4452162 Pte Matthew Lamb served with 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, in Shanghai, China in 1938,The 1st Battalion The Durham Light Infantry moved to the Western Desert on the outbreak of war via Hong Kong . Matthew was wounded on the 15th May 1941 at Fort Capuzzo in Libya. Following his recovery he remained in the Western Desert and although he was still listed with 1st DLI he appears to have been attached to one of the three territorial units of the Regiment (6th/8th or 9th DLI) and was posted missing on the 28th June 1942 during the German assault at Gazala. Later confirmed as a prisoner of war.
Matthew was held initially by the Italians ,who took responsibility for all allied PoW`s captured in Western Desert. The Italians moved Matthew to Italy where he was held at Campo 57 Gruppignano, Fruili, Northern Italy.
Following the Italian surrender in 1943 the Germans took control of the prisoners and moved them to Germany and their occupied lands, Matthew Lamb was given the Prisoner of War number 6842 and was held at Stalag XVIIIA (18 A ) prisoner-of-war camp located to the south of the town of Wolfsberg, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, then a part of Nazi Germany. He remained in captivity until his release in 1945.
Matthew Lamb`s army number 4452162 comes from Army Book 358, Register of Soldiers, Durham Light Infantry,Book no. 18,This covers nos. 4452000 - 4452999, and the enlistment period from 13th May 1936 - May 1938.
Any photographs of Matthew during his time with the DLI ?
Background and information on the actions at Fort Capuzzo can be found on my website along with other campaigns,
https://durhamlightinfantry1920-46.weebly.com/middle-east-forces-dli.htmlHope this helps
Jim