Escapes. Page 38

Photo courtesy D Hobbs.

Sam Stalker, rear left wearing a tie, with guitar.  BAB21.

Stalker S  4459424  Pte  Black Watch  POW 3392.   Captured,  St Valery-en -Caux  21st May 1940.

His first POW camp was XX1B before moving to BAB21.

On 21st January 1945 the prisoners at BAB21  Blechammer were paraded and evacuated the camp ahead of the rapidly advancing Russian troops,  due to heavy snow the men had to return and successfully began the march the next day.

On the 22nd, Sam Stalker along with a few others hid in camp deciding to take their chances with the Russians.  They left the camp heading east,  eventually reaching Odessa and back into allied hands on the 10th March 1945.  He arrived back to the UK on 30th March 1945

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Picture courtesy The Sentinel Saturday August 2015.

Norman Lewis above.  Norman was guest of honour at the first showings of the film Dunkirk at his local cinema.

Lewis N  2078551  Spr  Royal Engineers  POW 14479 Stalag XXA [Thorn]  Captured 10 miles north of Rouen  8th June 1940.  

During the Dunkirk evacuation,  Norman and his unit were ordered to stay behind and blow a bridge after the last allies had crossed around 10am.  They were approached by a British Officer ordering the bridge demolition be delayed for two hours.  He again appeared,  instructing the delay for a further three hours.   Later the men were suddenly surprised by a German unit and after a short exchange of fire were captured,  Norman says the German Officer who took them prisoner was the same man dressed as a British Officer who had ordered the delay.

Norman was on a work detail out of XXA at a farm when he escaped with others on 27th Jan 1945. 

They met with the advancing Russians who pointed them toward Warsaw where they hopped a freight train to Odessa and the allies.  They then travelled by boat through the Black Sea to Port Said where they changed ships,  boarding the RMS Samaria and arriving at Liverpool on 31st March 1945.

Although Norman was not a prisoner at BAB21 I have included him as he furnished me with a map of his journey back via the eastern route taken by many men Including the BAB21 prisoner Sam Stalker.

       Normans map.  His journey from the UK through to his capture and eventual arrival back home.

Further comprehensive information and links on the death marches can be found at   www.lamsdorflongmarch.com

compiled by Dave Lovell and Ian Bowley.