Goulden, J

,

Sergeant John Goulden

Family/Last name:
Goulden
Forename(s) and initial(s):
John
Nationality:
British
Military Unit:
British Army, Lancashire Fusiliers
Rank when captured:
Sergeant
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's Report )
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

Sandra Crawford

My father John Goulden, sergeant with Lancashire Fusiliers, was captured in Italy and imprisoned in Lamsdorf (along with his life long friend Jack Harris).

Dad and an American sergeant were being moved along with all the others on the ‘death march’ and escaped at a change of the guards. They hid out in a barn and eventually were picked up by Americans. He was six foot 1″ and barely weighed 8 stone at that point.

He had also made a previous escape but had been recaptured. Some time before his capture when on leave he and mum made a code in case capture – he didn’t enjoy sports so they agreed that if he ever mentioned playing sport and then nothing was heard of him for a while, she would know that he was about to attempt escape. We have a letter from him in the camp mentioning a game against the Americans. He had heard the rumour that the ‘yanks’ were on their way and wrote about a football match he was entering. Mum knew he was warning her she might not hear from him for a while, although she didn’t know the significance of mentioning the Americans until they met up again.

Jack Harris survives and we keep in touch, but Dad died some years ago.

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