WWII POW group. Captured 1940. Hardy. Royal Artillery. Doncaster. Survived ‘The Long Walk’

Army number 889101 Gunner John Hardy, 23rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Attested 13/1/1939.

John was born in Doncaster in 1919 and worked as a miner pre war.

The 23rd was stationed in England and upon the declaration of war, they were mobilized.

They became a part of the 51st (Highland) Division and had were present at the first action of the war between Launsvelt and Halstroff. After the failing of the Maginot Line, the 5th Panzer Corps had broken through and began the race to Dunkirk.

Having reached St Valery by June 9th 1940, they held positions until the final surrender, after the evacuation of Dunkirk.

These chaps were to become known as the Forgotten Battalion, the 51st Highland Division.

Captured on the 11th of June 1940.

He was interred for the remainder of the war at Lamsdorf POW camp.

The Long Walk

“The March” refers to a series of forced marches during the final stages of the Second World War in Europe. From a total of 257,000 western Allied prisoners of war held in German military prison camps, over 80,000 POWs were forced to march westward across Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany in extreme winter conditions, over about four months between January and April 1945. This series of events has been called various names: “The Great March West”, “The Long March”, “The Long Walk”, “The Long Trek”, “The Black March”, “The Bread March”, and “Death March Across Germany”, but most survivors just called it “The March”.

The lot consists of his full medal entitlement of the 39-45 Star with the War Medal as well as his Soldiers Service & Pay Book as well as his red book, Certificate of Service.

Also there is his original attestation paper.