Crouch, J S

,

Rifleman James S Crouch

Family/Last name:
Crouch
Forename(s) and initial(s):
James S
Nationality:
British
Service number:
6896314
Military Unit:
British Army, King's Royal Rifle Corps
Rank when captured:
Rifleman
POW number:
4308
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344, Stalag XXID Posen
Working Party
BAB 21 Blechhammer / Kedzierzyn-Kozle (later renamed E793)
Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (Relative Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner
JC 2

James is selling the ripe bananas.

JC 3

James is selling beans and potatoes.

JC 4

James is second in from left.

A keen theatre player, James also smuggled one of the radios into BAB21. One night he took clothes from the theatre and dressed as a woman,  he then made sure he was seen after lights out, a shot was fired at him before he ran into a hut.  The Germans turned out the Guard and paraded the men for most of the night while searching for the woman.  The men cheered on the German search offering advice to where the woman may be hiding.  Just before dawn the search was abandoned and the men dismissed.  The Germans were perplexed that the men did not move,  then James marched smartly to the front of the paraded men, turned and took a bow to great cheering. The men did not mind being up all night,  to a man they thought it was well worth the laughter as they  ‘helped’ with the search.

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