Parchim POW Camp

[Mark Orridge]

Hi all,

Today I was very pleased and suprised to receive a letter from the International Red Cross in Geneva concerning my Great Uncle.I had applied for information about 6 months ago.

Here is the information from the letter(spellings as written)

Name, first name: ORRIDGE Harry

Date of birth: 21.4.1890

Place of birth: Basford

Rank: Private

Unit: 56th M.G.C.

Date and place of capture: 25.3.1918 at Ytres

Place of Internment: Prisoner of war in German hands,present in the camp of Parchim coming from the West Front (according to a list dated 4.7.1918)

From: One list of the German authorities.

Does anyone have any information about this Unit,Camp or place of capture?

Best wishes,

Mark Orridge.

PS..I have just read Caddies very interesting thread which concerns the same camp.

[Terry_Reeves]

There is a brief description of the camp here:

http://www.archive.org/stream/prisoncmapof...perich_djvu.txt

TR

[Mark Orridge]

There is a brief description of the camp here:

http://www.archive.org/stream/prisoncmapof...perich_djvu.txt

TR

Thanks Terry,

Beginning to make some headway now.

Best wishes,

Mark.

[Doug Johnson]

try here

[Peter Bennett]

I visited Parchim last year to photograph the graves of some WW2 airmen believed to be buried there.

I took a few photos which you are welcome to if you PM me. The POWs built a memorial which stands today.

.

[Terry_Reeves]

With regard to Peter's memorial photograph, this appears to be the same one at its unveiling:

http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/P03236.340

TR

[Mark Orridge]

With regard to Peter's memorial photograph, this appears to be the same one at its unveiling:

http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/P03236.340

TR

Thank you all, PM sent Peter.

Mark.

[Mark Orridge]

Thank you all, PM sent Peter.

Mark.

Hi Peter,

Thanks very much for the superb photos. They are really evocative and add "colour" to the Red Cross information.

Mark.

[MichaelBully]

I am researching Hove Great War dead and on a memorial plaque at St. Andrews Church, Waterloo Street, found a commemoration of one Thomas Malcolm Dickinson

“In loving memory of Thomas Malcolm Dickinson Captain 16^th cavalry Indian Army. Attached 1^st Grenadier Guards, wounded at Festubert 1915.

Attached Royal Flying Corps in Mesopotamia.

Helped to provision Kut 1916

Brought down in air combat taken prisoner on the Western Front 1917

Evacuated 6000 prisoners, being himself last to leave fatal camp of Parchim 1918

Died under operation to his wounds in Egypt 4^th January 1921 Aged 27

Beloved by all

‘A warrior sans peur et sans reproche ’

Valiant in fight Patient in tribulation

A good soldier of Jesus Christ

Erected by his sorrowing Mother and Brother. "

I am intrigued by the reference to Parchim in " Evacuated 6000 prisoners, being himself last to leave fatal camp of Parchim 1918", anyone know what this incident refers to? Suggestions welcome, many thanks

[Matthew B.]

I am researching Hove Great War dead and on a memorial plaque at St. Andrews Church, Waterloo Street, found a commemoration of one Thomas Malcolm Dickinson

In loving memory of Thomas Malcolm Dickinson Captain 16^th cavalry Indian Army. Attached 1^st Grenadier Guards, wounded at Festubert 1915.

Attached Royal Flying Corps in Mesopotamia.

Helped to provision Kut 1916

Brought down in air combat taken prisoner on the Western Front 1917

Evacuated 6000 prisoners, being himself last to leave fatal camp of Parchim 1918

Died under operation to his wounds in Egypt 4^th January 1921 Aged 27

Beloved by all

A warrior sans peur et sans reproche

Valiant in fight Patient in tribulation

A good soldier of Jesus Christ

Erected by his sorrowing Mother and Brother. "

I am intrigued by the reference to Parchim in " Evacuated 6000 prisoners, being himself last to leave fatal camp of Parchim 1918", anyone know what this incident refers to? Suggestions welcome, many thanks

Hi,

I cannot directly answer you question however I can add a little the story.

He was comissioned on the 20th January 1912 and promoted Captain in 1917 (antedated senority to 20th January 1916)

Dickinson was a Lieutenant serving with the Royal Flying Corps when he was shotdown and made PoW on the 6th June 1917. However he was not repartiated until the 19th January 1919, at a guess directly from Germany as he was was not transferred to Holland for internment beforehand, as some were.

According to the July 1919 Indian Army List he was still attached to the RAF, however he was recorded as being on on leave outside of India in the October 1919 and January 1920 IAL's. By April 1920 he was apprently serving with the regiment, same in the Jan 1921 IAL.

