PLAQUE - BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR WHO DIED IN AUSCHWITZ
27 Jan 2005 02:15 PM
Sixty years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Ivor Caplin MP,
Minister for Veterans, will unveil a plaque dedicated to the memory
of the 38 British prisoners of war killed at Monowice Camp,
Auschwitz.
The unveiling will take place at around 1100hrs (CET) today (27
January 2005), at the Town Cemetery, Ulica Dombrowskiego, Oswiecim
near Auschwitz where the British dead were buried. It will be
followed by the laying of wreaths in honour of the dead. They had
been imprisoned in the British Prisoner of War Camp E715 Stalag VIII
B, a camp in Monowice near Auschwitz established for British
prisoners of war. By the end of 1943 there were 1200 British
Prisoners of War at the camp. The 38 who died were killed when an
Allied bomber destroyed parts of the factory on the 20 August 1944.
During his visit to Poland, Mr Caplin will also meet with relatives
of prisoners of war, Holocaust survivors and some Red Army personnel
who were liberators of the Camp.
The main ceremony for the 60 year commemoration of the liberation of
Auschwitz camp will begin at Auschwitz-Birkenau at 1430hrs today and
will include addresses on behalf of the Pope, former camp prisoners,
and addresses by the Polish, Russian and Israeli presidents.
Ivor Caplin, said of the occasion:
"It is not widely known that 38 British military personnel were
amongst the 1.2 million people who died at Auschwitz. The plaque is a
tribute to their sacrifice."
The British delegation, includes the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw,
His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Dr Denis MacShane,
Minister for Europe and young people from Ounsdale High School in
Staffordshire. They will pay their respects to all those that died in
the infamous camp more than 60 years ago. The youngsters will witness
the unveiling and wreath laying ceremony as part of the 'Their Past
Your Future Education Project' aimed at teaching younger generations
the horrors and lessons of war, and the sacrifices of the brave men
and women of our Armed Forces.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1) The following URL is the address that you will need to quote for
people to be able to access the booklet. (Booklet No.9 Second World
War 60th Anniversary 'The Liberation of the Death and Concentration
Camps Europe, June 1944 - May 1945)
http://www.mod.uk/linked_files/aboutus/history/deathcamps60/deathcamps60.pdf
2) The 38 British Prisoners of War who died at the British Prisoner
of War Camp E715 Stalag VIII B, in Monowice near Auschwitz were,
Pte Michael Black Royal Army Service Corps
Tpr Frank Ronald Brown Royal Armoured Corps
LCpl Reginald David Carr The Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Dvr William Clark Royal Army Service Corps
LBdr James William Gardiner Royal Regiment of Artillery
LCpl Percy Gilbert Royal Army Service Corps
LCpl Ernest Arthur William Hartree South Wales Borderers
LCpl Frederick Herring The Lancashire Fusiliers
Pte William James Howells The Gordon Highlanders
Spr Frederick Hughes Corps of Royal Engineers
W/O Arthur John Owen Leo Royal Air Force
Rfn Sidney Edward Matthews The King's Royal Rifle Corps
Pte Edmund Milnes The Green Howards
Gnr William Ernest Parr Royal Regiment of Artillery
Dvr Samuel Presson Corps of Royal Engineers
Sgt William Jesse Redding Royal Army Medical Corps
Rfn John Regan The King's Royal Rifle Corps
Cpl Leslie Verdeen Reynolds Royal Army Service Corps
Dvr Harold Rush Royal Army Service Corps
Pte Samuel Sanders The Northamptonshire Regiment
Gnr Peter Smith Royal Regiment of Artillery
Gnr Harold Alexander Soutar Royal Regiment of Artillery
Pte Robert Alfred Watts The Queen's Own Royal West Kent
Regiment
Pte Frederick George White The Queen's Own Royal West Kent
Regiment
Gnr William Horace White Royal Regiment of Artillery
Spr William Rye Wiper Corps of Royal Engineers
AB Raymond Young Royal Navy
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