Lance-Corporal Lawrence Sadler
Name: 14406372 L/Cpl. Sadler, Lawrence.
Unit: "D" Squadron, 1st Special Air Service Battalion.
Date of Birth: 8th August 1924.
Date of Enlistment: 11th September 1942.
Peacetime Profession: Diamond setter.
Private Address: 2, The Broadway, Lancing, Surrey.
On 19 Aug 44 I was with a section of my unit in a wood behind the enemy lines five kilometres South-east of ANDOUVILLE (FRANCE, 1:250,000, Sheet 15, W 7879). Tpr. THOMPSON and I left the other members of the section in order to have a bathe in a stream in the wood. About noon we were surprised by a German patrol and were made P/W.
We were marched East without stopping until the afternoon of 20 Aug, when we met a German convoy which took us to MALESHERBES (Sheet 16, K 0780), where we were handed over to the garrison of the town. We remained there that night, and on 21 Aug we were taken by car to a German headquarters in FONTAINEBLEAU (X 2991), where we were interrogated about our activities, age, length of service, home address, etc. We were also asked questions about the effect of the flying-bomb and about political matters. Later that day we were taken by car to PROVINS (N.W. EUROPE, 1:250,000, Sheet 8, S 7205) where we spent two nights at a Chateau.
On 23 Aug we were taken by car to MEAUX (S 4551), where we were handed over to the German military police. Later that day we were examined by a German Army doctor and Tpr. THOMPSON was taken to a hospital in MEAUX. I did not see him again. That evening I was placed in the French civil prison in MEAUX, and I remained there until 29 Aug, when the Allied forces arrived in the town.
INTERVIEWED: 4 Sep 44.
My thanks to John Howes for this report.