Comments on: My father: a prisoner of war http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2011/08/19/my-father-a-prisoner-of-war/ The official Ancestry.co.uk blog Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:23:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: linxiaobu http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2011/08/19/my-father-a-prisoner-of-war/#comment-1416 linxiaobu Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:57:13 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=2596#comment-1416 International sides were made up of POWs from South Africa, Canada, France, Scotland etc There were also a few professional sportsmen who were held in captivity. I hope that helps and thank you for buying my book. International sides were made up of POWs from South Africa, Canada, France, Scotland etc There were also a few professional sportsmen who were held in captivity. I hope that helps and thank you for buying my book.

]]> By: Jenny James http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2011/08/19/my-father-a-prisoner-of-war/#comment-1400 Jenny James Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:19:23 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=2596#comment-1400 Midge is right when she said that Far Eastern P.O.W s were treated much harder. My own father was killed in action on Friday February 13th.in Singapore just 4 weeks and one day before I was born. He has no known grave. After the war my Mum married an ex-F.E.P.O.W. He was kept in hot and uncomfortable conditions and was given many cruel punishments. On one occasion he was put in a deep hole in the ground for 12 or more hours,it was extremely cold. In contrast, another time he was stuck in a very small tin hut in the full glare of the blazing sun,he almost died of heat exhaustion. Part of the time he worked in a canning factory in Tokyo. I'm pleased to say that the prisoners added more that fish or meat to the cans they were processing,let us just call it bodily fluids. He came home minus most of his teeth,partly due to malnutrition and the rest to beatings. He only weighed 6 stone,he was six feet tall. One of the Camp Commandants had been educated at Oxford.My step-father always said that the Commandant had it in for him when he found out that he had been living in Cambridge prior to his going overseas. My poor Step-father was actually born in Yorkshire! He died when he was 57. Midge is right when she said that Far Eastern P.O.W s were treated much harder. My own father was killed in action on Friday February 13th.in Singapore just 4 weeks and one day before I was born. He has no known grave. After the war my Mum married an ex-F.E.P.O.W. He was kept in hot and uncomfortable conditions and was given many cruel punishments. On one occasion he was put in a deep hole in the ground for 12 or more hours,it was extremely cold. In contrast, another time he was stuck in a very small tin hut in the full glare of the blazing sun,he almost died of heat exhaustion.

Part of the time he worked in a canning factory in Tokyo. I’m pleased to say that the prisoners added more that fish or meat to the cans they were processing,let us just call it bodily fluids. He came home minus most of his teeth,partly due to malnutrition and the rest to beatings. He only weighed 6 stone,he was six feet tall.

One of the Camp Commandants had been educated at Oxford.My step-father always said that the Commandant had it in for him when he found out that he had been living in Cambridge prior to his going overseas. My poor Step-father was actually born in Yorkshire! He died when he was 57.

]]> By: Midge Gillies http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2011/08/19/my-father-a-prisoner-of-war/#comment-1399 Midge Gillies Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:29:38 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=2596#comment-1399 Hi, Simon. How sad that your father's uncle died at Stalag IVB. I talk a lot about sport in my book as it was very useful for maintaining morale among POWs and the Red Cross sent out sporting equipment. Men also adapted the rules of, say, cricket to suit their own circumstances. There were a lot of "international" games between different nationalities within the camps at all sorts of sports, for example, a Test series for cricket. International sides were made up of POWs from South Africa, Canada, France, Scotland etc There were also a few professional sportsmen who were held in captivity. I hope that helps and thank you for buying my book. Hi, Simon. How sad that your father’s uncle died at Stalag IVB. I talk a lot about sport in my book as it was very useful for maintaining morale among POWs and the Red Cross sent out sporting equipment. Men also adapted the rules of, say, cricket to suit their own circumstances. There were a lot of “international” games between different nationalities within the camps at all sorts of sports, for example, a Test series for cricket. International sides were made up of POWs from South Africa, Canada, France, Scotland etc There were also a few professional sportsmen who were held in captivity. I hope that helps and thank you for buying my book.

]]> By: Simon Bird http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2011/08/19/my-father-a-prisoner-of-war/#comment-1398 Simon Bird Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:20:58 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=2596#comment-1398 My dad's uncle, Hugh 'Pop' Benson, was captured at Tobruk fighting for the South African forces in June 1942 and was in Stalag 1V B up until his death, aged 62, in July 1944. Does the author of the book (which I have just ordered) know if these rugby games were also played between countries i.e England v South Africa ? My dad’s uncle, Hugh ‘Pop’ Benson, was captured at Tobruk fighting for the South African forces in June 1942 and was in Stalag 1V B up until his death, aged 62, in July 1944. Does the author of the book (which I have just ordered) know if these rugby games were also played between countries i.e England v South Africa ?

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