The Manchester Regiment Forum
POW User Group => POWs WW2 section => Topic started by: Dave1212 on February 13, 2009, 04:45:25 PM
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I am happy to include some priceless items shared by Clyde Cruickshanks’ children concerning his time as a POW after his capture in France in May 1940 while serving with the 2nd Manchesters.
Clyde, a Halifax boy, enlisted in the regiment March 21, 1939. By all accounts he was quick with a smile, a good friend & is often called ‘a soldiers soldier’. We know he was captured along with Francis ‘Skip’ McCarthy sometime in May, 1940 unable to get out of their last position. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the experts here @ themanchesters.org, provided the POW Camp (XXA Thorn Podgorz, Poland) & their POW #’s (6965, 6969 respectively). This was greatly appreciated.
After the war Clyde married & by the time he shipped off to Korea in 1950, his young family consisted of two sons, two & three years old and a ten day old daughter. Clyde was KIA November 27, 1950 serving with the Royal Ulster Rifles.
Wonderful treasures to share with us:
Clyde Cruickshanks POW photo.jpg
Clyde Cruickshanks POW dogtags.jpg
Clyde Cruickshanks POW diary 1945.jpg – Written in pencil & faded with time, the family is working on transcribing the diary.
Clyde Cruickshanks Temporary Headstone Korea 1950.jpg
Thank you to the Cruickshanks Family for sharing these.
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Here is a clipping of Clyde from the photo of the forty one soldiers taken outside Ladysmith Barracks in mid-1939.
Please let me know if anyone has further details about Clyde so I can pass them along to his family. Thank you in advance...
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I don't have any information for you Dave ... but can I just say what treasures you have there ....
and thank the family for sharing them with us !
So many families don't even have a photograph which is heartbreaking when you think of all these soldiers went through !
Thanks again
Annie
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Cheers Annie...
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Hi Dave
I dont have any information either, just wanted to say thank-you to Clyde Cruickshanks’ children and you for sharing them with us.
Timberman
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Hi Dave,
Please can you thank the Cruickshanks Family on behalf of all of us for sharing their treasured possessions with us. I hope they know that the grave now, will look mighty different to the photo they possess.
May Clyde Rest in Peace, always
Wendi :)
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I certainly will pass along your kind words to Clyde’s family. I have included a link that features an updated shot of Clyde’s grave marker:
http://www.uk.or.kr/wargrave/detail.html?number=236&keyfield=&page=24&key=cruickshanks
Clyde is not mentioned in Canada’s Korean War Book of Remembrance. One of our projects this year is to remedy this oversight. Clyde’s mate, Skip McCarthy died in 1947 from TB contracted during those POW years. I’m still searching for Skip’s family but hopefully they will soon be located so we can work on having Skip included in Canada’s WWII Book of Remembrance as well as CWGC.
Thanks again…
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Thank You To eveyone who passed on their wishes to my family my name is David and i am the second eldest son of the late Clyde Reginald Cruickshanks.
I now live in australia and my brother and sister and i yearn for any information or pictures of our father. Who was killed when we were very young.
I hope to hear from you good people and share some cherished memories.
Regards
David :)
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Hi David, and a warm welcome to our forum ;D
Perhaps you could try to obtain his service record, although it won't contain pictures, it will give you a greater insight into his time in service.
Kind regards
Wendi :)
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Hi David ! and welcome ! :)
I found this and although Clyde and Skip aren't mentioned on this list ( I believe the list was made up by relatives that wrote in ! ) The stories may give you an idea of what it was like there ... if you haven't seen it already !
The camp Stalag XXA (also called 357 in the early part of the war) was situated at Torun (Thorn) in Poland, where there were a number of defensive forts. The camp began begins in late 1939 with Polish POWs being held in Forts 9 and 10 which they converted to prisons.
The Headquarters of the camp was in Fort 17, until mid 1940, when a two-storey house opposite Fort 13, now in Okolna Street, was taken over. It was known as "Komendantury Stalag 20A".
Other forts were converted to hold the prisoners, Fort 11 (XI) named after Stefana Batorego, Fort 12 (XII) named after Wladyslawa Jagielty, Fort 13 (XIII) named after Karola Kniaziewicza held British POWs, Fort 14 (XIV) the hospital named after Jozefa Dwernickiego, Fort 15 (XV) named after Jaroslwaw Dabrowskiego held French POWs, Fort 16 (XVI) named ‘Kolejowy’ or ‘Railway’, and Fort 17 (XVII) named after Michala Zymierskiego were situated on the left bank of the River Vistula and were collectively known as Stalag 312. During the second half of 1941 Stalag 20A was enlarged. New barracks were built in the direction of Glinki to accommodate Russian POWs this new complex was known as Stalag 312/XXC.
Over 60,000 inmates passed through the Stalag 20A complex over a five year period, Poles, French, Belgians, British, Yugoslavs, Russians, Norwegians, Italians and Americans.
Those who met their deaths in Stalag XXA were buried in the garrison military cemetery except Russian POWs who were buried in a mass grave in the forest near Stalag 312, between Glinki and Cierpice. About 14,000 men are buried there.
The Thorn Complex was a sub-camp of the concentration camp in Sztutowic. It contained POW camps for non-commissioned officers and other ranks. The 357 designation was later transferred to Oerbke near Fallingbostel
The prisoners were liberated by the Americans in 1945.
http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/pow/stalag357.php
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Do we know how many men from the regiment were at XXA?
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Hello again.
Thanks to Annie, Wendi,Timberman & Dave
For your replies and information It is nice to know ther are folks out there who share a common bond.
We could never imagine what our loved ones went through all those yesrs ago. This is a magical Journey
for me and my Brother & Sister as for years have wondered about the Dad we never knew.
Slowly with the help of Dave G. we are putting the pieces together. i recieved a parcel from long lost relatives in Canada
whom we found only late last year,this parcel contained a photo of Dad, his Stalag dogtags and a diary from 1945.
My brother and i are translating it as it is faded wiyh time and written in pencil. We will share with you all when completed.
perhaps there are some names you recognise.Untill the next time i send my warmest wishes to you all and God Bless.
David
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I have attached an article from the Halifax Mail Star dated Thursday December 1950 that reports Clyde's death in Korea. Clyde was serving with The Royal Ulster Rifles & not the Scottish Rifles as is reported. I wish the scan of the photograph could have been clearer.
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Hi Dave !
I found Clydes grave on the cemetery website ... and messages and cyber flowers can be left there ... also I found him on the Wall of Remembrance
http://www.unmck.or.kr/eng/paying_tribute/m_searchsol_view.php?graves=7808#
http://www.unmck.or.kr/eng/paying_tribute/m_searchwall_view.php?no=3484#
I know you already have a picture of the headstone .... but I thought David and the family may like this too !
Annie
RIP Clyde
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And he is remembered in the British War Book of Remembrance .......
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bkvaroh/ROH/FilesP/0499.htm
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And just so you know ....... that Clyde has never been forgotton .... 1789 ( including me just now ! ) have left flowers for him .... how wonderful is that ?
Annie :)
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Thank you very much Annie for these wonderful links & kind words. I certainly will forward them to the family. The sites are all new to me & look very interesting. Thank you again!!! It is so important to remember...
Cheers,
Dave
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Hello Again to eveyone and thanks for your information. Sorry i have not been in touch but have been busy with renovations around the house. we are slowly putting together an image of what our father went through and iy has been a godsend that you good folk have been feeding us information. Thanks to Dave @ Annie your help has been unreal and we wish you all the very best. My deepest thanks again and i will be in touch.
God Bless
David