Drinkwater, E

,

Private Edward Drinkwater

Family/Last name:
Drinkwater
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Edward
Place of birth:
Manchester, England
Date of birth:
23/1/1912
Nationality:
British
Service number:
4132683
Military Unit:
British Army, Cheshire Regiment
Rank when captured:
Private
Place of capture:
Italy
Date of capture:
12/9/1944
POW number:
138622
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344, Stalag VIIA Moosburg
Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (Relative Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

My father, Edward Drinkwater (4132683, C Company, 6th battalion, Cheshire Regiment) was at Lamsdorf at the end of 1944.

 He jotted down some notes of his experiences in 1944 in a pocket diary, which I have transcribed and attach.  Various entries at the end seem to relate to pow life, and repatriation.

 John Drinkwater

Walker’s “Slim” Diary for 1944

Inside flyleaf

PTE E Drinkwater 4132683

C Coy 6bt Cheshire Regt

MEF

Jan 1 THURS

1.13.7½

FRI

12.4½

SAT

1.4.0
Jan 2 Loura [sic; = Lauro?]
Jan 10 Pugliano for Garigliano
Jan 14 Anzio [sic; = see Feb. 14]
Jan 18 Wounded at Anzio [sic; = see Feb. 14]
Jan 20 Naples [sic]
Feb 14 Anzio
Feb 15 Heavy raids, ours and Jerries. 4 British Planes shot down
Feb 17 Took rations to P.ln. (??all missing. Worst shellfire I’d ever known
Feb 18 Wounded at Anzio Big Flap on all day.
Feb 22 Naples 92. Gen Hosp
Feb 25 Barletta 71st G Hosp
Apr 1 ??Trani
Apr 7 Catholic procession in ??Trani
May 6 Mail
May 7 Discharged ??Trani ??Con Camp to Transit Camp Barletta
May 9 From Barletta to Taranto
May 10 Arrived Transit Camp Taranto.
May 27 Left Taranto for Egypt Escort Prisoners on the Polish ship “Battol” many refugees.
May 28 Sailed from Taranto Harbour 1600 hrs.
May 29 Sighted Scicilly [sic] 05.30 hrs passed very close 0800 hrs.
Jun 1 Docked Alexandria 07.00 hrs Disembarked 18.00 hrs
Jun 2 Arrived Cairo by Train 05.00hrs Rejoined Unit.
|Jun 3 Ben y Yussiff as hot as Hell and nothing but sand.
Jun 6 Half day in Cairo First mail
Jun 12 48 hr Leave Cairo Visited Pyramids
Jun 18 Guard
Jun 26 “Grand Tour” of Egyptian Desert
Jun 29 Glou??s Club v G?? Club
Jun 30 Yes
Jul 1 No
Jul 7 Left Beni Yusseff Destination Unknown
Jul 8 Arrived Amarya 05.00hrs
Jul 9 Visited Alexandria
Jul 11 Left Amarya Embarked at Alex: on “M.V” “Staffordshire” Lousy ship
Jul 13 Sailed from Alex: Destination still unknown.??.
Jul 15 Aircraft & submarine sighted
Jul 16 A.T Taranto
Jul 20 A. LEATHERBARROW, 4, MOSSBRAY AVENUE, KINGSWAY, MANCHESTER, 19 [In my mother’s handwriting]
Jul 21 L.T. by train [L.T.= ‘left Taranto?]
Jul 23 A.R.[A.R = ‘arrived Rome?]
Jul 24 Tivoli
Jul 27 Rome
Jul 31 ?? [sic] June 12 ‘44
Aug 5 Assisi Assisi [sic] Italy [last two words in ballpoint: added later?]
Sep 10 We get left
Sep 12 [12 circled] Captured Taken P.O.W. Gothic Line Italy [all except the first word in ballpoint: added later?]
Sep 14 First taste of “Jerry” rations Black Bread & Soup
Sep 16 Bologna
Sep 22 1st R.X. Parcel at ?Mantova. Italy
Sep 30 ??Mantova Italy
Oct 2 Innesbruck,[sic] Austria
Oct 6 Munich Bavaria
Oct 15

[square round 15]

 First letter home
Nov 2 Left Stalag VIIA
Nov 6 Arrived Stalag 344 What a Day
Nov 7 Amongst the Cypriot Greeks & the rackets.
Dec 21

[loose page]

 Intense cold Left Lamsdorf for E.130

 

[Memoranda page 1]

B & B 40 PT

Photo 60 PT

Pyramids 25  “

??Ssuit [=Swimsuit?] 22

87

Books on Antique and Modern 

??Furniture), Pottery & ??Indian

??Decoration

Roast Pork, Boiled Pork, Duck

New Potatoes ??Fresh ??????

Pudding & Custard

 

[Memoranda page 2]

14234566

Sat 21st Jan. Evacuation from E130

E14804

——————–

Jan. 24

Breakfast 2 Squares Jelly

——————-

Jan. 25

Breakfast, Dinner & Tea

6 Raw potatoes, no milk

no sugar, coffee “ertsatz[sic] best.”

——————-

Rations Flat out

 

[Memoranda page 3]

Soup & hot milk from the Froggies

——————–

At the Hotel Kaiserhof

19 Saturday Fram…?

20 Sunday Königsgratz

21 Monday Prague

22 Tuesday Pilsen

Held up by flying conditions

Jun 28 Left Pilsen 10.15 Arrived

Reims 1.15

“    29  Reims 18.00

??Westead England 19.30

 

[Memoranda page 4]

RUS 4008

124 MOORSIDE RD DAVYHULME

22 BUS.

 

[Memoranda page 5]

[Various handwritings, none my father’s]

Alexander Gracie

John Lotinga

C A G N  Peterson

L G Baring

———————

[my father’s hand]

14234566

31L.S.

 

[Memoranda page 7]

1 Stalag loaf 150 cigs

Onion     5  “

Canadian Choc.   50  “

1 Pkt Tea 200  “}

          }Dec!

1 Tin “Klim”               300  “}

[END]

 

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