Ron Carter's Prisoner of War Record

Ron Carter's Prisoner of War Record

Three lists related to Ron's time as a prisoner of war.
#1 is the camps he was incarcerated in and the duration.
#2 Ron's evacuation from Stalag Luft 7 on the Long March.
#3 is a list of the daily march from Stalag Luft 7 to 3A

Three printed sheets

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SCarterR1620578v10006-0001, SCarterR1620578v10006-0002, SCarterR1620578v10006-0004

[circled E]

[underlined] POW CAMPS AND DURATION IN EACH CAMP [/underlined]

[a] CAMP NO [b] LOCATION [c] DATE

1 [a] PONT-LEVEO (TC) [b] FRANCE [c] 18/7/44 – 25/7/44
2 [a] CHARTRES (TC) [b] FRANCE [c] 26/7/44 – 30/7/44
3 [a] STALAG-LUFT 7 [b] GERMANY [c] 11/8/44 – 18/1/45
4 [a] STALAG-LUFT 3A [b] GERMANY SOUTH BERLIN [c] 9/2/45 – 9/5/45

[d] DURATION IN CAMP [e] TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN CAMPS [f] TRANSPORT

1 [d] 7 DAYS [e] FROM 1 TO 2 1 DAY
2 [d] 4 DAYS [e] FROM 2 TO 3 12 DAYS [f] CATTLE TRUCKS
3 [d] 5 MONTHS 7 DAYS [e] FROM 3 TO 4 22 DAYS [f] ENFORCED EVACUATION AND MARCH + CATTLE TRUCKS
4 [d] 3 MONTHS [f] "OPERATION EXODUS" HOME

SEE GENERAL QUESTIONAIRE FOR BRITISH/AMERICAN EX POW

[page break]

[circled E] 1A

[underlined] EVACUATION FROM STALAG LUFT 7 [/underlined]

AFTER BEING INCARCERATED FOR FIVE MONTHS AND 7 DAYS IN STALAG LUFT VII AT BANKAU, CLOSE TO THE POLISH BORDER; ON THE MORNING OF 17th JANUARY 1945 AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HRS THE POWS RECEIVED NOTICE OF ONE HOUR IN WHICH TO BE READY TO LEAVE THE CAMP.

THEY WERE ALSO INFORMED BY ONE "OBER FELDWEBELFRANK" THAT FOR EVERY MAN THAT FELL OUT OF THE COLUMN ON THE MARCH, FIVE MEN WOULD BE SHOT . . . . . ALTHOUGH THIS ORDER WAS NOT GIVEN IN WRITING.

[underlined] IN THE EVENT THE "START" WAS POSTPONED UNTIL 1530HRS ON JANUARY 19TH [/underlined]

A WRITTEN ACCOUNT BY GEORGE B THOMSON, SCOTTISH SALTIRE BRANCH, A.C.A ADDRESSED "FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE SWISS COMMISSION, ACTING AS PROTECTIVE POWER"

ALSO, "ONE SOLDIERS TALE" . . . . . BANKAU STALAG LUFT VII DIARY FROM POWVETS.COM

MY FATHER SELDOM SPOKE OF HIS WARTIME EXPERIENCES NOT WANTING TO BURDEN HIS FAMILY UNDULY . . . . . AND YET THOSE EXPERIENCES REMAINED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE ALONG WITH COUNTLESS OTHERS OF "THE SPECIAL GENERATION"

[page break]

[circled E] 1 C.

[underlined] DISTANCES MARCHED [/underlined]

[underlined] FROM STALAG LUFT 7 TO 3A [/underlined]

BANKAU TO WINTERFIELD = 30KM

WINTERFIELD TO KARLSRUHE = 20KM

KARLSRUHE TO PUGWITZ = 41KM

PUGWITZ TO GROSSER JEWITZ2 = 20KM

GROSSER JEWITZ2 TO WANSEN = 25KM

WANSEN TO HEIDERSDORF = 30KM

HEIDERSDORF TO PLAFFENDORF = 20KM

PLAFFENDORF TO PETERSWITZ = 21KM

PETERSWITZ TO PRAUNITZ = 12KM

PRAUNITZ TO GOLDBERG = 8KM

TOTAL DISTANCE MARCHED = 227KM

1400 PRISONERS OF WAR STARTED THE MARCH THROUGH THE SNOW AND ICE OF WINTER, TEMPERATURES FALLING WELL BELOW ZERO.

LESS THAN A THOUSAND SURVIVED.