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Prisoners of War WW2 photos

The soldier seated on the far left of the 2nd photo 130842 is actually my Father-in-Law Private Albert Rogers who was a despatch rider and was captured at Dunkirk. I have the actual photo with a few more postcards he sent back home. Here are two of them. First showing him in 1938 on his BSA J34. The second one is a card he sent back to his wife in Cowper St and he is standing on the top right corner.

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The soldier seated on the far left of the 2nd photo 130842 is actually my Father-in-Law Private Albert Rogers who was a despatch rider and was captured at Dunkirk. I have the actual photo with a few more postcards he sent back home. Here are two of them showing him in 1938 on his BSA J34. The second one is a card he sent back to his wife in Cowper St and he is standing on the top right corner.

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I hope he returned home safe to his wife and family.
 
Thanks Banjo, it’s wonderful to be able to add more to these photos. Cards like the second one must have offered at least a little comfort to those at home. Thanks for posting your photos. Viv.
 
For those interested in the various camps and their types and descriptions, this link makes interesting reading.

Some years ago I read a book written by an Anglican military chaplain who was a POW and based the large fort in Torun, Poland. It was interesting to read his accounts of his visits to British 'tommies' who worked on farms. They, apparently had a guard, but life was tolerable and not boring and at least the Polish farmer and family were friendly even if the guard was more cautious. He also related how the ordinary German soldier could never really make out quite who he was and consequently were less likely to have hindered his movements.
There have been one or two books written about military chaplains which are interesting, in fact I have known a few of them when in their later life they returned to monastic house. One did manage to escape from the Germans and lived in his monastery until recently, to the age of 99. I guess as a priest they might have thought that he was less likely to be too much of an asset to Britain's war effort so did not observe him too closely. Another, who was a most kind and genteel monk, had been on the Normandy beaches at the evacuation after the Fall of France. He encouraged all those around him to write a letter - if they were able (given the conditions they were in) - which a good many did. He gathered the letters/notes into his helmet and waded out to a small boat and handed them over. They were accepted and he was encouraged to get into the boat; however, he declined and waded back to the beach and the men. His Guardian Angel rewarded his efforts later that day as he and many that were with him were rescued. He died around fifteen years ago but I always felt humbled and honoured to know him. I do possess a small prayer card, typed by him and his photograph.
 
In addition to my previous posts about my Father-in-Law on this thread here are two more photos. I kept these back before, thinking they were personal. But since then, with my wife's agreement, we think they show the affection 'Pop' had for his wife. This first one was sent in 1938.
1938 postcard to Elsie.jpg
The second one was sent after the war was over but before he was repatriated. He is on the left rear.
Oct 1945 card copy.jpg
 
What a great thread, only just come across it. It was good to see that in most of the photos the guys looked reasonably healthy. More than can be said for those in Japanese Prisoner of war camps. One of our neighbours living at 46 Abbey Road Erdington, think his name was Upton, was in a Japanese POW camp. I remember his mom telling us she had had a letter from him and asked her to save the stamp. She thought it strange as he did not collect stamps. She steamed it off the envelope and found he had written on the back of the stamp about the atrocities taking place. I wont relate here what they were but some of them made me feel physically sick. He was certainly not the same man after returning home.
 
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Prisoners from Birmingham and district at Stalag VIII.
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Repatriations in 1943.
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Source: British Newspaper Archives
 
These men were in Stalag VIIIB, they were serving in Crete. Viv.

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

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gerrard st lozells viv so my rellies neck o woods...family research so far has not turned up any POWS but that does not mean there were none...thanks oh there are a few of the old houses still standing in gerrard st but no 74 was demolished many years ago

lyn
 
This one is of men who were prisoners in Stalag XXA.

I’m not too clear about who would have taken these photographs and how would they have found their way to families ?

Viv.


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There are probably 6 Birmingham men captured in this photo of the camp Stalag XVIIIA

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
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