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Nergaard,
Harry
Nield, Vincent Patrick
New York Daily News
Norton, James
Newall, Cyril
Nicholls, Harry
Oflag
X11B, Hadamar
Oyler, Burless Jean
Osborn, Frederick Lawrence
O'Mahony, Sean (or O'Mahoney)
O'Neill, Robert Edward
O'Hagan, John
O'Neill, Weymeth
Operation Harpoon
Ord, Ronald
PJ
Brooke-Taylor is after any information on this PoW camp. There
was a Stalag X11A at Limburg which is about 10 minutes from
Hadamar by car. If you have any information on this camp or
indeed were a PoW there, please contact PJ via this site using
the contact form.
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Oflag X11B
Hadamar |
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Major
CC Johansen |
PJ
gave some further information to Julian Verity. She says
"My Father, Major CC Johansen, 27th Machine Gun Btn.
NZ2EF was POW in Oflag X11b Sept.'43 until March '45. He was
in room 25b.
I
have visited the ex POW camp. As a result of that visit (which
came about as a promise I made him years ago) I began researching
his war history, and in fact wrote a book, privately published,
for members of my family and other interested parties.
However,
after I'd done that, with further digging, I have discovered
quite a number of other people around the globe who's Dad's
were also there at Hadamar. I guess you can call it "The
Hadamar Kids Club!"
At
some stage I will be re-writing the book because so much more
information has come to light, especially his years as a POW.
So,
yes, your Father's chapter would be of huge interest if you
can somehow forward the info to me...
Attached are some photos of Oflag X11b, as well as one of
Dad with his POW number."
 April
2009
Heard
from Julian Verity who says "My late father, Capt Martin
Verity, Welch Regt wrote a small war diary. He was a POW at
Oflag X11B and a chapter is devoted to his stay at Hadamar.
I have somewhere an actual grainy black and white photo of
him holding his POW Camp number with I suspect the Hadamar
Hospital visible in the backgound."
April
2009
Heard
from Jim McCarter who says "My father, Lt Col. Lewis
McCarter, was an inmate of Oflag X11-B for possibly two years
- 1943-45. He was captured leading a 2/28th Battalion attack
on Ruin Ridge, Tobruk, on July 26/27, 1942. I believe he spent
a number of months in an Italian POW camp after his capture,
before being transferred to Hadamar.
Oflag X11-B was originally named Oflag
X11-A. See following (from Wikipedia): Oflag XII-A was a German
prisoner of war camp in World War II for officers. It was
located at Hadamar, near Limburg an der Lahn in western Germany.
It was created in November 1939 for Polish officers captured
in the September campaign. In June 1942 it was renumbered
Oflag XII-B.
• November 1939 - Polish officers
and a small number of orderlies were transported to Hadamar
from other collection camps in Poland.
• In June 1942 the Polish officers were transferred
to other camps, such as Oflag VII-A Murnau and Oflag VI-B,
Dössel. In their place British, French and other Allied
officers were transferred to Hadamar from the citadel of Mainz.
It was then renumbered Oflag XII-B
• In 1943, after the withdrawal of Italy from the war,
the German army transferred Allied officers from camps in
Italy, such as Sulmona, to Hadamar.
• The camp was liberated 26 March 1945 by the United
States Army.
My father in civilian life was a biology and agricultural
science teacher. In Oflag 11-B he sought, and was granted,
permission to conduct classes in horticulture, including the
creation of vegetable gardens. Initially his request was refused
by the commandant. Dad argued that the courses would offset
some of the boredom affecting the POW officers incarcerated,
pointing out that boredom bred discontent, unruly behaviour,
etc. This being so, it would be as much in the German interest
to permit the courses, as in the prisoners' interests.
He told me that he was particularly fortunate in that the
German OIC of the camp was intelligent and, he believed, realised
that Germany was heading for ultimate defeat in the war. For
this reason he delayed moving the camp's prisoners east, deeper
into Germany, as the Allies advanced from the west, until
delay was not longer tenable.
The commandant finally accepted my father's proposition, but
stipulated that only half of all vegetables produced could
be for POW's use; the balance was to go to the Germans.
As a consequence of his initiative, my father was given a
certificate of appreciation by 43 other officers who were
POWs in Oflag X11-B and who benefited from his efforts.
This hand-produced certificate is in my possession now. It
reads: Lieut-Col L. McCarter, MC. The undersigned present
this token in appreciation of his untiring work.
[There follows the signatures of 43 officers, including two
brigadiers; two lieut-colonels; and several captains and lieutenants.
Many signatories did not include their rank].
At the bottom of the certificate appears:
COURSE IN HORTICULTURE. 1944. OFLAG
X11-B.
HADAMAR, GERMANY
My father returned to Australia in
1946 after spending quite a few months at Eastbourne
, England, where he was one of eight senior officers responsible
for administering the Australian Forces camp there. He died
in Adelaide in 1983. My mother died in 2001. I have his war
medals (I'm now 72, and now live in southern Tasmania).
Hoping
the above may be of some interest to you,
Yours sincerely... J.B. (Jim) McCarter."
Moonbelle
(sig.) is from Alabama and has recently learned that an uncle
served in WWII and saw several battles. He also received some
medals but there is almost no information on him. He is from
Fort Payne, Alabama and he left the army in 1945. The only
other information is that he was in Germany on ground fights.
If you have any information, please contact Moonbelle
directly.
Joe
is looking for information on his late grandfather, Harry
Nergaard. Harry was in the Durham Light Infantry, caught by
German forces in Africa (possibly) and moved to Poland/Germany
and held there until the end of the war.
If
anyone remembers Harry or was caught at start of the war in
North Africa, please let Joe
know directly.
