POW in Stalag XXB - advice please

[michael h]

hi there i am new to this and would like a little help, not sure if im posting on the wrong post but here goes,

im looking for some info on my grandad who was a pow in stalag xxb, we know he was made to work on a farm but not much else, i have the following details
Name: J. Burke
Rank: Private
Army Number: 891020
Regiment: Gordon Highlanders
POW Number: 16483
Camp Type: Stalag
Camp Number: XX-B
Camp Location: Malbork, Poland
he never spoke much about the war but i am on a quest to find out what he went through he was a fantastic man,

kind regards
michael

[amberden]

Hi Michael
I am by no means an expert on this subject but like you I started from my dad telling me very little of his POW experiences apart from the more humorous bits. If you live within travelling distance of the National Archives at Kew you could look to see if he completed a questionnaire regarding his captivity. Thousands of men did but many, like my dad put down very scant facts as I am sure they just wanted to put the whole matter to the back of their minds. I managed to get my dads POW record from the Red Cross in Geneva and that listed his movements around various camps before ending up at one of XXB's numerous work camps. I have some photos that show his work camp was No 299 and it was located at Wesseln which I believe is now known as Lelkowo in Poland.

If you have any photos that were posted to your granddad when he was a POW then these may well have a camp number on the back. If none of this is available then the Red Cross in Geneva is your best hope but I am not sure if its free even to Next of Kin. I have found his attestation record, which I have attached, but I am unsure of the various entries in the RH column. My dads say he was posted to S/L Regt 19-1-1942 but he was already a POW and had been since 20-5-1940.

Best of luck

[Regorian]

Your grandfather was probably in 51st Highland Division which was captured entire. There are photographs of the division marching into captivity, heads held high, very impressive.

Other ranks were allowed to work under the Geneva Convention, we so employed Axis POW's in the same way. There was a small POW camp where I lived from 0 to 15 (1943 to 1958). Some of the prisoners stayed after the war, and married local girls.

[michael h]

Wow. This is amazing.  Very emotional. Thanks so much for your replies.. this is definitely him. What is the attached file ? attestation record. ? Would that be his actual signature? Thanks again.

[Rudolf H B]

Hi amberden,

Wesseln might have been a larger farm near Elbing (only 15 miles away from Marienburg)!

Today a part of the Zakrzewo district of Elbląg https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakrzewo_(Elbl%C4%85g)

MODIFICATION: The red dot is misplaced on Zatorze (Elbląg)!!! -
The farm had been in the area named "Truso" on OpenStreetMap near the woods in the north of Elbing.

kind regards
Rudolf

[Regorian]

No one has disputed my guess at 51st Highland Division, so am linking attached. St Valery. See photograph. British general was Major General Fortune, OC 51st Highland Division. German officer needs no introduction, Major General Erwin Rommel, OC 7th Panzer Division.

http://51hd.co.uk/history/valery_1940.

[amberden]

Hi Rudolph
I have no idea of the exact location of work camp 299 but I do have a photograph of the farm taken by a local man and given to my dad a copy of which is attached. The location of Wesseln
I learned from 2 sources one is a Red Cross reference to Forsthaus Wesseln in the National Archives and the other is from a copy of Visits made to the camps by the Chief British Man of Confidence and the Protecting Power Delegate, a copy of the relevant entry is also attached. Most of the names that are on the list have changed since WW2 so I am educated guessing Lelkowo. As you will see from the attachment the register is entitled Sunday Visits but 18th March 1943 was a Thursday. I assume that the visits made on the same day would be in a fairly confined area given wartime travel difficulties and Lelkowo is approx. 50km from Elbing and the other locations around 15km-20km from Elbing. The Wesseln you mentioned as being close to Elbing seems more likely. I know my dad was injured whilst on forestry work and was taken to a local hospital and seen by a German military doctor so I think it might have been close to a town as opposed to Lelkowo which even today is fairly rural judging by Google maps. If you have an accurate location of the farm you mention I would be grateful for any information.

[amberden]

Last night I managed to attach to a message tonight I can't so I am attaching to this posting the photo of the camp and to the next posting the register

[amberden]

Here is the register. Incidentally I do have a full copy if anyone wants a camp looked up.