Manchester Regiment in Malta and Holland ww2

[alandavies1231]

My cousin,Harold Crowley was a colour sergeant with the the regiment in the second world war.He was captured when parachuting into Holland! in 1942.All i know of him is he was born in 1919 and he spent nearly 2 years as a prisoner of war..He came back in 1943/44 when he married his childhood sweetheart in Baguley Cheshire.Can anyone help me trace his war service? Alan Davies

[themonsstar]

I have found a H.Crowley as a British PoW:

PoW Camp 8c = Kunau Kz Sprottau/Sagan.
PoW number 117577.
H.Crowley
Rank C/Sgt.
Army No 3531840 ( This No would have been issue out by the Manchester Regt Records Office)
Army Air Corps (AAC).


If this is your Crowley he would still have been a PoW in May 1945(published) when the list was taken in March 1945.

[alandavies1231]

My family records have him getting married in 1944 in Baguley Cheshire,so it can't be him,pity!! Thanks for trying Alan

[sphinx]

Can I suggest that your grandfather was captured in Holland in 1944 and not 1942 which would be practically impossible.

Also he would not be released from a POW camp before war ended to get married!

I think family folklore sometimes gets confused particularly with dates.

The H. Crowley found by the Monstar is undoubtedly your grandfather.

[sapper1958]

Thanx again for the interest but i have his marriage certificate which states he was definitely married on 18.01.1944 at Baguley parish church.His widow reckons he served in Malta as well as Europe and it was she who supplied the info on his rank(color sgt) and capture.I wonder could he have been sent home early if unfit due to injury?  Alan

[sphinx]

This is the sequence of events in his military career:-

He was in the 8th (Ardwick)Bn. (TA) Manchester Regiment in Malta and the Middle East.(1942-43)
He came home in January 1944 to get married.

Transferred to the AAC and took part in the Airborne landings in France June 1944.

Moven into Holland, possibly by glider (Arnhem?) and was captured.
Released 1945.
That fits with the marriage certificate and what I said previously.

[sapper1958]

Anyone with info on german pow camp Kunauk kz Sprottau/Sagan camp 8,I would like to know more about it! 

[Wendi]

Hi Alan and a Warm Welcome to our Forum 

Have you considered trying to obtain his service record from Glasgow?  it would be available to his next of kin, or you with their permission, via this link http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html 

If you really would like to find out more about him this maybe the way, also I understand that The International Red Cross is another avenue of enquiry you might wish to follow with regard to his time as a PoW.

Wendi