Himsworth, Albert Victor
Lance Corporal Albert Victor Himsworth
From Karl Goodwin. 09/06/2024
My Granddad, Albert Victor Himsworth, (L/Cpl, #4535018; POW #4390) enlisted in the West Yorkshire Regiment, in Sheffield, on 20th May 1932, he had lied about his age, and was only 17 at the time.
He served his first 7 years service at home, Egypt, India and Palestine with the 1st Bn W.Y.R before entering the Army Reserve on his return to the UK. He subsequently re-joined the colours in July 1939 with the 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regiment and was ultimately sent with the BEF (2/5 Bn W.Y.R.) to France in late April 1940.
From war diaries & other sources it appears that after trapsing around France for a few weeks, putting up a decent stand defending the La Bassee Canal near Robecq against an overwhelming German Panzer Division they eventually made a hasty retreat, in disarray, towards Dunkirk. He was captured at Wormhoudt on 30th May 1940. He then spent time in various POW camps over next 5 years:
11/06/1940 to 11/04/1941 Stalag XXIb – Szubin,
11/04/1941 to 07/04/1944 Stalag XXId – Posen
07/04/1944 to 23/01/1945 Stalag 344 – Lamsdorf
Including Work camps at:
Znin (Demolition work),
Fort Rauch (XXId) (Labourer – Drainage) and,
E746 Chorzów [Königshütte] (Boring – Foundations).His POW questionnaire was signed on 17th May 1945 so I assume this is around the time he was liberated/repatriated. It also appears from comments that he made to my parents that he was on one of the long marches, which one I do not know.
Although he sometimes commented about his pre-war army experiences, a time I believe he enjoyed, he rarely talked about his experiences during the war apart from the odd comments to my nan & parents. I deeply regret not asking him about it myself but I was young and never really grasped the importance of asking him until after he had died in 2000.
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