Allkin, R

,

Robert Allkin

Family/Last name:
Allkin
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Robert
Place of birth:
Tonbridge, England
Date of birth:
4/2/1918
Military Unit:
British Army, Royal Armoured Corps
Place of capture:
North Africa
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (Relative's report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

From: Raymond Town

Date: 20/12/2019

I edited the notes of my brother-in-law (Robert Allkin) after his demise, for the benefit of my sister. I have long since finished this task and turned it into book form for her grandson. I did have problems reading some entries and Mustadt turned out to be Neustadt.

Robert enlisted in the Royal Dragoons in 1933 and served in India and Palestine. At the outbreak of WW2 he was in Palestine and members of his regiment were transferred to the Royal Reconnaissance Corps, although he makes no reference to this in his notes.

He was captured in the North African desert campaign and transferred to Germany via Italy. Unfortunately, I do not have his service numbers.

I attach some extracts of Robert’s notes, that might be helpful:

“…I and some others, were moved to an adjoining camp at Leigersfeld, but continued working at the benzine plant.” (i.e. from Stalag 344).

“….The result was that I, with others, were sent back, by rail, to the main camp at Lamsdorf. (Stalag 344). Our journey was rudely interrupted at a station some miles on, by a German officer shouting, “Get these people off the train at once. It is needed for the troops.” So we were hurriedly dumped on the rail-side. This was due to the Russian forces approaching from the east and no transport could be spared for non-Germans. It was very cold and after a while we were marched to the nearby town of Neustadt, where we hung around the town hall for hours, some trying to sleep on the steps leading to the main entrance. The ground glittered with frost.

Finally we were marshalled to the station and again embarked on the goods wagons to continue our journey back to the camp at Lamsdorf. On arrival there, we discovered that the inmates had all set out on a long march across Germany, carrying whatever personal belongings they could.”

Finally, after a long trek across Germany he was freed by the Americans:

.”……A couple of hours or so later, we could see tanks ahead of us but these proved to be American and the end of our captivity. The Americans directed us to the nearest town, which was Moosburg.”

 

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