Callender, R W

,

Gunner Ralph William Callender

Family/Last name:
Callender
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Ralph William
Nationality:
British
Service number:
 848877
Military Unit:
British Army, Royal Artillery
Rank when captured:
Gunner
Place of capture:
Tobruck, Libya
Date of capture:
1/6/1942
POW number:
266985
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

From: Ben Thompson
Date: 5 June 2018

Name:                  Ralph William Callender
Rank:                   Gunner
Army Number:     848877
Regiment:            Royal Artillery
POW Number:
Camp Type:         Stalag
Camp Number:    344
Camp Location:   Lambinowice, Poland

I would like my great grandfather’s name added to your list. Ralph William Callender, 8th army.

I know he served in the home guard before WWII so when war was announced he was already trained and was one of the first men to go to war. He was a desert rat and was captured in Africa. He was in many camps as he kept escaping. He was in a camp and then marched to Auschwitz.

While on the march he only stayed alive because the farmers fed some of the men behind the soldier’s backs. He also ate rats and anything else they could find.

He was shot and ended up in a pit with a lot of dead bodies on top of him. If it wasn’t for the Americans he would have been left to die, but one saw him move at the bottom of the pile and rescued him. He spent time in France before coming home. He never wanted his medals, but I would love him to be recognised on your list please. He was a gentle and loving great grandfather. I know he suffered a great deal of mental abuse. He said about skin being made into lamps and the women soldiers were as bad as the men. He has been passed for many years, but I still think about him a great deal. It would honour his name if added to the list of brave men who served our country.

I have attached a photo of him taken during the war.

 

 

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