EXPERIENCES OF AUSTRALIAN PRISONERS IN EUROPEAN POW CAMPS
By Xena Dakkak
German and Italian
Some experiences of the Australians in Europe from Italy to Germany were exhausting and dire, they included many different personal stories of people's occurrences in these war camps.
Vincent Michael Egan
One experience of an Australian prisoner in the German POW camps is of Vincent Michael Egan born on the 25th of August 1916 in Sydney, New South Wales. His rank in World War 2 was a Corporal. He enlisted in the war in August 1940 at a hospital in Australia to serve as a Medical Orderly of the 2/5th battalion. As a medical orderly his job was to work alongside nurses in the war in the Middle East and Greece. However in Ekali, Greece the Germans took him as a prisoner. Vincent Michael Egan was transported to a POW camp in Salonika and later was taken to Poland to spend his time at a camp. The camp he stayed in was a German POW camp called Stalag XXA and even when he was in the prisoner camps he was still able to go about with his medical work. Finally in April 1945 Vincent Michael Egan was moved to Britain.
From Vincent Michael Egan’s life overview it shows that the German camps were quite lenient allowing the Australian prisoners to do things such as medical work. The prisons weren’t as brutal as prisoner camps in Asia as there wasn't much information about how he was treated or if he was hurt and unable to do his job.
Some experiences of the Australians in Europe from Italy to Germany were exhausting and dire, they included many different personal stories of people's occurrences in these war camps.
Vincent Michael Egan
One experience of an Australian prisoner in the German POW camps is of Vincent Michael Egan born on the 25th of August 1916 in Sydney, New South Wales. His rank in World War 2 was a Corporal. He enlisted in the war in August 1940 at a hospital in Australia to serve as a Medical Orderly of the 2/5th battalion. As a medical orderly his job was to work alongside nurses in the war in the Middle East and Greece. However in Ekali, Greece the Germans took him as a prisoner. Vincent Michael Egan was transported to a POW camp in Salonika and later was taken to Poland to spend his time at a camp. The camp he stayed in was a German POW camp called Stalag XXA and even when he was in the prisoner camps he was still able to go about with his medical work. Finally in April 1945 Vincent Michael Egan was moved to Britain.
From Vincent Michael Egan’s life overview it shows that the German camps were quite lenient allowing the Australian prisoners to do things such as medical work. The prisons weren’t as brutal as prisoner camps in Asia as there wasn't much information about how he was treated or if he was hurt and unable to do his job.
Source 1: "German POW Issue Postcard sent by Vince Egan to a Mr Maxwell regarding the safe return of his tobacco pouch to his home in Australia, written whilst he was imprisoned at Stalag XXA."
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source; it was a letter from the date it was written on the 19th of March 1944. As stated in the caption it was written by Vincent Michael Egan to Mr Maxwell in Australia when he was in the Stalag XXA prisoner camp. This fact shows that the German POW camps allowed contact such as sending letters meaning that the experience wasn't as harsh and isolated.
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source; it was a letter from the date it was written on the 19th of March 1944. As stated in the caption it was written by Vincent Michael Egan to Mr Maxwell in Australia when he was in the Stalag XXA prisoner camp. This fact shows that the German POW camps allowed contact such as sending letters meaning that the experience wasn't as harsh and isolated.
Source 2: "Photograph of sleeping conditions in Stalag XXA German Prisoner of War Camp, Torun, Poland, where Vince Egan spent much of his imprisonment."
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source it was a photograph taken in the Stalag XXA German POW camp in Poland. This is where Vince Michael Egan slept. It is understandable that from these sleeping conditions, the prisons would've been stuffy also the hygiene wouldn’t have been good as the beds were crowded.
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source it was a photograph taken in the Stalag XXA German POW camp in Poland. This is where Vince Michael Egan slept. It is understandable that from these sleeping conditions, the prisons would've been stuffy also the hygiene wouldn’t have been good as the beds were crowded.
Source 3: "Program to ‘The Cat and The Canary’ production staged by the allied soldiers imprisoned in fort 15 at Stalag XXA POW camp, Torun. This was one of many productions, necessary as a means of keeping up group moral for the allied prisoners."
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source it was a program for a production called “The Cat and The Canary’ which was acted out by the “Strange Company” (the prisoners) located in fort 15 at the prisoner camp Stalag XXA in Torun as stated in the caption. From this source it emphasizes the fact that the Australian prisoners in German POW camps did have some source of entertainment as they were able to perform theatrical pieces at times. Therefore it persists to show that the experience wasn’t completely dreadful.
