Ronald William Vale

[Brian S]

Ignore my previous post as the following appears to be your man.

5499648 Pte Ronald William Vale. Intelligence Section Btn H.Q. The Hampshire Regiment. DOB 25/5/1919
Captured Sicily 26/7/1943

Did escape a couple of times but was re-captured.

Learned German as POW and has some knowledge of French and Russian.

Send an Email address by PM if you would like a copy of the report I have.

Home address confirmed as 19, Matham Grove, East Dulwich SE 22

[Brian S]

He was a POW in Italy.

Caserta Hospital 2/8/1943 - 12/8/1943

Capua 13/8/1943 - 1/9/1943

Spittal Austria 5/9/1943 - 9/10/1943

The last location given is a Quarry at Peggau 29/3/1945

Once again as with many others not listed on FWR lists of POW Italy.

As stated in the past the File is very flawed and cannot be trusted..

[Mekon7]

Thanks Brian
I have been overwhelmed with help on this. I am working my way through things and that goes to #1000 on the to do list.
I note the military lists are on line and I will be scanning them too.
I did check the Officers lists and he is not there not in extra information a chap had on officers. It looks like he was a private as the POW record shows. I note the Hampshires were in Greece but no indication of Yugoslavia, it is close though.

[Brian S]

Hi,
it does appear from what you originally posted there has been a lot of misunderstanding of what he actually did.
Sicily is not Greece and he clearly states he was captured in Sicily. Not Greece.

In the Report The Yugoslavian Border is mentioned, but only during a brief time on the run in Austria.

What I have posted is original and in his own words, written by himself in 1945.
All first hand.

My thoughts regarding what you have been told is probably Bar Room chit chat.

Come across this a lot in the Past, but it does tend to confuse later Family enquiries when taking what has been passed down as 100%.
Especially when they want to believe what they have been told.
Disappointing, yes but better pushed out of the way for the present as it appears to have been totally disproved.

The only Military Lists you will find him on will not be at all helpful. In 99% of cases the camp given is only camp where a man of his rank was registered for admin purposes.

He was located like the vast majority of POW, on a work detail, which in many cases come across could be over 100mls from the base camp.
All indicated in Reports made after Red Cross visits.

My Advice is to push to one side anything you have been told regarding his Military activities until you have read the Report made in his own words.
Then look at a copy of his Official Army Personnel Records.

All you have to do is to send an Email address by PM as said previously, and I will send you a copy of his Report written by himself.
Couldn't have anything clearer.


Brian

[Mekon7]

Thanks Brian
Yes I have suspected that things are not quite as told.
I have replied to your private post with an email address.
Not the first case I came across of a bit of a tale being told.
Paul

[Brian S]

Not a problem Paul.

Report with you now.

Brian