German POWs

[Bob Chandler]

Hello, I think you can safely call me a 'new boy' as I only registered 5 minutes ago!
I am trying to find out about the transportation of German POWs to England - i.e. who was responsible, what troops were involved, etc. My grandfather was with the Newbury Battalion of the Royal Berks Regiment National Reserve (having been a Berkshire Yeomanry Trooper before the war) and I know that he spent the early part of the war guarding German POWs and Internees on Newbury Racecourse. However, I have a photograph of him in uniform taken on board a ship, and we don't get many ships in West Berkshire! It has been suggested that he may have been guarding POWs on one of the 'hulk' ships anchored in the Solent, but my late uncle insisted that Reserve troops like grandad were used to actually escort the POWs back from the French Channel Ports to Southampton etc. It seems to make sense to me, as it would surely be a waste of manpower to use combat troops in this role. Does anyone have any information on this?