The Wartime Memories Project - Arbeitskommando E72 Beuthen, Stalag VIIIb

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Information. Arbeitskommando E72 attached to Stalag VIIIb was in Beuthen Poland, the men worked in a mine. George Hawkins (marked with white square) and some fellow PoWs at Arbeits Kommando 72 My father George Hawkins, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was in working party E72 for the duration of the war after being captured near Hazebrouk in 1940. It was the Hohenzollern coalmine at Beuthen (now Bytom). He was marched out on Jan 22nd 1945 and "walked the whole length of Czechoslovakia". The Americans eventually picked him up and took him to Erfurt . He returned home via ship to Tilbury, in April 1945. George would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers him. My grandfather was Pte Samuel Welbourne from South Wales. He was with the Royal Welch Regiment when he was captured on 1st October 1944 in Italy. He first went to Stalag VII-A in Moosburg, Germany and then went to Stalag 344 / VIII-B in Poland in December 1944. He worked in one of the mines in this area too. My mother recalls him saying it was a salt mine. I have obtained a copy of his ID card from the camp which states on the back that he was part of "E72 Beuthen". This is the name of a nearby town which had lots of mines although I'm not sure exactly what "E72" was mining. I don't know what happened to him between Dec 1944 and his hospital records from Newbury District Hospital on 9th May 1945. It says that 10 days earlier he had been in the vicinity of Regensburg, Germany. Can anyone shed any light on how he may have gone from Poland to Germany? If you have any more information to add to this I'd be really grateful. Thanks NOTE: The men were marched from Poland to Germany, on what became known as the "Death March". They were freed when the American Army arrived in the Regensberg area and were flown back to England by the RAF. Photographs List of Prisoners George Hawkins. 2nd Btn Royal Sussex Regiment Read his Story Pte Samuel Welbourne. Royal Welch Regiment. Read his Story If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch. If you have a story which you would like to share, or a website dedicated to a POW camp or prisoner of World War Two please get in touch. Send an E-mail to Links POW Camps Index The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation. This website is run out of our own pockets and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Or by cheque to: PO Box 325, Stockton on Tees, TS20 1XL. Website and ALL Material © Copyright MM - All Rights Reserved