Vincent
is looking for information on his father, 3449947 Vincent
Patrick Nield, Pte, 8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He
was sent to Dunkirk from Eccles Drill Hall (TA) and his friends
were Stan Johnson,
Bill Johnson,Chris
Griffin and Eric
Heap.
Vinny
has a picture of the 8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (TA)
taken in (approx.) 1939.
If
you know anything about Vincent or, indeed, any of his friends,
please get in touch with Vinny
directly.
Jerry
needs a contact that knows when New York Daily News published
the colour maps where GI's were held in prison camps. He called
the NYDN research team and unless he has an exact date they
can't find the newspaper. Jerry's uncle was in Stalag IV and
survived the 600 mile march. He is
working on a short book about him.
Please
contact Jerry
if you can help.
Steve's
father-in-law, Private James Norton, Army # 13382, was captured
on his way to Dunkirk and had an eight week journey to Stalag
XXA, Torun, Poland. Steve believes that there is a picture
on David Parker's site that could be James, sitting crossed
legged at the front.
If
you have any information, please contact Steve
directly.
Frederick
Lawrence Osborn
Lisa
is looking for information on her grandfather, Frederick Lawrence
Osborn.
He
was a PoW in Germany from 1940-1945 and was in the Horseguards.
Unfortunately
that is all she does know.
If
you can help with any information, please contact Lisa
Sean
O'Mahony (or O'Mahoney)
Victoria
has
been trying to find her grandfather for over 15 years now
to no avail. His name was Sean O'Mahony (or could be spelt
O'Mahoney) and he was based in the Pioneer Corps in Scraptoft,
Leicester around 1947/1948.
Victoria
knows he was from Blackrock, Cork and was born around 1926.
She
has
contacted the Army Records some years ago and they stated
that they had found a record but could not release the information
and asked me for a nickname, which she does not know.
Victoria's
father would desperately like to meet his own father but sadly
has given up hope of ever finding him.
If
you can help with any information, please contact Victoria
Robert
Edward O'Neill
Margery
is researching information on Robert Edward O'Neill for his
daughter. Do you know of Robert and can shed any light on
him?
Margery
provided the following addition information:
He
was
born 1st March 1919, and his address was 12 Jubilee Avenue,
Bridlington.
Written on back of the photo she has is "Nov 1942. Stalag
XXB, MAin Camp, District GRP. Northern C.
Monday 16th April - tanks arrived at 8.30 am."
Robert also received some medals but they are lost.
If
you can help with any more information, please contact Margery
John
(Johnny) O'Hagan
Mary
is looking for any information on her late grandfather, John
(Johnny) O'Hagan. All she knows is he served on HMS Canton
and he went to Africa. He was a carpenter by trade, and she
thinks he might have been a Petty Officer.
 John
O Hagan is 4th from left on the back row. The photographs
stamp on the back says "Knickerbocker Photographers,
82 Court Street, Brooklyn, New York".
The
photograph has written on the front "Annual Communion
Breakfast, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Holy Name Society,
Hotel St George Ballroom, May 11, 1941, No 5056". Also
included Mary said was "HMS 107, No 5056".
If
you can help with any information on John, please contact
Mary
Cyril
Newall
David is looking for information on Cyril Newall of the Buffs
who was captured at Dunkirk and sent to Stalag XXA (Nr 5410).
He
has no more information on Cyril so can anyone please help?
If
you can help with any information, please contact David
Weymeth
(Pete) O'Neill
Weymeth
"Pete" O'Neill, was an Antitank Gun Crewman 610,
who was badly wounded but survived the battle of the Kasserine
Pass. He was a gunner and driver of a Grant tank during the
campaign.
Sadly,
he could not tell me much about his experience.
He
was a Private in Company I, 13th Armored Infantry Regiment,
while in Kentucky. Not sure if the 13th Armored would have
been re-named when later attached with the 1st Armored.
He
said his tank was destroyed while defending the retreat. Is
it possible to find detail regarding this specific unit?
His
discharge papers show him as a Cpl with Co. I 13th Arm. Inf.
Reg.
Are
there still living survivors of this battle who keep in touch
with one another?
If
you can help with any information, please email.
Operation
Harpoon
See
here under Thomas Power - can you help with any information?
Ronald
Ord
Richard
is trying to find out any information about a Ronald Ord,
his great grandfather.
He
was captured at Dunkirk and sent to Stalag XXB. He was in
the Durham Light Infantry and spent his time in the camp as
far as Richard knows as part of the medical staff.
Please
contact Richard
if you can help with information on Ronald.
Harry
Nicholls
Philip
has in his possesion three photos: one is a group photo with
the head of his uncle, Harry Nicholls, cut out to put in his
sisters locket, and two are of a funeral. There is no ID for
the deceased, but the name on the cross on the grave in front
is Pte Joseph Cribben, of the Kensington Regiment.
Harry
was captured at Dunkirk, held in Kgf BAB 20 and Philip does
know they are his photos.
Here
are the photographs Philip has sent (click to enlarge):
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Harry
Nicholls is 3rd from the right |
The
writing on the card that Harry sent to his sister |
Harry
Nicholls is in the middle row right hand side |
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Harry
Nicholls head was cut out for his sister's locket |
Funeral |
Pte
Joseph Cribben, of the Kensington Regiment |
Harry
was most likely in the Middlesex Regiment and came from Tottenham,
London. He worked at the Whitbread Brewery before and after
the War.
Please
contact Philip
if you can help with information on Harry or Joseph.
Please
send all replies to enquiries to me using the Feedback button
on the Contact page.
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© WWII Memories. All rights reserved.
Revised:
30 June, 2009
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