Private John Thomas Scotchbrook

John Thomas Scotchbrook Private 4804118

WO 167/786 2 Lincolnshire Regiment 1939 Aug-1940 June                                                                   

John Thomas Scotchbrook was born on the 13th March 1919 to James Frederick and Florence Scotchbrook the only son and middle child of 5 children. His mother died when he was 6 and his father when he was 15.

Aged 20 when he enlisted he was living with family who owned and ran the Railway Inn in Ketton. Lincolnshire. At that time he was  5ft 3 3/8 “ tall, weighed 115lbs, with hazel eyes and brown hair. 

John enlisted just 6 weeks after the start of World War II signing up on the 16th October 1939 when the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment embarked for France. John underwent training at the Lincolnshire Regiment Training Depot as Private 4804118.

On the 11th March 1940 he joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. After a few days at the Lincolnshire Regiment Base Depot he was posted out to the 2nd Battalion and taken on strength on the 16th March. The 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (“2nd Lincs”) was part of the 9th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. The 3rd Division with the 4th, 5th and 50th (Northumbrian) Divisions forming the infantry of  II Corps. 

The BEF did not commence action until the 10th May following the German ‘Blitzkreig’ offensive into Belgium. At this point the BEF consisted of 316,00 men with 500 aircraft. 

See ‘The War in France and Flanders 1939-1940’ by Major L. F. Ellis as they relate to the 2nd Lincs for details of this battle.

John fell into German hands and become a POW in Belgium on the 29th May 1940 the day after the Belgium Army surrendered. He was assigned POW number 15378. He was not formally reported missing until early June. 

He arrived at Stalag XIIA Limburg, a transit camp in Germany. The POW transit camp (Kriegsgefangenenlager) was where POWs were initially interrogated, documented and moved on within a few weeks. His condition at this time was recorded as healthy.

On the 23rd of June, John was transported by rail to Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344 where he remained for 3½ years.

18th January 1944 John was again transported by rail to Stalag IVC Wistritz bei Teplitz, Czech Republic where he remained for 16 months. He was one of 18 POWs from that Regiment in this camp with a large number of others from the Regiment in other POW camps. It is now called Bystrice.

After almost 5 years as a POW John was freed in May 1945 and returned to England on the 15th May 1945.

He received his service medals, the 1939/43 Star and the War Medal 1939/45, in March 1950. 

He remained in the Army until commencing Terminal Leave in January 1946 being diagnosed with severe functional dyspepsia (stomach illness) attributed to war service and most likely the substantially inadequate sustenance for several years while captive. At that time being described as ‘A xxx hardworking & honest man, he is willing, reliable and trustworthy and of exemplary character. John was discharged on 7th May 1946 

In September that year he married Winifred Knighton in Stamford, Lincolnshire.  John worked as a carpenter later living in Abbots Close, Stamford until his death in January 1985 aged 65.

John Scotchbrook (along with his sisters Evelyn and Daphne who served with the ATS during the war) are listed on a commemorative plaque in Ketton in Lincolnshire now Rutland.