Pike, A J

, ,

Private Arthur John Pike

Family/Last name:
Pike
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Arthur John
Place of birth:
London, England
Date of birth:
25/9/1919
Nationality:
British
Service number:
4618052
Military Unit:
British Army, East Yorkshire Regiment, 5th Battalion (EYR)
Rank when captured:
Private
Place of capture:
Middle east Western Desert
POW number:
30092
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative Report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

From Valerie McManus (nee Pike)

My dad was wounded and left behind with other wounded troops who were too injured to be moved when the army retreated. A friend stayed behind with the wounded to handle the surrender. He was sent to the camp and forced to work in a coal mine. He was caught in an explosion and until the day he died had tiny bits of coal embedded in his face.

I’m not sure whether it was when he was on the long march or on his way back to the camp after working down a coal mine but my uncle told me that my father was crossing a bridge in Poland that the Germans blew up as the allies were approaching. The prisoners were on the bridge when the Germans decided to blow it up and the prisoners were told to run, some didn’t make it and were killed. I am very sketchy of the details because my father had died before my uncle mentioned this. What made it more interesting was the fact that my uncle said my fathers name was now listed on the rebuilt bridge as one of the prisoners killed.

 

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