The Wartime Memories Project - STALAG 21A POW Camp

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Information. Stalag XXIA was situated near Schildberg, Poland, now called Ostrzeszow, about 44 miles ENE of Breslau (now Wroclaw) in SW Poland. The camp opened in September 1939. In March 1943, STALAG XXI A closed down. and the POW's were moved to other camps My father was a prisoner, at this camp, from 1940 until repatriation in 1944. His name was Sgt. Bernard Cummings Allcock and he was in the RAMC. He was captured in a church, in Belgium, on his way to Dunquerque. I believe he was part of the hospital staff, at the camp. I have a few photo's of the camp concerts that used to be put on. The Ernie Rivers Rythmics. I have very few stories to give you but I do remember him telling me that, on capture, he was put against a wall with his colleagues and the Germans were going to shoot them all but changed their minds. He walked to the camp, like so many others, finding food where they could and helping other prisoners to walk, rather than see them shot out-of-hand, when they fell by the roadside. He did say that they made a type of whisky in the hospital, from either potatoes or rhubarb or both. They swapped chocolate for soap with the locals. He also said that there was an escape, from the latrines. One other thing I remember him saying and that was that either a Dixon or a Waddington was also at the camp and that they would have been something to do with the Stationery or Games people (I just can't remember which one is correct). If anybody knows the name of my father or can point me in the direction of people who do, I would be very grateful. My father passed away in October 1963. Bernard Cummings Allcock - Army History No.7349040, Sergeant / Nursing Orderly Class II & III in R.A.M.C. Joined Territorial Army 28/04 1939 Enlisted through "call-up" 01/09 1939 Landed in France, as 132nd Field Ambulance 11/05 1940 Caught in shellfire, knocked unconscious and captured near French Market town, 20 miles south of Dunkerque, in the company of a Capt., two subalterns and a handful of other men 28/05 1940 (Mentioned in despatches, London Gazette 20/12 1940 03/02 1944 and R.A.M.C. Journal March 1944 in relation to the incident, just prior to his capture). Sent to Strasbourg 5D I/m/c in charge of sick & wounded, without Medical Officer until March, 1941 Then to Schildberg 21A (now Ostrzeszow), Poland as O.R.A. & 1st Dresser with Major Henderson, Major Tucker, Capt. Elliott and Capt. (Count) Dziembovsky of the Polish Medical Services until June, 1943 Then I/c Camp Reception Station & M.I.R., under Col. Hanky between July & Oct., 1943 Repatriated to England via Sweden 03/10 1943 Sent to Connaught Military Hospital, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey, in No.2 Company, R.A.M.C., Medical & Surgical Division, as Wardmaster, from January, 1944 Under command of Col. Nixon & Col. Brock to May, 1944 Then Weybridge, Surrey, as N.C.O. I/c Camp Reception Station Under command of Col. Rennie (2AA Group) June/July, 1944 Then onto Brockenhurst & Lyndhurst, Hants., as N.C.O. I/c C.R.S's Under command of Col. Campbell (6th AA Group) August, 1944 to January, 1945 Finally, 177th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C. from January, 1945 until release into the Reserves, Class '2' T January, 1946 John Allcock I wonder if anyone has any information on the Prisoner of War camp Stalag XXIA. Has anyone any photo's or a map of the area it was in? My grandfather, Walter (Tiger!) Stancliffe, Royal Engineers, was taken prisoner just outside Dunkirk and marched through Germany to Poland to this camp. He was an amateur boxer in his younger days (He was 42 when captured) and whilst in the camp he organised boxing bouts. I have a very tatty 'programme' of one the of the bouts, which lists 31 names, if anyone is interested. There are men from the following Regiments; RA, Buffs, Green Howards, Leicester, KDRR, Gloucester, Welsh Guards, Royal Tank, OBLI, East Surrey, Middlesex, RASC, QORWK, Cameronians, Royal Berks and the RAMC. If anyone was at this camp or had a relative who was there and would like me to look up his name on the list please ask. Any information would be gratefully received. Rosie Hickling. Photographs List of Prisoners Sgt. Bernard Cummings Allcock. 132nd Field Ambulance RAMC Read his story Pop Brannigan Pte. John Dale Chew. Royal Army Service Corp Read his story Phillip Clifton. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Read his story Will Goodwin C Greenhill T Hughes A Jacks Johnny Kinghorn J R Laing Stan Long Pte. Roy Alfred Lonsdale. 1st Kensington's Read his story E Middleton A Milington C Papper Ernie Rivers. Busty Rowe Ruggles Walter "Tiger" Stancliffe. Royal Engineers. Read his story J Steadman Dennis Thomas Teddy Tourle Ray Walker. Suffolk Regiment Read his story G Wright 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 The Wartime Memories Project 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. 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