Prisoner of War Questionnaires

The following information has been taken from questionnaires completed by liberated Prisoners of War. The collection is held by the National Archives, catalogue reference WO 344, and it can be viewed on the Ancestry website, https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62114/

WX1081 Cpl Ernest Gerald Abbott

        Unit: 2/11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (see also Stalag VIIIB / 344)

        Camp: Stalag XVIIB (3rd to 26th April 1945)

        Escape: I escaped from Krems on the 26/4/45. Escaped by cutting the wire fence & contacted an Austrian woman & girl the next morning 27/4/45. They gave me three meals a day. I slept at their house. I was unable to leave owing to the hostility of the Russians. I remained with this family till 8 Jun 1945 when I left & was taken by an Austrian civilian to Vienna where I arrived on the same day. I reported to J Mission and remained with them till they moved to KLAGENFURT on 13 June 45. I was taken by land from KLAGENFURT to UDINE from there to NAPLES by plane when I arrived on 15/6/45.

        Other information: There are English ex P.Ws. at a village named [Abtsdorf?] Danube, 25 miles from Vienna and their safety is impaired by remaining in occupied Russian territory. In Dec 44 30 British P.Ws killed at E793 BLECKHAMMER, SILESIA by an air raid. Buried at ESRINFORST in a communal grave. No names known.

        Helpers: Mitzi Kitzler, Mitzi Bauer, both Rathausstrasse, [Langenlois], Lower Austria. Supplied self with three meals a day & bed also gave me shirt, socks & they hid me in a cellar from Russians until it was safe to leave on 8/6/45. I left my home address with them. Mrs Kitzler and Miss Bauer were threatened with jail when some unknown person reported them for giving me shelter from Russians.