POW's Stalag 8b - Sherwood Foresters

[LIANNE G]

Hello,

Sorry I'm not located in the UK and my grandfather is now deceased so I can't give you much advice - but there are plenty of brilliant people on here who may be able to help you   

My Grandfather was caught in the Norwegian Campaign near the start of the war.

I have found a few interesting pages on my search including; http://www.wfrmuseum.org.uk/sf_museum.htm

From the searches on the name you gave it looks like he was in Lamsdorf (although my Grandfather was in a few camps so yours may have been, too).

If you are in the UK the best place for records & information is The National Archives in Kew.

Good luck!!

[ADM199]

In the 1944 and 1945 lists of POW there is a Sherwood Forester listed as Stalag 344 but as we found with Lianne the given camp location could be misleading. Stalag 344 was evacuated in January 1945.

The official lists that give the location of POW have many incorrect entries and should not be trusted 100%. Many give the Camp where a prisoner was first processed before being sent to a Satellite camp or work detail.
.
Pte E Machin 4975707 POW No 28121

[janrm]

My Grandfather was caught in the Norwegian Campaign near the start of the war.

I have no specific information on the soldiers mentioned in this topic, but I have access to a list of British War Graves in Norway showing some 25 soldiers from the 8 Bt. Sherwood Foresters.

Judging from the cemeteries they are buried, this could be some of the early British Forces who ran into serious trouble in the north of Gudbrandsdalen in the end of April 1940 (around April 28-29-30)

I read about this in the book "Felttoget" by Norwegian General Otto Ruge a while ago.

Jan

[LIANNE G]

Thank you! That is very interesting! I will have a look on Amazon for the book you mentioned 

[janrm]

"Felttoget" (English translation: The Norway Campaign) is on Amazon, but I doubt if you'll find it in English.....

There is however a lot of details regarding the war in Norway here:

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Norway/UK-NWE-Norway-7.html

(in case you haven't found this already....)

J

[janrm]

Funny coincidence!

There was a review of old cinema news ("Filmavisen 14 1960) looking back at the 1940 invasion on Norwegian TV this afternoon.

One scene was actually showing British POW's being captured in Gudbrandsdalen....


J

[jennshaw]

try this site:

http://www.powtaiwan.org/index.html

BR

Jen

[LIANNE G]

Thanks janrm and jennshaw - really appreciate all the help!!  

[janrm]

Two pictures of British POWs in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway 1940.

_J-