Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #76 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #77 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #78 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #82 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #83 Posted November 1, 2008 Wardle's "walkin' Out Uniform Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #84 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #88 Posted November 1, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 1, 2008 Share #89 Posted November 1, 2008 All for now - Hope you folks enjoy Tom's post - You'll never see another like this one !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted November 1, 2008 Share #90 Posted November 1, 2008 BW and CdG, This has just been an amazing post! I don't know the odds of these coming together but it has to be higher than winning a lottery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belleauwood Posted November 2, 2008 Share #91 Posted November 2, 2008 This is a portion of an article written by James Norman Hall, a fellow prisoner and pilot, that was on the train with Wardle and witnessed his escape from the prison train and his recapture on the same day. Wardle was severely beaten and confined for 31 days in a solitary cell when he arrived at the camp. Wardle was to be moved to several other prison camps during the course of the war after attempting other escapes. J. Norman Hall must have traveled around in German camps as I have another group to an American pilot (POW) by the name of Lewis that he mentions several times is his book "Flying with Chaucer" There is quite a lot of research yet to do on Wardle. He served his country in WW2 and I have to send for his records at some point. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share #92 Posted November 2, 2008 From Thomson's description - "They were the first Yankees I'd seen in months and it did not take me long to make myself known and to explain that under my British tunic there beat the heart of a genuine Missourian". The doctors had been on detached service with the British and if taken prisoner were supposed to be exchanged. Wardle how ever had no hopes of an early release, in fact according to Thomson, Wardle blamed himself for his misfortune and was under the feeling that if released he may have been subject for court-martial. "He (Wardle) was a stout hearted fellow and made a brave attempt to escape whilst a consignment of us were enroute by train to Bavaria, but he was quickly caught, and I fear badly mistreated." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted November 2, 2008 Share #93 Posted November 2, 2008 HOLY S T!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share #94 Posted November 2, 2008 HOLY S T!!! Uh, I guess that means you like this thread huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share #95 Posted November 2, 2008 Love this grouping Tom & love the research done on it. I think that's just as important as owing the items. Good work! Thanks Chuck! I'm having a ball sharing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share #96 Posted November 2, 2008 Wow!!!! Just a fantastic thread... Btw, at one time I lived not far from Rastatt. Went there many times. Do not recall a fortress prison. There is a Palace though that was the residence of the former Dukes of Baden. The old military barracks during WWI was the home of the 40th Fusilier Regiment so they would not have been held there. As an aside, from the picture you provided barbed wire fencing can be seen around the perimeter enclosure which appears to have been constructed for the POW's. Tommy describes the place as a "fortress prison" but he also says; Rastatt fortress might have passed as a beer garden, with it's shaded nooks, and it's numerous tables and chairs scattered about." I found this picture on Google of Rastatt Fortress. If any of our German members could shed any light on this subject, please weigh in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted November 2, 2008 Share #97 Posted November 2, 2008 Man Tom, I don't know how I could have missed this thread But, it looks like I waited long enough to see some phenomenal posts here! WOW, WOW, and might I say: WOW! Hey, put a Sam Browne on a uniform and you got me hooked, throw in this story on this thread and I'm addicted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share #98 Posted November 4, 2008 Life at Rastatt Kreigsgefangenlager “Our days began at seven, there being nothing to do, the Germans thought we should get at it early. Lights were out at nine, so there were fourteen hours to dispose of and time died hard. Breakfast consisted of substitute coffee and ersatz bread. Dinner and supper were alike, soup, thin, watery vegetable mixture prepared by an Italian soldier who it was said had in peace time been a chef at a hotel in Milan. On Fridays there was fish but it was usually German carp of the poorest variety.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share #99 Posted November 5, 2008 The first word Thomson was able to send after his capture was at Rastatt. (After some four weeks as a POW) At this point his family had no idea if he was alive or dead. The German government allowed POWs a limited amount of correspondence, these comprised of official issue POW postcard which could be sent at the rate of one per week while letters of a certain length could be mailed twice per month. One of the postcards Tommy sent was to a friend who was a flying instructor at Gosport, England asking him to cable his family and order parcels of food and cigarettes. Tommy noted that he did this and out of twenty care boxes mailed to him he received four and that his friend mailed him cigarettes at the rate of 100 per week but he “got nary a smoke” and that he must have supplied half the German army with “John Players”. Unofficial word of his capture was taken out of camp by a Roman Catholic priest who came weekly to hold services for the French and to get news of newly arrived prisoners. He sent this information to Switzerland and from there it was relayed to the Red Cross. Shown is the first letter to Tommy's fiance Ruth that he was able to send as a POW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share #100 Posted November 5, 2008 The cable to Ruth from Tommy's friend, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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