However in January 1920 IAL the regiment is stationed at Kohat in India, then joins Waziristan Force by April 1920 IAL and is still there when he dies in January 1921, so I cannot explain why he is in Egypt in January 1921.

Sorry not to be of more help.

Matthew

[MichaelBully]

That's excellent Matthew. Thank you- much appreciated. I have not consulted the Indian Army records -are they on line? I have consulted his War Services Records ( WO339/26292) , which contain an interesting account of his capture on 6th June 1917 following an enquiry that took place on 3rd May 1919.

Thomas Dickinson was wounded on the Western Front on 6th May 1915, (Festubert ) and was passed fit for light duty in August 1915, then fit for General Service in October 1915.

I am also trying to establish the time line so to speak from how he got to be attached to the Royal Flying Corps , what his part was at Kut, then back to the Western Front. He was attached to the 56th squadron.

With best wishes

Michael Bully

Hi,

I cannot directly answer you question however I can add a little the story.

He was comissioned on the 20th January 1912 and promoted Captain in 1917 (antedated senority to 20th January 1916)

Dickinson was a Lieutenant serving with the Royal Flying Corps when he was shotdown and made PoW on the 6th June 1917. However he was not repartiated until the 19th January 1919, at a guess directly from Germany as he was was not transferred to Holland for internment beforehand, as some were.

According to the July 1919 Indian Army List he was still attached to the RAF, however he was recorded as being on on leave outside of India in the October 1919 and January 1920 IAL's. By April 1920 he was apprently serving with the regiment, same in the Jan 1921 IAL.

However in January 1920 IAL the regiment is stationed at Kohat in India, then joins Waziristan Force by April 1920 IAL and is still there when he dies in January 1921, so I cannot explain why he is in Egypt in January 1921.

Sorry not to be of more help.

Matthew

[Matthew B.]

That's excellent Matthew. Thank you- much appreciated. I have not consulted the Indian Army records -are they on line? I have consulted his War Services Records ( WO339/26292) , which contain an interesting account of his capture on 6th June 1917 following an enquiry that took place on 3rd May 1919.

Thomas Dickinson was wounded on the Western Front on 6th May 1915, (Festubert ) and was passed fit for light duty in August 1915, then fit for General Service in October 1915.

I am also trying to establish the time line so to speak from how he got to be attached to the Royal Flying Corps , what his part was at Kut, then back to the Western Front. He was attached to the 56th squadron.

With best wishes

Michael Bully

Michael,

I am sorry but no (I wish) the Indian Army records are not on line. Over many years I have built up a library of books on the Indian Army and those who served in it - it was from this I supplied the above.

I would have thought the London Gazette, which is on line, would be bale to help you determine some of the dates of transfer between the IA, British Army and the RFC/RAF.

The RFC/RAF area of research is a closed book to me - sorry I cant help.

Yours

Matthew

[MichaelBully]

Matthew B -thanks again for you posts, much appreciated.

A general question- has anyone found a definitive histoy of Parchim POW Camp, either on line or as a book? Thanks .

[MichaelBully]

Having a trawl through 'The Brighton Gazette' at present, found a piece on Thomas Dickinson in an issue dated Wednesday January 22nd 1919, headlined 'A Gallant Officer-Return from German Prison Camp' .

It seems that Thomas Dickinson volunteered to be the 'repatriation officer' at Parchim -I had never heard of this title- and consequently was the last soldier to leave Parchim. The 'Brighton Gazette' maintains that Parchim Camp was known as 'The Camp of Death'. This might explain the reference to the 'Fatal camp of Parchim ' on the memorial plaque.

I had been wondering was there some specific incident at Parchim to have deserved the titled, but looks most likely that Parchim had a reputation for a high death rate amongst POWs.

Matthew B -thanks again for you posts, much appreciated.

A general question- has anyone found a definitive histoy of Parchim POW Camp, either on line or as a book? Thanks .

[MichaelBully]

To update concerning Thomas Dickinson and Parchim, have found an article in 'The Brighton Gazette' of January 26th 1921 commenting on his death in Egypt on 4th January 1921: This tribute ends with

"During his period of captivity (at Parchim) his strong charactersits shewed to their fullest. Always a thorough sportsman and cheerful under any circumstances, he lived his life for others. Many will recall the terrible sufferings of the British prisoners at Parchim Camp in Germany. This camp was aptly described as 'the Camp of Death' It was here after the Armistice had been signed, and when the severe influenza epidemic was at its height, that Captain Dickinson and five N.C.O.'s volunteered for repatriation duty. Though still suffering from his wound, which had remained unhealed since 1917, he succceeded in evacuating some 6,000 British prisoners, and eventually had, to enlist some Russians to bury the last five of our men. It was not till his his task was complete that he returned to England. A brother officer has written "He was indeed a warrior, sans peur et sans reproche; may this be his epitath."