Hill, E

,

Private Eric Hill

Family/Last name:
Hill
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Eric
Nationality:
British
Service number:
4127699
Military Unit:
British Army, Manchester Regiment
Rank when captured:
Private
Place of capture:
Bethune, , France
Date of capture:
26/5/1940
POW number:
16299
Camp
Stalag VIB Neu Versen, Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

From: James Hill 

Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:22 PM

Subject: Stalag VIIIB – 344

My father, Eric Hill of Holt Lane Rainhill Lancashire,was with the 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, D Company

Regimental number 4127699 POW number 16299

He was capture at Bethune on the 26 May 1940 and transferred from  Stalag VIB to VIIB on 26 June 1940. He was transferred from VIIIB to 344 on the 6 March 1944. (These are details provided by the ICRC)

The MOD confirm the details for VIIIB & 344 as does my father’s repatriation interview. He worked in the mines and broke his arm and then on the railway.

MOD details do not give the dates for his return to allied hands but has him returning to the UK on the 14 May 1945. He was recorder as working on the railway in Poland from 20 August 1941 to 23 January 1945. I have been unsuccessful in filling in the period from January to May 1945. I have read a number of books about the period but there not much on the activities of the Manchester Regiment, although their May War Diaries contain much information.

I have a number of photographs of him and others in the camp. He is labelled Lance Sergeant but never moved above the rank of private. He was also transferred to the 11 Hampshire on his return and finally discharged unfit for military service on 18 March 1946.

I would love to know more but my father can no longer answer my questions so hope others may be able to fill in the gaps.

Given the time of year and my father’s birthday would have been 8 May it sort becomes a bit more poignant to me. I am amazed how these young men coped with what they had to cope with for such a long time.

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