John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Notes on Working Parties from ‘The Prisoner of War’, September 1942

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Notes on a number of working parties from ‘The Prisoner of War’: September 1942 (mentions E3, E22, E27, E42, E46, E51, E90, E109, E140, E250, E276, E352,E354,E355, E381, E398) February 1944 (E276, E600, E607, E711) February 1944…
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Salt Mines

Whatever some returning POWs might have claimed; there were no POW Working Parties in salt mines. No POWs worked in salt mines. There were no salt mines anyway! During the second world war the nearest salt mine to Krakow was the Wieliczka…
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited and reported on conditions in POW camps and working parties. This is an example report (in French): Stalag IIIB ICRC Report 19 May 1941 (in French)
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Palestinian Prisoners of War

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Many Palestinian Prisoners of War were occupied at working party E6 Ehrenforst/Sławięcice. This document (author unknown) provides some details: palestinian-prisoners-of-war  
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Eric (Blondie) Marchant’s war-time account

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Eric (Blondie) Marchant was a private in the Royal Sussex Regiment captured in Belgium in May 1940. He wrote this account of his capture and subsequent experiences: Eric Marchant's Wartime Account
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

John Burton Shanks – wartime experiences

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In the introduction to his journal Jenny Kingston wrote: Much to his parents dismay, my father, John Burton Shanks, lied about his age and signed up to help the war effort when he was 17 years old. At school he had been a member of the OTC…
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Robert John Clucas – Experiences of a Prisoner Of War

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Robert John Clucas - Experiences of a Prisoner Of War BY PRIVATE R.J.CLUCAS. POW No 33597 INTERVIEW BY ENID ENGLAND As edited by M.L.Clucas The Prologue June 22nd, 1942: In Egypt, 4 and 5 New Zealand Brigade is allocated defense…
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Blechhammer Synthetic Oil Refinery maps

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The Refinery was in two parts,  Blechhammer North, and Blechhammer South, approximately three Kilometres apart. Below, shows the layout of Blechhammer North Below, shows the layout of Blechhammer South During…
John Burton Shanks (age 18)

Howard Holmes – war memoirs

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Howard Holmes War Memoirs I was a private in 15th platoon Hawke’s Bay Company which I’d joined in December 1940 when I was 23. After seeing action in Greece and with little in the way of weaponry we were taken off on the “Ajax” and…