Private Charles Coll
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3328
Name: L.10049 Pte. Coll, Charles.
Unit: South Saskatchewan Regiment, 2nd Canadian Division.
Captured: Dieppe, 19th August 1942.
Liberated: Schonrade, 29th January 1945.
Left: Odessa, 7th March 1945.
Arrived: U.K., 29th March 1945.
Date of Birth: 6th November 1918.
Date of Enlistment: 7th September 1939.
Peacetime Profession: Nil.
Private Address: Hazeldell, Sask., Canada.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured at DIEPPE on 19 Aug 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
STALAG VIII B (LAMSDORF) - Sep 42 - Feb 44.
STALAG IID (STARGARD) - Feb 44 - Jan 45.
Working Commando 156 (KLOXIN) - Mar 44 - May 44.
" " 2218 (KRAAZEN) - Jul 44.
" " 2283 (SCHONRADE) - Sep 44 - Jan 45.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
Whilst working at Working Commando 2218 at KRAAZEN (GERMANY, 1:250,000, O.54, Q 82) during Jul 44 I made an escape. My companion was Pte. STEPHNUIK from the Camerons of Canada. We received a compass and map from one of the Canadian P/W.
Through information from a Frenchman working in LIPPEHNE (Q 81), where we went on sick parade we heard that there were two Belgian workers in FRANKFURT ON THE ODER (Sheet, O.53, V 63) who would direct us on a train going to BELGIUM.
We made our escape on 6 Aug 44. We had collected a considerable store of Red Cross food but no civilian clothing.
We also received from the blacksmith shop a pair of pliers to cut the barbed wire fence.
About 1900 hrs on 6 Aug we left the camp, going through the fence. We had timed the guard on his rounds.
We were hiding in the neighbourhood of the camp in a swamp until dark. Whilst waiting we heard the people looking for us. A farm inspector passed close by us and seeing something in a bush nearby, shot at it. It turned out to be two young German men, who both were killed. We were only about 75 yards away.
We were marching for about six days in a Southerly direction always during the night, until we reached a place between KUSTRIN (V 66) and FRANKFURT (Sheet L.51, M 67). We were approximately 30 kilos from FRANKFURT.
Three Russians had escaped somewhere nearby from a camp and a large search party was out looking for them. We were caught by accident by one of the search party.
After having been moved to several civilian gaols we were taken on the third day after our capture to STALAG III C in KUSTRIN where we remained four days and were then returned to STALAG II D where we received 18 days solitary confinement.