Private Joseph Edward Jacques Nadeau
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3328
Name: D.62381 Pte. Nadeau, Joseph Edward Jacques.
Unit: Fusiliers Mont Royal, 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: 12th September 1920.
Date of Enlistment: July 1930.
Peacetime Profession: Labourer.
Private Address: 12254 Boulevard O'Brien, Cartierville, P.Q., Canada.
1. CAPTURED.
I was captured in DIEPPE on 19 Aug 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
STALAG VIII B (LAMSDORF) - 1 Sep 42 - Feb 44.
STALAG II D (STARGARD) - Feb 44 - Jan 45.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
In May 43 I was working with Working Commando E603 at HINDENBURG (GERMANY, 1:250,000, Sheet Q.51, Y 47). I had joined this commando with the intention of escaping. On the night of 8 May 43 Pte. LANGLOIS and I planned to make our get-away and when ordered to turn in our boots and working clothes after the day's work we turned in a pair of civilian shoes instead, which we had obtained from other soldiers.
We had in our possession a compass made from the metal top of a bottle which was given to us by an R.C.A.F. pilot. We had four maps; one German Ordnance Map of South-east GERMANY, which was obtained from a Private in the Black Watch who had stolen it from a garage; one Road and Railway Map of FRANCE, GERMANY, and SWITZERLAND; one map from the Swiss Border and one from the LAMSDORF area. These maps were copied in the camp by L/Cpl. Leo BECKY, Lorne Scots.
We had also food enough for seven days obtained from Red Cross parcels.
At this time we were quartered in a garage which had a skylight. Between midnight and one o'clock of the night of 8/9 May 43 we escaped through the skylight, across the roof into the neighbouring garden. We made our way to the railway goods yard and boarded a goods train travelling to KATOWICE (Y 57).
After reaching KATOWICE we caught another goods train going West. This train stopped at HINDENBURG at about 0400 hrs where we hid in the brake compartment.
In this compartment we were discovered by a railway official at about 1600 hrs. We were handed over by him to the Gestapo and returned to the working Commando where we were given five days detention.