Gunner Edward Pool
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3325/55
Name: 1559608 Gnr. Pool, Edward.
Unit: 102nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, 7th Armoured Division.
Captured: Knightsbridge, 6th June 1942.
Escaped: Maribor, 1st September 1944.
Left: Naples, 21st October 1944.
Arrived: Liverpool, end October 1944.
Date of Birth: 24th October 1916.
Army Service: Since 17th April 1940.
Peacetime Profession: Driver.
Private Address: 7 Railway Cottages, Norton Junction, Stockton-on-Tees.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured at KNIGHTSBRIDGE (LIBYA) on 6 Jun 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
Campo 66 (CAPUA) 10 Nov - 20 Nov 42.
Campo 53 (MACERATA) 20 Nov 42 - 17 Apr 43.
Working Camp 133 (NOVARA) 17 Apr - 8 Sep 43.
Working Camp at MARIBOR attached to Stalag XVIIIA (WOLFSBERG, AUSTRIA). 30 Oct 43 - 1 Sep 44.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPE.
Nil.
4. LEFT WORKING CAMP No. 133 (NOVARA).
I was at a Working Camp No. 133 (NOVARA) (ITALY, 1:250,000, Sheet 10, J 86) on 8 Sep 43 when the Italian Armistice was concluded. The guards immediately set up free, and the villagers provided us with civilian clothing.
L/Cpl. James ROBSON, Pte. Stanley REED, Gnr. William BARKER and I decided to make for the Swiss border. An Italian, for whom BARKER had been working, arranged for two guides to accompany us. We made our way to VARALLO (Sheet 2, D 50) where we were supposed to meet our guides, but they did not turn up. We contacted another guide, however, who took us a short distance into the mountains, after which he left us. Soon after we arrived at a small town (name unknown) where we spent the night at a farm. The next morning a boy took us into the town, where he left us, returning shortly afterwards with two men who said they would act as our guides for 500 lire. We accepted this offer and set off.
We had only gone a short distance when we were ambushed by the Carabinieri and taken prisoner. We were put into a civilian gaol for the night and the next morning (3 Oct) we were handed over to the Germans, who sent us first to DOMODOSSOLA (D 54) and then TURIN where we were put into a civilian prison.
On 5 Oct we were put into a cattle truck, which was heavily guarded, en route for GERMANY. We arrived at SPITTAL (AUSTRIA) (Sheet 7B, X 60) on 7 Oct. We remained in a transit camp here until 30 Oct, during which time we were given our P/W numbers.
On 30 Oct we were moved to a Working Camp at MARIBOR situated across the border in YUGOSLAVIA (YUGOSLAVIA, 1:250,000, Sheet Y2, E 27) attached to Stalag XVIII A (WOLFSBERG, AUSTRIA). Here we were put to work on a large estate. Every night we were locked in a cottage with one Austrian guard. While we were here we filed down an old key to fit the door and every night took it in turns to keep a lock-out for the Yugoslav partisans, whom we had heard were planning to release us. The Germans became suspicious, however, and on 20 Jun 44 we were moved to a flour mill on the other side of the town. A week later eight of us, including ROBSON and REED, were allowed to return to work on the estate, where we remained till 1 Sep. On that day the partisans came to the estate and released us, taking us back with them to the hills. On the way we ran into a German machine-gun nest and during the encounter we lost several of our companions (names unknown).
On 10 Sep we arrived in LJUBLJANA (D 31) where we remained until 17 Sep when we left YUGOSLAVIA by air for BARI and then NAPLES. We sailed from NAPLES on 21 Oct.
Driver Cyril Vickers
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3325/56
Name: 2331677 Dvr. Vickers, Cyril.
Unit: Royal Corps of Signals.
Captured: Kalamata, 29th April 1941.
Escaped: Maribor (Yugoslavia), 31st August 1944.
Left: Salerno, mid-October 1944.
Arrived: Liverpool, October 1944.
Date of Birth: 30th September 1919.
Army Service: Since 15th January 1940.
Peacetime Profession: Miner.
Private Address: 4 Brook Terrace, Tairgwaith, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Glamorganshire.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured at KALAMATA (GREECE) on 29 Apr 41.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
P/W Camp (CORINTH) May - mid Jul 41.
P/W Camp (SALONIKA) Jun - Jul 41.
Stalag XVIII D (MARIBOR) Jul - Oct 42.
Working Camps attached to Stalag XVIII:-
PETAU Jul 41.
EMPERSDORF Aug 41 - Jul 42.
BRONSEE Aug 42 - Dec 42.
Civilian Prison LEIBNITZ Nov 42.
Stalag XVIII A (WOLFSBERG) Dec 42 - Mar 43.
Working Camps attached to Stalag XVIII A:-
St. EGYDEN Apr 43 - Aug 43.
MARIBOR Aug 43 - Aug 44.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
I escaped from the Working Camp at EMPERSDORF, North of GRATZ (AUSTRIA, 1:75,000, Sheet 5155) about the end of Jun 42. With me were Able-seamen Daniel TOLLAN, H.M.S. Gloucester, and Pte. Noel MEDDIMAN, R.A.A.S.C. Several weeks before our escape we collected food, a compass, and maps which I stole from the farm on which I was working. Every night we were locked in a large house, and the evening we planned to get out we managed to wrench the window bars apart from the air of an old chain we had found.
We decided to make for HUNGARY, and set out walking South by night and sleeping by day. At WELDBACH (Sheet 5256, 33° 33'E 46° 57' N), which we reached on the fifth day, we were reported to the police by a French P/W and were immediately arrested and sent back to Stalag XVIII D. In Aug I was sent to the Working Camp at BRONSEE and it was not till Nov that I was put into a civilian prison at LEIBNITZ, where I served my sentence for the attempted escape.
4. FINAL ESCAPE.
I escaped from the Working Camp at MARIBOR (YUGOSLAVIA) (YUGOSLAVIA, 1:250,000, Sheet Y 2, E 27) attached to Stalag XVIII A in Aug 44. We were working on the railway near Sv LORRENC (E 07), and were sent there every day by train. At this time several men in the camp were in touch with the Yugoslav partisans. On 30 Aug six men escaped from the working party and were able to join them. These men were:- Pte. Leslie LAWES, Pte. Robert MACKENZIE, N.Z. Army; L/Cpl. Handy HAMILTON, L/Cpl. RENDALL, N.Z. Army; Pte. Ralph CHURCHES, Australian Army; and a soldier called AUSTIN, R.A.S.C.
The next morning (31 Aug) we went to work on the railway as usual. Just after we had left the train a band of partisans arrived and took the whole working party, including the guards back with them to the hills. We walked to LJUBLJANA (D 31) and were then taken to a point further South, where there was an airfield. While we were marching with the partisans we were ambushed by the Germans and forced to run for it. In doing so, we lost contact with several of our party, including Reginald ALLAN, and Albert AVIS, of the Royal Corps of Signals. We did not see these men again.
We left YUGOSLAVIA by air for BARI about mid-Sep and I was interrogated there. I was then sent to NAPLES and later SALERNO. I sailed for the U.K. sometime in Oct.
When I was in EMPERSDORF working camp Marine Noel HAYNES, H.M.S. Gloucester, died in hospital. We were of the opinion that the cause of his death was lack of medical attention.