ERic Hill

[okimz]

G'day

I am Jim Hill and I am researching my family history. As usual I left it too late to ask the people involved.
I am posting on this site to explore what happened to my father in WW2.
I have he service record from th MOD which amounts to one sheet of A4.
His details are:
Eric Hill 4127699 Manchester Regiment
Enlisted 16 October 1939 into 341st Machine Gun Training Centre as a Private.
Transferred to the Manchester Regiment and posted to the 75th Reinforcement Base Depot 22 March 1940
Posted to the 2nd Battalion on 13 April 1940
Missing & POW but no date
Repatriated to UK 14 May 1945 & Posted to 11 Hampshire regiment 22 November 1945. Discharged 18 march 1946
I have some photographs which show him in Staag VIIIB at E344. He refers to himself as a Lance Sergeant but I beleive he was a Private on discharge.
If anyone can give any more information I would be very grateful
Jim Hill

[rafboy]

Hi Jim and welcome.
His service number comes from the batch issued to the Cheshire Regiment.  I am sure the real experts will be along shortly with more information for you.
Cliff

[Wendi]

Hi Jim and a Warm Welcome to our Forum !

I'll move this over to the WW2 section and see what the chaps can come up with for you.

Wendi 

[Robert Bonner]

Jim.

Although not many individuals are mentioned you should obtain a copy of Bell's The Manchester Regiment published in 1954.  Seventy pages are devoted to the activities of the 2nd Battalion in France during 1939/40.  This history is usually available through the inter-library lending system.

Robert

[okimz]

Many thanks for the responses. Unfortunately interlibrary loan doesn't extend downunder but Amazon had a copy of the Manchester Regiment.
On reviewing the the photographs I have and they seem to be very confusing. One is undated and shows my father with the detail 16456 Hill E552 in pencil and marked from L/Sgt Eric Hill Stalag 344. It is addressed to someone in Rainhill. He is wearing three stripes. The photo is stamoed Stalag 344.
In other photos he is L/Sgt Eric Hill 16299 Stalag VIIIB or E552.
Another phto is of a funeral with the name of the soldier ... Died Sunday the 7/12/41 on (sic) burried on 11/12/41 Working Party E205. Another photo which has no details of who it is show 11 soldiers with an officer. The officer's cap badge looks like a fleur de lys.
If I can work out how to do it and the site thinks it is ok I will send some of the photos
Jim

[Wendi]

Hi Jim !

We'd love to see the photos 

Here is Chris' explaination on "how to"
http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=682.0

Wendi 

[okimz]

These are photo from Stalag VIIIB - My father is (Eric Hill) is on the right. Not sure who the others are?

[tonyrod]

HI JIM,
i have just googled Stalag VIIIB at E344  a few good hits have shown up with photos, worth a try, all the best with your search, tonyrod

[themonsstar]

I found this in a file I have on the 2nd Bn PoWs.

[okimz]

Hi Themonstar

How fantastic it definitely the right number.
Not sure what means?
Many thanks

Jim Hill

[okimz]

This is another photograph. The caption on the back is Philppstrasse, Hindenburg Ost, HindenBurg, PHILPPSTRASSE NO3 (sic). The Officer appears to have a fleur de lys cap badge. I have no idea of who they are but it was part of my father's collection. I have tried a number of Stalag VIIIB/E344 sites but not much luck so tyhat is why I tried the Manchester Regiment site.

[okimz]

Finally photograph I feel I can post. This is addessed to someone in Milnethorpe Westmoreland. Caption is difficult to read as the photograph seems to have been cut at the right, which could have been my father. Hill 16299 Stalag VIIIB E205

[rafboy]

Hi Jim
I enlarged your first photo and extracted the man you thought was an officer.  It is A Manchester's badge and it looks like he is a Cpl, I can only see the two stripes on his right arm.
Photo attached at second attempt.
Cliff

[themonsstar]

Stalag 344 was Lamsdorf.

Have a look on the map in this post for Lamsdorf:

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=1002.0


Here are some pics from the air of the PoW Camp.

[okimz]

Hi Rafboy & Themonstar

Many thanks for your help. It is much appreciated. My copy of The Manchester Regiment arrived today so it will be a bit of heavy reading. At first glance it does not seem to mention much about German POWs but a lot about Japenese Camps. Any ideas why it does not figure very highly?

Was it normal for men to be transferred to a new Regiment on repatriatetion?

Thnaks again

Jim Hill