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Thread: POW camp

  1. #1

    Default POW camp

    Hi,

    I'm researching Edward William Lee, he was taken prisoner at Dunkirk in 1940, he spent the entire was as POW being released in 1945 How do I find out which prisoner of war camp he was held in? Can't find him on Ancestry. He is listed on this this database, but not which camp. Any ideas?

    Thanks

    Amanda

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    welcome to the British-genealogy forums
    Because you came to us from Forces War Records reading this will explain how you got here

    Starting my search in the collection Prisoners of War of the British Empire held in Germany 1939-45" on FWR only two records show. One for an E W Lee and the other for E W Lea. To view which camp they were in you have to pay a fee to join FWR. You can take out a 1 month sub being sure to tick/untick the box which automatically renews the sub.

    Have you thought of applying for his service records from the MoD? This 'sticky' explains and gives the link where you can download the application forms. You will not need a service number but you will need a copy of his death certificate and 30 pounds.
    Christina
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    William Burroughs

  3. #3
    Famous for offering help & advice simmo1's Avatar
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    HI Amanda

    You could also check here - https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/h...rds-1715-1945/

    His service records may also give more details, apply here - https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

    regards

    Robert
    Remembering

    My Father 1819170 Lance Bombardier Robert Simpson 39/14 L.A.A. R.A.

  4. #4

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    "To view which camp they were in you have to pay a fee to join FWR. You can take out a 1 month sub"

    Thanks for the welcome and Thanks for the info Christina, I took out a month's subscription, but I only get the record, there is very little information to view, I am quite disappointed maybe i'm not using it properly, I literally only subscribed yesterday.
    Edward Lee's is a very sad tale, he spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital, dying there in 1969. I just wanted more understanding of life in POW camp in Germany, to more understand the sadness of what happened to him after the war. My grandmother had a cousin who spent his war as a Japanese POW, when he came back he weighed 6 stone, my nan said he was never the same man and had problems with all aspects of his life, unfortunately I cannot remember his name, but am determined to try and find out.

    Many thanks again Amanda

  5. #5

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    Thanks Robert, I shall use Find My past when I'm next at my local family studies lib. I am subscribed to ancestry and can find no information whatsoever on my Edward Lee.

  6. #6
    Super Moderator - Completely bonkers and will never change.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Niaouli68 View Post
    "To view which camp they were in you have to pay a fee to join FWR. You can take out a 1 month sub"

    Thanks for the welcome and Thanks for the info Christina, I took out a month's subscription, but I only get the record, there is very little information to view, I am quite disappointed maybe i'm not using it properly, I literally only subscribed yesterday.
    Edward Lee's is a very sad tale, he spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital, dying there in 1969. I just wanted more understanding of life in POW camp in Germany, to more understand the sadness of what happened to him after the war. My grandmother had a cousin who spent his war as a Japanese POW, when he came back he weighed 6 stone, my nan said he was never the same man and had problems with all aspects of his life, unfortunately I cannot remember his name, but am determined to try and find out.

    Many thanks again Amanda
    You will never find that sort of information in a personal record.
    However you might find it in one of the books in the FWR 'Historic documents library'.
    https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk...rmany-1939-45/
    https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/documents/search/

    I typed in 'Prisoner of war WW2' in the search box and got 1163 results, though some were actually from WW1.

    Pam
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  7. #7
    A fountain of knowledge
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    The FWR POW listings are all from specific collections, it does state very clearly what will be included in records from the collections list page -before payment however.
    POW camp listings tend to be just that -one or maybe a few more camps listed.

    https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk...of-war-1939-45
    This guide has a great deal more tips for further research however.

    The record you viewed gave his last POW camp -Stalag 4b, Muhlberg (Elbe), His service and POW numbers -all very useful unique information, which you would absolutely need to go any further with research.

  8. #8

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    Amanda

    I was in the same boat. My Grandad was taken in 1940 and was a POW for the whole of WW2.

    At the end of the War all POWs were asked to fill out a POW questionnaire on entering the UK. Only 10% of all POWs did this, but the original questionnaires are held at the National Archives. Despite the low participation rate, I was able to find both my Grandad's questionnaire and my Uncles.

    They are pretty amazing documents. They state where they were held, by way of other camps, the dates they arrived there, what work they did during the war, if they were interrogated, if they attempted sabotage, etc.

    It was pure chance that I found out about these records when watching a documentary on TV; they are not well publicised. Unfortunately they are not digitised, so you would have to look at them first hand.

    If you are not local, I'd be happy to take a look for you on my next visit to Kew.

    Hope this helps.

    Mel x

  9. #9

    Default

    Hi

    Do you know what Regiment he was in, i found this prisoner of war ww2 this man was in the
    The Sherwood Foresters

    First name(s) E. W.
    Last name Lee
    Service number 4979957
    Rank Corporal
    Regiment The Sherwood Foresters
    Year
    Prison camp or ship Muhlberg (Elbe)
    Camp type STALAG
    Camp number 4B
    Camp location Muhlberg (Elbe)
    Country Great Britain
    Conflict World War 2

    Peanut

  10. #10

    Default

    Hi peanut,

    Thank you very much for your reply.

    I am new to forums and new to FWR. My Edward William Lee's Service number is 751190 he was a sapper in the Royal Engineers, FWR doesn't seem to have anything else, other than the 2 entries saying he was missing in action and the entry re his being a POW, but I got this from the newspaper archives anyway, but to be honest I don't really know how to use the site properly, I am hardly getting any information about any of my ancestors that were in the armed forces. I just don't think I am using it properly. He was caught on the beaches at Dunkirk and was released in 1945, a few month's after he came home he hit my great grandmother over the head with a hammer and she died, he spent the rest of his life in psychiatric care, he couldn't stand trial as he was not fit, he died in 1969. I have done a lot of background reading of witness accounts etc of life in POW camps and I was just interested to continue researching which camp he was in.

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