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/exhibits/selarang/german.htm
This source is a primary source it was a program for a production called “The Cat and The Canary’ which was acted out by the “Strange Company” (the prisoners) located in fort 15 at the prisoner camp Stalag XXA in Torun as stated in the caption. From this source it emphasizes the fact that the Australian prisoners in German POW camps did have some source of entertainment as they were able to perform theatrical pieces at times. Therefore it persists to show that the experience wasn’t completely dreadful.
Donald Walter Davies
Another experience of a Australian prisoner of war is of Donald Walter Davies 21 years old and was a single labourer who stayed in both German and Italian POW camps. He enlisted in the second world war for the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion on the 1st of June 1940. Donald Walter Davies was trained in Brisbane and travelled to Sydney to go to the Middle East for military duties. He arrived on the 3rd of February 1941 in the Middle East as the 6th division of the three divisions.
He was sent to Greece on April 1941 to stop the Germans from occupying land. During the campaign at Kalabaka, Donald Walter Davies was reported as "Missing in Action". He became a prisoner of war on the 25th of April 1941 and in January 1942 he was staying in an Italian prisoner camp called Campo 57 at Gruppignano. It was unknown where he was held before this. The experience there was grave as there was harsh treatment towards him and fellow prisoners and he was facing hunger. Donald Walter Davies was transported to a German prisoner camp called Stalag 344 at Lamsdorf from the date 1943 to 1945.
In Donald Walter Davies' experience he was transported to different areas of Europe, so from his records he had a hard time in the camps as it was strict.
Another experience of a Australian prisoner of war is of Donald Walter Davies 21 years old and was a single labourer who stayed in both German and Italian POW camps. He enlisted in the second world war for the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion on the 1st of June 1940. Donald Walter Davies was trained in Brisbane and travelled to Sydney to go to the Middle East for military duties. He arrived on the 3rd of February 1941 in the Middle East as the 6th division of the three divisions.
He was sent to Greece on April 1941 to stop the Germans from occupying land. During the campaign at Kalabaka, Donald Walter Davies was reported as "Missing in Action". He became a prisoner of war on the 25th of April 1941 and in January 1942 he was staying in an Italian prisoner camp called Campo 57 at Gruppignano. It was unknown where he was held before this. The experience there was grave as there was harsh treatment towards him and fellow prisoners and he was facing hunger. Donald Walter Davies was transported to a German prisoner camp called Stalag 344 at Lamsdorf from the date 1943 to 1945.
In Donald Walter Davies' experience he was transported to different areas of Europe, so from his records he had a hard time in the camps as it was strict.
Source 1: "The first evidence of where Private Donald Davies was being held captive was a letter written in January 1942 from Campo 57 to his mother in north Queensland."
https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/remembering-the-battle-for-greece-and-crete,3359
This source is a primary source it was a postcard with a letter sent by Donald Walter Davies written as “Private Donald Davies” to his mother in North Queensland. He was held in an Italian POW camp called Campo 57 at Gruppignano when he wrote the letter on the 31st of January 1942. Also his tone in the letter was optimistic so he didn't want to make his mother worry. Therefore in the Italian camps although some of them may have been harsh, they still allowed the prisoners to send letters and stay in touch with their family.
https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/remembering-the-battle-for-greece-and-crete,3359
This source is a primary source it was a postcard with a letter sent by Donald Walter Davies written as “Private Donald Davies” to his mother in North Queensland. He was held in an Italian POW camp called Campo 57 at Gruppignano when he wrote the letter on the 31st of January 1942. Also his tone in the letter was optimistic so he didn't want to make his mother worry. Therefore in the Italian camps although some of them may have been harsh, they still allowed the prisoners to send letters and stay in touch with their family.
Source 2: "The final surviving piece of correspondence is a postcard to his sister-in-law, Ann. Although it is brief the message suggests that parcels and messages from family was now getting through to the POWs in Italy."
https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/remembering-the-battle-for-greece-and-crete,3359
This source is a primary source it was another postcard with a letter sent by Donald Walter Davies written as “Private Donald Davies” to his sister-in-law on the 5th of July 1943. He was still in the same POW camp as the other postcard he had sent and he was able to receive things from his family. In the letter he mentions that "Am doing quite well at present.", so the camp experience might have been not as bad later on.
https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/remembering-the-battle-for-greece-and-crete,3359
This source is a primary source it was another postcard with a letter sent by Donald Walter Davies written as “Private Donald Davies” to his sister-in-law on the 5th of July 1943. He was still in the same POW camp as the other postcard he had sent and he was able to receive things from his family. In the letter he mentions that "Am doing quite well at present.", so the camp experience might have been not as bad later on.