david west Posted 20 February , 2009 Share Posted 20 February , 2009 Hi, Can anyone help me find out where my grandfather was held as an POW, his name was Sgt 17551 Ernest Albert West, 23rd Machine Gun Company, 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. He was taken prisoner of war on 27th May 1918 during the battle of the Aisne (possibly the battle of Bois de Buttes, supporting 2nd Devons) he was repatriated on 8th Jan 1919. My late father tried for years to find out where he was kept as a POW but he never got lucky ! Can anyone help, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 20 February , 2009 Share Posted 20 February , 2009 David, I cannot help you with your specific enquiry. But check out the thread below for infomation with regard to the Aisne Battle: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=44335 Also do you have a photograph of your granfather that you could share? You could try the Red Cross information service. I tried to find out where my Great Uncle and Grandfather were taken prisoner, both were also captured on the Aisne as part of 50th Div. but never got a reply. Having said that a know a few people who have been helped. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoj22 Posted 20 February , 2009 Share Posted 20 February , 2009 Fill out this form on the Red Cross website, it's free for relatives. It takes quite a while for the results to be delivered, I got mine in about 2 months, but it's well worth the wait. Click here! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Johnson Posted 20 February , 2009 Share Posted 20 February , 2009 Be aware of potential pitfalls with the Red Cross Data with a PoW taken during the first six months of 1918. It is always worth having and can sometimes be interpreted but any reference to "Limburg" and one or two other camps is misleading as these are registration camps. Many prisoners from 1918 were kept working behind the lines and were not registered for some time and when they were it was inevitably somewhere like Limburg. This would only have been a postal address with the PoW never setting foot in the camp. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david west Posted 22 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2009 David, I cannot help you with your specific enquiry. But check out the thread below for infomation with regard to the Aisne Battle: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=44335 Also do you have a photograph of your granfather that you could share? You could try the Red Cross information service. I tried to find out where my Great Uncle and Grandfather were taken prisoner, both were also captured on the Aisne as part of 50th Div. but never got a reply. Having said that a know a few people who have been helped. Hi Guys, thanks alot for your help...i have submitted a red cross request on the web. again thanks, Dave Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david west Posted 22 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2009 Fill out this form on the Red Cross website, it's free for relatives. It takes quite a while for the results to be delivered, I got mine in about 2 months, but it's well worth the wait. Click here! Steve. Hi Steve, filled out the form, thanks for the info. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 22 February , 2009 Share Posted 22 February , 2009 Steve, thanks for that link as well. Chris Baker had suggested I contact them when he did his report but I never did it at the time, as back then I did not know enough to actually locate where he was. Amazing how much changes (how much you learn!) in a few short years. I did not realize back then that 66dNE was a map (only 66d is on line), so today I was able to complete the form once I found where he was captured. My Grandfather Kennedy #51288 was taken a little earlier (March 21, 1918) but the comments here probably all apply. He was with the 12th Service Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles and the war diary gave enough details to document where and when it happened. I am also fortunate enough to have the diary he wrote as a POW - or as I mentioned elsewhere in the past, his time at summer camp (apparently much different treatment as an officer). Thanks again, hope I get something new from the ICRC! Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilso63 Posted 24 February , 2009 Share Posted 24 February , 2009 Hi, New to forum,Anyway my grandfather Pte Thomas W Pyrah no 202340 1/4th East Yorkshire Reg was captured above Craonne the same day.And was for 3 days collecting German wonded.And then moved to Bucy Le Long nearer Soissons for 3 months as work party before being moved to Cassel then Limberg and on to Bergheim camps.He then escaped for the second time and walked to the Dutch border with a cockney pal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 24 February , 2009 Share Posted 24 February , 2009 Hello Wilso, Welcome to the forum have you had a look at Bill Danby's website on the 4th Yorkshire regiment? Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilso63 Posted 24 February , 2009 Share Posted 24 February , 2009 Hi, Yes have seen the site,excellent work.Thats how I have found out where and even what trench my grandfather was in when wounded on the Somme at the battle of Flers-courcette 16th Sept near High wood.Thats the next visit getting planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 28 February , 2009 Share Posted 28 February , 2009 Hi, Was Thomas wounded with the '4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment'? Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilso63 Posted 2 March , 2009 Share Posted 2 March , 2009 Hi Charles, Sorry late reply at work in congo.Yes he was wounded with 1/4th East Yorkshire reg.My parents going to library to try find archive of report of his wounding (17th Jan 1918).Thanks for your continued help. regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 3 March , 2009 Share Posted 3 March , 2009 Paul, The Local Studies and Archives in Hull are shut, looks like for the next 10 months to a year, they are moving buildings (new one not finished yet). If they were a private company it would take 10 days...........! but the funding for staff is guaranteed. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilso63 Posted 6 March , 2009 Share Posted 6 March , 2009 Thanks again Charles, So right about the lenght of time to move buildings.I guess I will have to wait a little longer for the info.Would like to visit Somme area around High wood.As believe 1/4th East yorks were there 16th Sept 1916 for battle Flers-Courcelette. Thanks again Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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