Alwyne George (Archie ) Crack

Information provided by son Mike Crack:

Fought in North Africa, Greece, and finally Crete, where he was captured.

I have been lucky to acquire a photocopy of Dads POW records that were maintained by the Germans, of course, it is in German and we have just a small portion translated. Evidently, he was rebellious, wouldn’t work, then on another occasion escaped (ran away and recaptured 3 days later with punishment, one can only imagine the punishment)

From what I can make out, looks like other camps as well or hut numbers; E300, E362, E244? E211, E543. [Editors note: these are Working Parties not huts]

That is my next task is to have this POW document translated fully.

Thankfully, I have quite a few POW photos taken by the Red Cross and sent to my Mother in Perth. Amongst them, I have a couple of photos of a Czech family that helped Dad in those terrible final days. The writing on the back says that Dad will always remember the day 12th May 1945.

I am on a Quest to compile a document from the info that I know from what Dad told me and from all the other resources available (thank goodness for the Internet ). Our children are very interested in it all and I want them and their children to have a tangible record of their G/Father and GG/Father.

As part of my Quest, my wife and I will travel to Poland, Czech Republic and Germany, probably in July/August next year. I feel a need to go to the POW areas.

Unfortunately, Dad passed away suddenly in Jan 1972 aged 54, due to POW causes like so many other returned servicemen. As a former soldier myself I have a deeper appreciation what Dad must have gone through. No one can really know or understand what it was really like unless one was there to experience it all. I remember asking Dad to write this all down or write a book but his response was he was just one of many that experienced that terrible time, he would laugh it all off as his way dealing with it all. He lead a very normal life working and raising a family but underneath it was taking its toll.

From another (unnamed) source we know that:

Archie Crack was also forced to work for the Germans with other prisoners at Krnov in a factory, and at Slorice in a quarry.

In January 1945 the prisoners of war were taken from this camp and from many other prisoner-of-war camps by the Germans and were forced to walk 1000 km into Germany.  They walked through Poland and Czechoslovakia into Germany. This is remembered as ‘the long march’ or ‘the death march’. Many of the prisoners came through (or near) Hradec Králové.  This terrible walk did not end until May 1945 when the soldiers were liberated by the British and American armies. Many of the prisoners died because of the extreme cold, or from illness or starvation. Some prisoners were shot by the Germans for trying to escape. Some prisoners received help from Czech people.

Alwyne Crack was helped by the Kukula family in Hradec Králové. Mr Crack died in 1972, but today (12th September 2013) his son, Mike Crack and his wife Lyn Crack, are in Hradec Králové trying to find this family.

On 12th May 1945 the Kukulra family gave Mr Crack these photographs in Hradec Králové:

Additional information indicates that he was with the Mortar Platoon, 2/11 Battery.