Front Stalag 142 Besancon France - Zygmunt Pawlowski

[myluck!]

I hope this is the correct place to post this query

Zygmunt was in recorded on the prisoner list of Besançon, Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France with a DoB of May 25 1907 as born in Cracovie/Krakow and shown as Zygmut Pavolowski.  This list is the Liste officielle No 27 de prisonniers français a Paris le 7 octobre 1940 for the Camp - Frontstalag 142.  The other details are Grade cap.-ch. & Unit C.A. 385/44 which means nothing to me. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

Why would he have been there if born in Poland?
What does Grade cap.-ch. mean?
Also Unit C.A. 385/44?

The date of birth recorded matches his as given on other documents.  I do know that this camp was used for British Citizens and US Citizens after Dec 1941.

Zygmunt married three times. I am only aware of his first marriage as he is described as a widower on the marriage certificate of his second marriage in 1950. His third marriage was to my OH's aunt in 1974. Both the 1950 and the 1974 marriages were in London.

In 1950 he was described as am Embassy Chauffeur and in 1974 as a motor mechanic; at both times his father is shown as Wladyslaw Pawlowski either a Distillery or Brewery Company Director.

Any and all help and direction gratefully accepted - thank you

[ShaunJ]

I'd guess that cap-ch - is short for capitaine de chasseurs à cheval or something similar. A cavalry captain or rotmistrz in Polish.

[manukarik]

Just like a lot of Poles fought with the British army many Poles fought against the occupyinf force with the French army.

Polish expatriate divisions in 1940 (DIP)
French: Division d'infanterie polonaise

1st Polish Infantry Division.
Reconstituted Polish Army division formed October 1939 from Polish expatriates in France in Camp de Coëtquidan, in Guer. Campaigns: Lorraine Front and Retreat of the Right Wing. Division given contradictory orders by the French XX Corps commanding general (remain in position) and the Polish government-in-exile on 19 June 1940 (place division under British authority or Swiss internment). Division disbanded and dispersed in Lorraine by orders of division commander on 21 June. Final command post at Hurbache. Subordination: 2nd Army and XX Corps of the 3rd Army.

2nd Polish Infantry Division.
Reconstituted Polish Army division formed March 1940 from Polish expatriates in France at Saint-Loup sur Thouet. Division was missing its 47-mm antitank company. The division was moved to the front lines from 20–22 May. Campaigns: Retreat of the Right Wing. Following orders of the Polish government-in-exile, the bulk of the division (12,000 troops) crossed the Swiss frontier on 20 June and was interned. Three battalions of the division were taken POW by the Germans. Final command post at Indevillers. Subordination: 2nd Army Group, 3rd Army and XLV Fortress Corps of the 8th Army.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_divisions_in_World_War_II

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Polish_Army_in_France_(1939%E2%80%9340)

Trying to work out the abbreviations you gave...

[manukarik]

cap.-ch. could be short for caporal-chef = lance corporal

[manukarik]

C.A. = Corps d'armée ? Trying to make sense of the numbers.

There's lots in French about Polish soldiers rôle in France fighting against Germany.