Dever, Michael

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Private Michael Dever

Family/Last name:
Dever
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Michael
Place of birth:
Paisley, Scotland
Date of birth:
23/10/1920
Nationality:
British
Service number:
2823395
Military Unit:
British Army, Seaforth Highlanders, 4th Battalion (Seaforth Highlanders)
Rank when captured:
Private
Place of capture:
St Valery-en-Caux
Date of capture:
12/6/1940
POW number:
17545
Camp
Stalag VIC Oberlangen/Emsland, Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344, Stalag XIIIC Hammelburg
Working Party
E416 Koschentin (Koszęcin)
Medical Facility
Reserve Lazarette, Loben
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

My father, Michael Dever, 4th Seaforth Highlanders, was part of the 51st Highland Division captured at St Valery-en-Caux on 12th June 1940. He was 19 years of age, but said he was 22.  He marched about 270 miles through France and Belgium before embarking on a coal barge in Holland at either Terneuzen or Walsoorden. He disembarked at Wessel in Germany and was taken by cattle truck to Stalag VIC Oberlangen, in the district of Emsland, north west Germany. He arrived at Stalag VIC on 9th July. He left there on 13th July and was transported by cattle truck to Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf, arriving there on 15th July.

Exactly how much of the next 4 years and 8 months he spent at the stalag is unknown. He was there when Douglas Bader was a guest between 7th July and 13th August 1942. Soon after that date, he was billeted at E416 Koschentin (now Koszęcin) and worked in forestry and sawmills. He was taken from E416 to the local hospital, Reserve Lazarett, Loben on 27th January 1943 suffering from pneumonia. He was discharged back to E416 on 11th February 1943.

He was evacuated by cattle truck from Stalag VIIIB/344 on 21st February 1945, arriving at Stalag XIIIC Hammelburg on 2nd March. Shortly after that, he escaped and was hidden on a farm by a German family. He was picked up from the farm by American soldiers on 24th April and returned to the UK on 2nd May 1945.

Mary Cameron

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