Rifleman Walter John Pemberton

From: Shirley Proud

Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2012

I wish to inform you that my father was a prisoner of war in Stalag 344. His name was Walter John Pemberton, Prisoner of War no 220398. He was captured January 1942 by a German Panzer Division and then handed over to the Italians. He was transferred to a German Prisoner of War Camp July 1943 until April 1945.

My father was always known as Jack Pemberton, although christened Walter John Pemberton. When he was called up, he was transferred to The Kings Royal Rifle Corp as a Rifleman.

I have the army service record of my father from Historic Disclosures. The rest I know from stories my father told me when I was growing up. I was born after he returned from the war.

I have recently discovered some old family photographs showing him as a prisoner of war in Stalag 344. I attach a photograph which shows my father sitting with a group of prisoners.

Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. Walter John Pemberton (Jack), Front Row 4th From Right.

Back row, left to right:
Ken Morgan, Ron Pople, Bill Bowen, Jock Barbour, Angus Grimshaw, Charlie Challiner, Harry Edge, Arthur Street, Tanky Hetherington, Charlie Howard, Gus Morley, Charlie Corbett, Ray Raybould.

Front row left to right:
Cyril Morgan, Darky Clifford, Ernie Cowes, Ernie James, Sgt Northolt, Jack Pemberton (my father), Ernie Canning, Chippy, Frank Grice.

I have also attached the back of the group photograph which shows the names my father had written. He was very good at documenting some of his time as a prisoner. I also attach the photograph of my father and his friend Ernie Cowes being liberated by the American Air force after the long march. Ernie Cowes is in the front row kneeling, second on the left. My father Jack Pemberton second row, first on the left, looking very happy. The other photograph at Stalag 344 shows my father Jack Pemberton front row kneeling, on the left.

I remember little things, he said they used to grind up acorns and use for tea, he was always hungry. When a red cross parcel arrived, it would be shared amongst a great deal of other prisoners. They had lice most of the time so would have to shave their hair off. He told me he went to work in a factory and that they would often try to sabotage the factory when they were there. He was part of the long march, he said they were freezing, cold and starving. The men would steal veg they could find in the fields along the way. One night in a barn someone killed a chicken, and my father ate part of the raw liver as he was starving. It upsets me sometimes when I think what he went through. On that march he must have thought he would never make it home alive. Not only were they starving but they were not dressed in appropriate clothing to keep warm.
The camps my father stayed in were named as follows: Stalag IVB, VIIIB, XIIIB. I don’t know what difference there would have been in each camp.