Grandfather POW advise please.

[oldsweat]

Hello,

I'm been trying to research my Grandfathers time as a POW during the Great War. I have some information ( see attached ) but I'm struggling to understand some of the information on the form.

It appears he was wounded and been reported missing? I was always under the opinion he was captured in the Middle East.

I would be most grateful if someone could help in the decipher the info, so hopefully I can learn a little more on my Grandfather.

                          Thank you and best regards, Steve 

[ss002d6252]

Did you use the reference number on the card to view the additional record ?

PA38150 - https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/5394006/698/38150/

 

Craig

[Langdon]

Reads:

Pte No 18695 9th Norfolk Regt.

Born 3.7.96 Norwich. Taken 15.4.18

(at) Kemmel wounded head. Arrived from Front at Stendal(?)

 

The War Diary (on Amazon or downloadable at the National Archives) describes an attack by the enemy (as part of the 4th Battle of Ypres) and withdrawal to Mount Kemmel.

 

Mike

[Pat Atkins]

Apologies if you already know this, Steve - but just in case any of it is helpful... 9th Norfolks spent the war on the Western Front; however, your grandfather's medal rolls record that he originally served with 2nd Battalion, was attached to 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and then joined 8th Norfolks before transferring to 9th. 2nd Norfolks were in India then Mesopotamia, and 6th RDF were at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine before they too arrived in France (after your grandfather was made POW though). His 1914-15 Star roll gives his entry into theatre 2a (Salonika) on 15th October 1915.

 

Can see how POW and Middle East could easily become conflated.

 

Cheers, Pat.

[clk]

Hi Steve,

 

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

PA38150 - https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/5394006/698/38150/

 

The headings on that document roughly translate...

Column 1

Lfd. Nr. = Serial number

 

Column 2

a. Familienname = Surname

b. Vorname (nur der Rufname) = Forename (only forename by which known)

c.  nur bei Russen vorname des Vaters = Russians only, forename of father

 

Column  3

Rank

 

Column 4

a/b. Truppenteil = Unit

c. Komp. = Company

 

Column 5

 a/b. Gefangennahme (Ort und Tag) = Taken prisoner (place & date)

c.  vorhergehender Aufenhaltsort = Previously at (location):

 

Column 6

a. Geburtstag und -Ort = Date & place of birth

b/c.  Adresse des nächsten Verwandten = Address of NOK

 

The 'thrust' of the card is that it would appear that having gone missing, his sister made an enquiry to the Red Cross, the details provided of which are the typed bit. This resulted in the initial 'negative reply' to their enquiries. However, he later turned up as being in (or being administered by) Stendal camp. Some basic details of the camp are:

 

From this screen if you change 'PA' to 'R', and insert the number 53433, you will find him on a repatriation list having arrived at Dover on 3rd December 1918.

Regards, Chris

 

 

 

 

[PRC]

3 hours ago, Pat Atkins said:

9th Norfolks spent the war on the Western Front; however, your grandfather's medal rolls record that he originally served with 2nd Battalion, was attached to 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and then joined 8th Norfolks before transferring to 9th. 2nd Norfolks were in India then Mesopotamia, and 6th RDF were at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine before they too arrived in France (after your grandfather was made POW though). His 1914-15 Star roll gives his entry into theatre 2a (Salonika) on 15th October 1915.

 

It would seem from investigating individual soldiers that a draft of reinforcement, volunteers from the Service Battalions, who were bound for Mesopotamia and the 2nd Battalion were "hi-jacked" in the Mediterranean and re-directed to the 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers. There are Norfolk men who would die in Salonika, Palestine and France serving with that unit. There also appears to be some who ended up back in the UK having been medically evacuated with the likes of enteric fever \ typhus and other diseases that were endemic to the Salonika area. On recovery they would probably have been posted back to the Regimental depot and then gone on to serve wherever they were needed. When the 8th Battalion was disbanded in February 1918 I believe a draft did go to the 9th. (Although you can't rule out that he was wounded \ long term sick with the 8th and on recovery was posted to the 9th).

 

The relevant page of the Regiment History for the events of the 15th April 1918 can be seen here

http://lib.militaryarchive.co.uk/library/infantry-histories/library/The-Norfolk-Regiment-1685-1918-Vol-2/HTML/index.asp#/326/

 

I've had a quick trawl through the Eastern Daily Press and the Norwich Mercury for the last two weeks of April 1918 and can't see anything that references him, but will take a further look in the morning,

 

Cheers,

Peter

[oldsweat]

Thank you all for excellent info you have supplied, very much appreciated.