WWII Veteran from London - historical search

[ADM199]

Hi Marco,
              the time from being released to the time he arrived in Switzerland he definitely wouldn't be your man.
The only way to go would be with the WO 344 Files.
You mention Val d'Iseres; there was a group of Escapers who perished in a Snowstorm en route in Nov - Dec 1944.

I will look through my Records for the list.

Brian

Hello Janey and ADM199,

Thank you indeed for all your kind efforts. Much appreciated!

I am reading for the second time your posts and, please, correct me if I'm wrong.
Janey found a "W. O. Lewis", then identified by ADM199 as "Wilson Oliver Lewis". Even if he was a driver, too, I don't think he could be my POW, above all for this sentence:

"Interviewed in Switzerland 1943-11-14".

This, because both my prisoners were together with the partisans from September 1943 to September 1944. I don't know, in effect, if then they reached Switzerland or even France, maybe through the escape routes of the Val d'Isère.
So he shouldn't be "my" Lewis.
I will try again at Kew... when I'll be able to come back in England, for WO 344/185/2. I hope within 2014!

Thank you again,

Marco


Edited:

I have just had a look on Findmypast.co.uk (great site, thank you), but I didn't find a military record concerning "William David Lewis". There are many Lewis but no one with "DW" or "WD" initials.

[JaneyCanuck]

That's it, Marco -- I hadn't been able to find the dates when your men were in Italy, and I didn't have the full name of "W O Lewis" so I thought it might have been a misreading of "W D Lewis".

ADM199 has now told us that your man was really "David William Lewis" ... and I hate to tell you, but they might be even more numerous than William David Lewis-s.

ADM199's advice is best all round, so good luck!

[Dean Higgs]

Good morning again,

This is my second topic, created concerning the other British former POW I am looking for during my search, concerning some Allied POWs (mostly British, Australians and New Zealanders) who tried to reach the Swiss borders through the Italian Western Alps.

I am therefore trying to find all the available information on these men and their war experience, above all by contacting the still existing members of their families.
Unfortunately, as you know, the current British law on privacy does not allow to access the military archives without the written permission of a next-of-kin. And of course I can't receive this permission without finding their family.

I am trying to contact two British veterans who spent some time with partisan formations on the Alps and I hope you may kindly provide me some help or suggestion.
The soldier I am talking about was sergeant William David Lewis from London, taken prisoner at Tobruk, together with private Victor Torrig.
According to the only info I have (from file WO392/21 dei National Archives), he was a driver of the RASC, and his military number was 188777. He had been held at Camp PG 73 at Fossoli, near Carpi, Modena, Italy.

In my previous post concerning Torrig, I also provided a .pdf file with two rare pictures of them.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,635990.new.html#new

May I kindly ask your help, please?

Marco

Hi Marco,
I think you are referring to my Grandfather William David Lewis he was a P O W in Italy and was from the east end of London.

Dean

[Marco S.]

Hello Dean,

Very interesting, thank you for this contact. Feel free to write me by e-mail if you want!, name.surname @gmail.com. It may interest you my last book, unfortunately only in Italian, "Braccati. Prigionieri di guerra alleati in Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta", also referring to William Lewis.

http://www.varasc.it/getpage.aspx?id=634

The book tells various stories of Allied POWs who, escaped in the Aosta valley in Northwestern Italy, reached Switzerland (or tried to) through the Western Alps.

Very kind regards,

Marco Soggetto

[Dean Higgs]

Hi Marco,
I've sent you an email did you receive it.

Thanks

Dean

[joanpenfold2012]

ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.][/color][/size]
                  Hello Marco
                                    I believe you are seeking William David Lewis RASC? I am his Sister, can I help you?

[rosie99]

Hi

Welcome to rootschat 

I think that this is probably the post you have seen
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=635991.0

If you click on the link and reply to it Marco should see it.  If you also just reply to this you will then have made 3 posts and can talk to Marco by private message.

Rosie

Topics merged.