These exceptional photographs of the British POWs at Bau und Arbeits Battalion 21 are all all courtesy of Keith Newman, whose father-in-law, Gnr Christopher Wilson RA, was POW number 3366 at the camp.
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Keith writes: ‘All these photos are from my private collection, they are from my father-in-law and from private sources given to me for my research.’
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Many of the photographs seem to have been taken in photo essay series form by a professional press photographer, obviously with the full cooperation of the German authorities and possibly by and for the use of the Red Cross and/or the German Propaganda Ministry. The notable photo narrative collections are:
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A Consignment of Red Cross Parcels for BAB21.
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The Funeral of a BAB 21 British POW.
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Sports Day Photographs, BAB 21.
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The other photographs are mainly in the more familiar informal POW camp vein of men sitting and standing in small groups outside their huts. I have grouped these photographs together under the these heading:
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Informal British POW Group Photographs at BAB 21.
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Camp Amateur Theatricals and the Camp Band, BAB 21
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Click on the links above or the images at right to go to each section. Very few of the men in any of these photographs have been identified thus far. Hopefully someone out there reading this will be able to recognise a face or two and may even have some of the same photographs with their relation marked in. If so, please get in touch.
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All of these men would have been allocated German POW numbers on their arrival in Germany and many of them will doubtless already be included in my consecutive POW numbers listing.
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Using Gunner Wilson’s POW number, 3366, as a marker, I think it is very likely that many of the men featured in these photos will have POWs numbers not too far from his. Several whose names are already known do have numbers close to his and these have been noted in the relevant photo captions. But there remains a huge amount of hidden history behind these photographs. All further details welcome.
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To check if a specific POW name or number is already in my consecutive POW listing use the site search button below.
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