paul leeson Posted 28 December , 2011 Share Posted 28 December , 2011 Merry Christmas every one. I am trying to find evidence of units who guarded German POWs in UK camps towards the end of the war. I believe by that time it was the 'Protection Companies' of the RDC but can not find a source to confirm that. Does any one know of a list of camps and/or their guard units ? Thank you. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 28 December , 2011 Share Posted 28 December , 2011 Paul Not a lot in the NA Catalogue covering RDC,and no hits on search for Protection Companies. What did show,and maybe worth a look through to see if lists arise: WO32/18622 RDC re-organisation/demobilisation/disbandment. 1917-1920. WO95/5460 12 Battalion RDC as part of Part IX Home Forces,plus many ensuing Infantry units under the same WO95/5460 ref (also Part IX Home Forces) which might reveal the duties they performed. Good hunting ! Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 28 December , 2011 Share Posted 28 December , 2011 If you are looking to build up a list, I think I have a couple of references to men who served in POW companies of the RDC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 December , 2011 Share Posted 28 December , 2011 There are certainly references in Hansard to the RDC being responsible for the guarding of POW camps including to them being provided with inadequate accommodation Some fellow called Churchill said it would be looked into!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 28 December , 2011 Admin Share Posted 28 December , 2011 There are many service records for men of the RDC on Ancestry unfortunately most just list for example '6 Prot Coy' or '71 Protection Coy' etc. but not the location of the posting - you might be lucky if you trawl through them. The records are interesting as they often refer to previous service and wounds or sickness sustained in a theatre of war In the meantime this previous post may be of interest if you haven't found it already http://1914-1918.inv...howtopic=119721 Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul leeson Posted 29 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2011 All, thank you for your help, clearly an area requiring more research....... Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 29 December , 2011 Share Posted 29 December , 2011 A Home Office report of January 1918 (National Archives: HO 45/10883/345466) lists PoW camps in Wiltshire and elsewhere. Providing commanding officers and security were members of the Royal Defence Corps. In November 1917 there was a captain and two subalterns based at Lark Hill who had a share of 282 other ranks spread over an indeterminate area that included Oxfordshire and Stratford. In other areas, one captain was allocated to Chisledon, another to the ordnance depot at Tidworth, and a third to Corsham (perhaps in respect of the ordnance depot in a nearby quarry). There are "0" entries for Fargo and for Devizes (where there was a military detention centre and a nearby "secret" wireless station), suggesting officers had been allocated previously to these localities. The area comprising Codford, Sutton Veny, Fovant, Porton, Bulford and Perham Down was allocated a major, captain, four subalterns and 295 men. In the first half of 1918 many Royal Defence Corps were disbanded and their duties taken over by reserve battalions. (NA: WO32/18622) Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul leeson Posted 29 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2011 From personal documents I have reconstructed my GF’s service after being wounded. He had returned to England by May 1st 1917 and was at Plymouth hospital. He was then moved to the following places during his convalescence and the rest of his service. Camborne in Cornwall. Ripon (Yorkshire), on November 1st 1917. Tynemouth on 26th March 1918. Ripon on 17th June 1918. Brocton (Canock Chase), on 29th June 1918 and finally, Revesby outside Lincoln on 19th October 1918. On 4th February 1919 he was at No:2 Dispersal Unit, Crystal Palace. He was given a £2 advance and 28 days furlough ‘after which uniform must not be worn’. He was transferred to the Reserve on Demobilisation on 4th March 1919 (age 31). His discharge certificate states he was by then a Private (78043) in 166th Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps and had also served in the Labour Corps as well as the R.G.A. His medical classification on discharge was B2 and his place of rejoining in case of emergency was the R.D.C. Depot at 24 Sun St. E.C.2. I had assumed this list was a list of hospitals he attended. But know I wonder if they were POW camps he was a guard at. Ripon (Yorkshire), on November 1st 1917. Tynemouth on 26th March 1918. Ripon on 17th June 1918. Brocton (Canock Chase), on 29th June 1918 and finally, Revesby outside Lincoln on 19th October 1918. From the other thread I note 166th Protection Coy was part of Northern Command. There seem to have been POW camps at both Brocton & Ripon. Does anyone know of any other camps in the North. Thank you. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 29 December , 2011 Share Posted 29 December , 2011 Paul: it's more likely that your list is of PoW camps, rather than of hospitals. Brocton and Ripon were both major PoW camps. Graham Mark in Prisoners of War in British Hands during WWI (Postal History Society 2007) mentions Revesby as a work camp but places a question mark in the column showing "parent camp". I can't see a reference to Tynemouth, nor to Camborne, but these places may have had some other reason for needing a military guard. Camborne was a long way from a major PoW camp, the nearest being near Taunton (Sandhill Park, which accommodated officers who would not have formed working-parties)and Dorchester (Dorset). Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 December , 2011 Share Posted 29 December , 2011 Paul: it's more likely that your list is of PoW camps, rather than of hospitals. Brocton and Ripon were both major PoW camps. Graham Mark in Prisoners of War in British Hands during WWI (Postal History Society 2007) mentions Revesby as a work camp but places a question mark in the column showing "parent camp". I can't see a reference to Tynemouth, nor to Camborne, but these places may have had some other reason for needing a military guard. Camborne was a long way from a major PoW camp, the nearest being near Taunton (Sandhill Park, which accommodated officers who would not have formed working-parties)and Dorchester (Dorset). Moonraker I have seen references to RDC men providing escorts for PoWs being taken to hospitals for treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 December , 2011 Share Posted 29 December , 2011 I enclose those camps for which I have found definite references to the use of RDC companies. In some cases it is possible to identify specific companies (but care needs to be taken as companies did not always remain at the same camp - for example some of the Isle of Man companies were shifted to Liverpool.) Bala - 326th Protection Company - Royal Defence Corps Chickerell Camp, near Weymouth Dorchester - 262nd Protection Company - Royal Defence Corps Douglas and Knockaloe camps (IoM) Companies 301 to 305 and 313th - Royal Defence Corps Dundee Dunmow - 71st Company - Royal Defence Corps Feltham, Middlesex Frongoch Internment Camp Jersey - 351st Company - Royal Defence Corps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul leeson Posted 4 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 January , 2012 Thank you all for your help and happy new year to you all. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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