Franklin, H T

,

Lance Corporal Harold Thomas Franklin

Family/Last name:
Franklin
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Harold Thomas
Place of birth:
Cardiff
Date of birth:
11/5/1911
Nationality:
British
Service number:
3957076
Military Unit:
British Army, The Welch Regiment
Rank when captured:
Lance Corporal
Place of capture:
NW Europe
Date of capture:
1939
POW number:
91164
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344, Stalag VIIA Moosburg
Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (Relative's Report + WO416 records transcribed by and held at the UK National Archives. Data processed and prepared by Rick Catt and Brian Cooper)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

Harold Thomas Franklin

From: Sonia Street

Date: 10 September 2016 at 06:14

Subject: Harold Thomas Franklin

My maternal grandfather was a POW at Lamsdorf. His details are as follows:

Harold Thomas Franklin

Lance Corporal, Service number 3957076, Welch Regiment

POW No.91164, Stalag 344 Lamsdorf, Poland

 

Like many relatives, I have only scant stories, passed down from my grandmother, to my mother and then myself. I know that Harold was captured very early in the war in 1939 somewhere on the western front and then transferred several times throughout WW2 due to his diligence for escaping. There is some slight possibility that he was transferred to Colditz Castle late in the war, as he talked about “tin-legs Bader” very occasionally (and not very fondly!). In one camp, he and an officer exchanged identities, so that the officer could work outside the camp fences and this caused great concern back in England when he wrote and told my grandmother (his fiancé at the time) not to call him Harold any more. I wish we knew who the officer was but this is likely lost forever.

 

I have discovered more than 50 photos, taken by Harold, of what appears to be life in POW camp. There are photos of sporting teams, boxing events, musical productions and groups of men working. There is a spectacular photo of a poster for the musical “Me and my Girl”, clearly being performed for Christmas 1942. Only one or two photos that are stamped with camp details on the back, some have names of people. I have no clue as to their origin; however, I would love for them to become part of the enormous jigsaw of knowledge about the world at this time and the experience of the many men in these camps. Prior to WW2, Harold had been in the Welch regiment stationed in India and then Palestine. Again, I have over 50 photos of this period too.

 

Sonia Street

Melbourne, Australia

 

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