Private Papers of L H Shelford

Collection

Scope and content:: Ms memoir (149pp), written circa 1988, describing how he joined the British Army in May 1939 as a regular, was captured by the Germans in 1940 and spent over four years as a prisoner of war. The memoir starts in May 1940 with his embarkation for France, capture at Calais and treatment as a prisoner of war including questioning as to Jewish descent with their physical appearances observed by the German officers, the separation of a large crowd of Jews found amongst the British prisoners despite protests from the British officers, his captivity in Bleichammen (1940), Erinforst and Appelin (1941), Glewitz (1941 – 1942), Ratibor (early 1942) and Freiwaldau (1942 – 1943) in which he describes everyday life in the camps, the work carried out including physical labour, the meals given and the poor conditions he had to endure, his excitement at the arrival of Red Cross parcels which contained supplies such as tea, dried prunes, meat loaf, biscuits and cigarettes, and the orders received to leave Freiwaldau camp on 20 January 1945 and the difficult journey back to England. Together with his Certificate of Service in the Regular Army.

Access, restrictions:: Visit IWM website for Research Room access provisions see https://www.iwm.org.uk/research/research-facilities

Finding aids:: Online catalogue see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030020496

Scope and content:: Ms memoir (149pp), written circa 1988, describing how he joined the British Army in May 1939 as a regular, was captured by the Germans in 1940 and spent over four years as a prisoner of war. The memoir starts in May 1940 with his embarkation for France, capture at Calais and treatment as a prisoner of war including questioning as to Jewish descent with their physical appearances observed by the German officers, the separation of a large crowd of Jews found amongst the British prisoners despite protests from the British officers, his captivity in Bleichammen (1940), Erinforst and Appelin (1941), Glewitz (1941 – 1942), Ratibor (early 1942) and Freiwaldau (1942 – 1943) in which he describes everyday life in the camps, the work carried out including physical labour, the meals given and the poor conditions he had to endure, his excitement at the arrival of Red Cross parcels which contained supplies such as tea, dried prunes, meat loaf, biscuits and cigarettes, and the orders received to leave Freiwaldau camp on 20 January 1945 and the difficult journey back to England. Together with his Certificate of Service in the Regular Army.

Access, restrictions:: Visit IWM website for Research Room access provisions see https://www.iwm.org.uk/research/research-facilities

Finding aids:: Online catalogue see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030020496