Glasgow in 1946. Patrick was a butchers assistant in Glasgow before he died. His mother was Rose Montford (maiden name) and his father was Francis Boyle.

Tom would love to see a photograph of Patrick as he has never seen him and wonders if there are any family still alive who would like to get in touch.

If you can help, please email Tom.

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John S. Bolan

Michele came across this site looking for her grandfather's name. She says "I am too young to remember any events such as these but I do remember stories of my Grandfathers in the war. I miss hearing them told."

Michele is looking for information on her grandfather who were PoWs during WWII. His name was John S. Bolan (or Bolen) and he never recovered from his experiences and was in and out of the hospital and psychiatric wards for the rest of his life. Michele's great-grandfather was Dujo Balen.

Michele would like to find something for her father and to start their family history.

If you can help with information on John or Dujo, please email Michele

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John Bowditch

Tricia is looking for information on her father, John Bowditch (English but served with Australian regiment).

John was born on 13th December 1911 and was a PoW in 1941 and sent to work in some sort of mine.

If you can help with information on John, please email Tricia.

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Leslie Brockhill

David is looking for information regarding Leslie Brockhill - PoW 33747 in Stalag VIIIB and Stalag 317. Do you know of Leslie?

If you can help with information, please email David.

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Richard (Dick) Bond

Jackie has recently found a photo of her late father. His name was Richard (Dick) Bond and he served in the Coldstream Guards. On the back of the photos is written Campo 65, Sept 1942. Jackie did not know her father was a PoW in Italy but apparently he walked out of the camp when the guards deserted and was then recaptured and sent to a camp in Germany.

Jackie is looking for information on Campo 65, anyone there at the same time and why the guards deserted.

If you can help with information, please email Jackie.

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Raymond James Bennett

Mrs Cordwell's late husband, Raymond James Bennett, 2/11th Batallion. AIF was taken PoW at the Battle of Crete. He was in Stalag IVD and Stalag XIIIC. Raymond came from Como, Perth and would have been 88 this year (2008).

If anyone has information about the camp please email Mrs Cordwell

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Revised: 7 May, 2008