Prisoner of War

It was the lot of many thousands of soldiers to spend years in prisoner of war camps. Prisoners taken by the Germans, particularly in 1940, found themselves in labour camps in Germany or Poland, where conditions were harsh and dissolved into chaos as the Nazi regime collapsed. In the Far East, the 2^nd Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment was one of those caught up in the disastrous defence of Malaya and Singapore and soldiers of the battalion had to endure the privations and cruelty of the notorious Japanese prisoner of war camps.

Funeral of a prisoner of war at Stalag VIIIB camp,
taken by John Baldwin of 2^nd Battalion, the East Surrey Regiment.

Video Duration 9:34

Private Eric Reeves
Eric Reeves, 1/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, remembers his capture in 1940 by a courteous SS officer.

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Video Duration 9:36

Private Sid Whyte
Sid Whyte, 2/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, recalls his captivity in occupied Poland, 1940-1941.

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Video Duration 1:53

In-Pensioner John Kershaw, late Sergeant
John Kershaw, 1^st Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, is captured at Arnhem in 1944.

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Video Duration 3:34

Private Eric Reeves
Eric Reeves, 1/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, remembers American bombing raids around the POW camp in which he was held captivity.

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Video Duration 6:10

Private Stan Blay
Stan Blay, 2/6^th and 2/7^th Battalions, the Queen's Royal Regiment, recalls the end of his captivity in Silesia.

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Video Duration 11:45

Private Sid Whyte
Sid Whyte, 2/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, recalls a terrible march across Northern Germany in the winter of 1945 and his release from captivity.

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Video Duration 9:41

Private Eric Reeves
Eric Reeves, 1/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, remembers taking advantage of the chaos of the end of the war in Germany to escape.

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Video Duration 7:42

Private Eric Reeves
Eric Reeves, 1/5^th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment, recalls the black market in his POW camp and being saved by a German with a sense of humour.

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Video Duration 11:29

Company Sergeant Major Len Jelley
L Jelley, 2^nd Battalion, the East Surrey Regiment, recalls the fall of Singapore, building the bridge over the River Kwai, and his release from Japanese captivity.

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Video Duration 6:53

Sergeant Cliff Martin
Cliff Martin, 2^nd Battalion, the East Surrey Regiment, remembers the voyage into captivity in Japan and the end of the war.

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