Wallis-Clarke, R
Corporal Roland Wallis-Clarke
Subject: Guardsman Roland Wallis-Clarke 2nd. Bn Scots Guards. Servic No. 2698252 POW No. 28291
I am trying to collect information on my Brother in Law, Roland Wallis-Clarke, 2nd. Bn Scots Guards.
Service No. 2698252 POW No. 28291 who was a prisoner at Lamsdorf Stalag 344 during 1945.
He was captured 30 Miles West of Tobruk while I believe serving with a Commando Unit Jun 1942 and was a prisoner of the Italians, I understand that he was a Cpl at the time of capture but altered his pay book to Sgt and was treated as such while a prisoner. In 1943 he was at Italian POW Camp Number 53 at Urbisaglia, Macerata, Italy (Also listed as Sforza Costa) Postmark Number 3300. During his time as a prisoner he escaped three times and was recaptured twice and put into solitary confinement. While at a camp near Lamsdorf he with at least one other prisoner managed to escape again. They got into Czechoslovakia and joined a Partisan Group and fought with them until a few months after the war in Europe was over, on discovering this fact they were released from duty with their warring group and on bicycle made their way west until making contact with an American Army Unit. After being checked out they were returned to the UK some 6 months after the war in Europe was over. His family had assumed him dead as there had been no news of him after their escape and all other prisoners had been repatriated.
After such an eventful period of service there must be written reports covering this period. I have found only 1943 Prisoner in Italy and 1945 Prisoner at Lamsdorf. On his return to his family he spoke very little of his adventures, it was only when many years later when he was taken on a visit to the Partisan group survivors that he spoke a little to me as an ex. serviceman, RAF. Unfortunately I made no notes and am now trying to gather facts for the family.
Eric Pigdon
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