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ww2 prisoner


homepride62
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hi all hope ok to post this here? my father was taken prisoner in may 1940 at a place called zuytpeene france, he was with the 2nd glosters, as i cant read or speak french was wondering if there was anyone out there who lives in or near the place who might no abit about what my dad went though, he did write me an account, an said out of hundred an 64 men that went to zuytpeene only 38 were taken prisoner, hope someone out there may be able to help ? if you need more info let me know , many thanks.

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The first information that falls easily to hand is a war game scenario as below :

 

www.toofatlardies.co.uk/SoMarchive/Gloucesters.pdf

 

It might be worth having a look at the

 

http://www.glosters.org/research.htm

 

The reference is as the foot of page 187

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Flanders/UK-NWE-Flanders-12.html

 

The French site on Zuytpeene are silent on the Second World War but are worth a look .

 

http://www.zuytpeene.com/photos.html

 

http://thomaslemousquetaire.free.fr/
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  • 3 months later...

Hi Homepride,

Just saw your thread on this subject.  I have visited quite a lot of the little villages around Zuytpeene, and many of them have chilling stories to tell about the events of May 1940 when Allied soldiers were trying to make their way to Dunkirk as best they could, fleeing the rapid German advance.  Some units - including I think the Glosters - were told to fight to the last man to keep the "corridor" open that would allow as many of the British Expeditionary Force as possible to escape to Dunkirk.

Zuytpeene is very near the hilltop town of Cassel, where I think a lot of Glosters are buried in the town cemetery.  I found this with a Google search http://members.tripod.com/~Glosters/cassel.htm which might give you a lot of background information about the action in which your father was taken prisoner.

He was lucky.  In at least two other places in the vicinity, SS soldiers took no prisoners. There is a hugely poignant site of a massacre of members of the the Warwickshires and other regiments, near Esquelbecq; and another massacre (of the Norfolks) commemorated in the churchyard of Le Paradis, south of Merville.

If you manage to get over there, do not miss the fascinating museum in Dunkerque called the Memorial du Souvenir, all about Operation Dynamo - the hastily-planned evacuation from the town's beaches.

Angela

www.northernfrance-within90minutesofcalais.co.uk

 

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[quote user="homepride62"]

hi all hope ok to post this here? my father was taken prisoner in may 1940 at a place called zuytpeene france, he was with the 2nd glosters, as i cant read or speak french was wondering if there was anyone out there who lives in or near the place who might no abit about what my dad went though, he did write me an account, an said out of hundred an 64 men that went to zuytpeene only 38 were taken prisoner, hope someone out there may be able to help ? if you need more info let me know , many thanks.

Post edited by the moderators. Please do not post your personal details on the message boards.

[/quote]

Are you in England or France? If in England you could contact the Imperial War Museum, who keep a very complete collection of Regimental Histories and war diaries. They can sometimes tell you what was happening down to platoon level. If you can persuade them that you are doing some research you may be able to visit the documents section and see them.

Alternately, they book may be available on inter-library loan.

You could also try the Gloucestershire Regiment museum, their website is http://www.glosters.org.uk/

If you go to the Timeline section of the website and click on 1925 and then 1940 there is a reasonably detailed description of the Regiment and 2nd Battalion's activitiies in that year, and the retreat towards Dunkirk. I would cut and paste it, but it seems to be a Flash movie.

Good luck in your research. My father was nearby at the same date (East Surrey Regt.)

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Are you sure about battalion war diaries being consultable at the IWM, Dick? 

The ones I have looked at have always been at The National Archives, at Kew.  Though I have to say that these were to do with WWI, and maybe it is different for more recent conflicts.  

Angela

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Yes, I've been there many times to read them. Or at least, Divisional and Regimental Histories and Diaries, I've not seen Battalion ones. It is the Regimental Histories you need to go to first. They are not publicly available, you have to persuade the Museum that you are doing research (it can be personal) and you are admitted by appointment and escorted, under guard, to the reading room, which still has the Ten Commandments painted on the walls! There is also a huge (many  millions of prints) photographic library, film library and private documents (letters, personal diaries) section. There are WW1 and WW2 resources - other periods are at the National Army Museum at Chelsea. Very helpful staff, even before they knew I was a friend of the head of Exhibits!

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