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Stalag 4d was situated at Torgau. This camp was a distribution facility for supplying the kommandos (work camps) with forced labour. It was situated in two separate buildings in the centre of Torgau.
My late father (1642846) Arthur Bayliss of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, enlisted in Bishop Auckland in September 1940 as a gunner in the 277/68 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. In February 1941 he was posted to the Middle East where he fought until he was captured by the Italians at Tobruk in June 1942. As Prisoner Number 247030 he was held for approximately 18 months by the Italians at Campo p.g. 75 PM 3450 and Campo 54, PM 3300 before arriving at Stammlager IVB in December 1943. He was put to work breaking stone and then transferred to Stalag IVD in March 1944. Twelve months later he was working in a sugar factory making vitamin tablets, which he described as ‘a cushy number’. That work ran out and he was sent to work in an emergency hospital. Being a bit of a rebel he was reported for not working and threatened by a German Officer, which resulted in him being put to work with a guard watching over him. Fed up with this life he soon decided to try to escape and went through the wire on 25 March 1945. He slept in the woods at Golpa but was arrested by German civilian Police two days later. He was charged at Bittefeld and sentenced to 5 days jail on bread and water. On release he was sent back to work, this time in the penal colony, again with a guard keeping watch over him. On 4th April 1945, whilst at work, he witnessed Pte W R Devlin, an Australian POW being shot by a German civilian. It was Pte Devlin’s 23rd birthday. Dad was a bearer at his funeral 3 days later. On April 13th the Bittefeld area was evacuated and Dad was marched approximately 25 km to camp Schammewitz but he decided to escape again and took off that same night, his objective was to reach Wurzen. Freedom was short lived, he was recaptured on 16 April at Schildan and taken to the cells at Torgau. Stalag IVD was then evacuated and Dad together with all the other prisoners were marched to Stalag IVB with Ukranians aged only 14 to 16 years. On 23rd April Stalag IVB was liberated when the Russian Cavalry rode into camp and on the 30th Dad left Stalag IVB with the objective of reaching Leipzig. He lived well in various houses en route passing through Torgau, Arzburg, Belgern, and Neusen. He diverted to Dahlen on hearing that the Yanks were there and they took him to Maachern and then on to Halle. Like so many POW’s Dad never talked about his years as a prisoner and so this information is very sketchy. It has been pieced together from letters to Vera, his wife, which of course were censured, his diary, kept only for a short time in 1945 and jottings in his Service Pay book. Hopefully it may add to the knowledge of how others’ family members existed during this time. If anyone knew Dad or recognises events I would be very pleased to hear from them. I doubt that Dad escaped alone, in fact one of the few tales he told of his escapes was that he and his comrades caught and killed a pig to eat. They built a fire to roast it. However, they were so hungry that they couldn't wait for it to cook and ate it partially raw, with the result that it made them all ill. He also said that whilst in camp they had such little food that he would scrounge potato peelings from the guards. He had some names in his Soldiers Service and Pay Book which were:- Tommy Norfolk of Leicester R Douglas of Liverpool A Mellows of Nottingham L Palmer of Peckham K Whittingham of Wolverhampton Were these people with whom he was imprisoned? Did they get home safely and are they still alive? If anyone recognises the names or has information about them, I would love to know.
Where was arbeitskommando W/610?
My father, T C Johnson, ended up working in arbeitskommando W/610 "in the Wittenberg area". I believe it was a coke-making factory possibly attached to a coal mine (maybe open-cast). He was sent there from Stalag IV-D at Torgau. Briefly before that he was in Stalag IV-B Muhlberg having been previously in PG 78 Sulmona, Italy. I have been trying to trace the location of Arb.Kdo. W/610 for four years now without success including a personal visit to the area in 2004. If anyone can identify its location I would be most grateful.
Read More My guide to visiting prisoner of war Camp No.78, Sulmona, Italy, Stalag IV-B, Muhlberg & Stalag IV-D, Torgau
I am seeking information about my father, Oscar O. Jones. He was with 81st Chem. Mortar Bn. He landed on Omaha Beach June 6. He was captured June 12, 1944 on the edge of the Cerisy Forrest near St Clair sur Elle, France while on OP during counter offensive. Cpl Claude Harris was captured with him but was rescued several hours later. Along with many other POWs, Oscar was forced to work unloading ammunition from boxcars near Alecon France June 30 – July 4, ’44. Many POWs were killed by Allied planes. He was eventually sent via boxcar to Limburg Stalag 12A, July 31 – Aug 3. He was then shipped to Muhlburg Stalag 4B where worked in sugar beet factory near Helmsdorf. Next, he was sent to Stalag 4D near Torgau Sept 15th with 16 others where they worked in sand pits until liberated April 13, ’45 by Third Army. Fifteen of the former POWs were sent to Camp Lucky Strike France. One, Richard Stanley from 82nd Airborne, got on a halftrack and went to England. I received a picture about 20 years ago from Clarence Jack (101st Airborne) who was also in 4D with my father. The 15 who went to Lucky Strike are in this photo. They include back row – Gardin, Ray Gaddis, Pat Snyder, Charley Resigneau, ?, Delbert Bartlett, - front row 1st not an ex-POW, Oscar Jones, ?, Johnny Martin, Clarence Jack, Howard, Bailey. Oscar was sent from France to Camp Shelby, MS where he was discharged on Nov 1 ’45.
My father’s brother, James Cecil Jones, also from Decatur, MS was killed Feb 13, ’45 in the Philippines. He was serving with 1st Cavalry, 12th Regiment, F Troop during Battle of Manila.
I would love to hear from any of these or anyone else who may have known my father or had similar experiences. I am seeking to gain as much information for many reasons. I am putting together as complete a family history of my father’s WWII experiences as possible and I use these to teach about World War II. I also share with other teachers as ideas to tell what war is really like – as much as those of us who were not there can know. Your help greatly appreciated.
Photographs
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List of Prisoners
- Gnr. Arthur Bayliss 277/68 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. Read his Story
- Pte W R Devlin. australian. (d. 4 Apr 1945)
- Private Ernest Geary. The Royal Worcestershire Regiment
- Lance Corporal Philip Giddings
- Clarence Jack. 101st Airborne
- L/Cpl T C Johnson. driver. RASC Read his story
- Oscar O. Jones. 81st Chem. Mortar Bn.Read his story
- Dick Jordan Read his story
- Teodor Semeniuk Read his story
- Richard Stanley. 82nd Airborne
- Pte Tom Tunney. 16th btn. DLI. 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.
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