Peters, J
Private James Peters
Bob Peters sent this :
The memoirs of James Peters (3599656 Border Regiment) can be found in the following book:
ARBEITSKOMMANDO 20132
The Memoirs of Private James Peters 1939 – 1945
ISBN: 978-0-244-31799-7 Copyright 2017James Peters joined the Border Regiment as a Territorial on 3rd May 1939 and served as a Private with the 4th Battalion. The 4th Battalion landed in Normandy, France on 19th September of that same year.
In May 1940 the Battalion became motorized and served as a Lines of Communication Battalion, and acted as support to the 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Armoured Brigade, and the 51st Highland Division.
James Peters sustained a wound to his right hip by shrapnel from a trench mortar on 11th June 1940 in an engagement with Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division at Fecampe in Normandy. Following this, along with two others, he spent the next few days evading capture. He was taken prisoner of war on 17th June when he was discovered hiding in a land drain on farmland on the outskirts of Etretat in Normandy. He then set out with thousands of others on the journey into captivity. It was along this journey that he collapsed due to his wound and then spent the next six weeks in a school at St Pol – sur – Ternoise, France, that was being used as a hospital. From here he again began on the journey through France, Belgium, and Holland and into Germany then on to Stalag XXA at Thorn (Torun ) in Poland.
His time as a POW took him to a camp at Bromberg, then to a state farm in East Prussia, then returned to Stalag XXA. From Stalag XXA a group of Arbeitskommandos were taken to BAB 20 at Reigersfeld, Heydebreck, to work at the factories at Blechhammer.
And separately informed us that:
Private James Peters 4th Battalion Border Regiment service number 3599656 pow number 20132 From Whalley, Lancashire.
Private Herbert Collier Holt Manchester Regiment service number 3531411 pow number 12906. From Atherton, Lancashire.
They had first met at Stalag XXA at Thorn, Poland, before being moved to BAB20 at Reigersfeld in Upper Silesia, in March 1942.
They escaped together from a working party at Heydebreck in Upper Silesia, on 17th July 1944 and were re captured on 20th July near Oppeln. They were then taken to Stalag 344 at Lamsdorf on 21st July.
In October 1944, James Peters was returned to BAB 20.
Herbert Collier Holt went on a working party from Stalag 344 working in the mines. The two never saw each other again. Herbert Holt died of T.B. on 20th March 1947 aged 25.
Bob Peters
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