Smith, K F

, ,

Guardsman Kenneth Frederick [dusty] Smith

Family/Last name:
Smith
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Kenneth Frederick [dusty]
Nationality:
British
Service number:
2655986
Military Unit:
British Army, Coldstream Guards, 3rd Battalion (Coldstream)
Rank when captured:
Guardsman
Place of capture:
North Africa
Date of capture:
23/12/1941
POW number:
221452
Camp
PG 53 Sforzacosta, Macerata, PG 59 Servigliano, Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Working Party
E711 Heydebreck near Riegersfeldt
Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (Relative Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

Stalag 344 – Work Camp E711 


During a recent visit to TNA I found the returning POW questionnaire completed 18th May 1945 by my late father’s close friend Guardsman 2655986 Kenneth Frederick (Dusty) Smith, 3rd Coldstream Guards – of Tadcaster, Yorkshire. He was captured with my father at Antelat, Libya 23rd December 1941.

He emigrated to New Zealand about 1950 and my father corresponded with him for over 50 years. I continued the exchange of letters after my father died in 2002. Ken died in 2010 aged 95. I remember that he used to send my father the Far East Prisoner of War magazine “POW WOW” in the 1960’s.

Ken was detained in Italy at PG53 & PG59 (same as my father) until September 1942 when he was sent to Stalag VIIIB (Stalag 344) Lamsdorf in Upper Silesia, Germany. He was on the Long March westwards from January 1945.

He mentions he was attached to work camp E711 – Riegersfeldt near Heydebreck, Upper Silesia. There is mention on Wikipedia of this area being part of the IG Farben industrial complex near to Auschwitz.

Ken completed the free text portion on P3 of the questionnaire –

“MADE TO WORK IN FACTORY WHICH WAS BOMBED HEAVILY BY BOMBERS RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIFE OF ENGLISH POW’S. NOT SUFFICIENT WARNING GIVEN TO GET OUT OF FACTORY.”

Steve  Y
Research Note.  K F Smith was transferred from PG 53 back to Germany and German held territories on the 20th July 1943.


 

 

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