Description
Object description
From top to the bottom.
Personal inscription made by Gunner G. McRitchie of the 4/5th Battalion of the Black Watch, later transferred to the 1st Search Light Battery, the Royal Artillery; Army service number 2755798, POW number 4931.
Caption reads:
'Gnr G. M. Ritchie RA;
1st S/L (Search Light) Battery;
1st (?) S/L Regt (Regiment);
Ex BW, Ex RE;
Captured 26 May 1940;
Calais.'
Second personal inscription made by Private P. J. Maycock of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment, Army service number 2066112, POW number 6234.
Caption reads:
' 2nd Batt. Royal Norfolk Regiment;
Ex REs 424 Coy;
Captured 24 May 1940;
Bethune;
TQ (?) is the Best in the Clink.'
Caption 'England For Ever'
Personal inscription made by Corporal James MacDonald, 1st Battalion the Gordon Highlanders, Army service number 2873448, POW number 36495.
Caption reads:
'2873448 Cpl James MacDonald;
... 114 Coy, 1st Gordons;
Escaped 13. 6. 40 (?);
Recaptured 14... 40 (?)
Escaped 24.5.41;
Recaptured 6.6.41;
14 days of close arrest for flight from ...
Commenced 24.6.41; Finished 11.7.41;
Better luck next time.'
Personal inscription made by Private W. Dunthorne of the Royal Army Service Corps, Army service number S/122158, POW number 1717.
Caption reads:
'122158;
Pte W. Dunthorne;
No 3 ... Personal;
RASC'.
He was also imprisoned in Camp BAB 20 in Kędzierzyn Koźle (Kandrzin-Cosel).
Commemoration note for Fusilier Frank Roscoe of the 1/8th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers, Army service number 3450956, killed in action between 26 and 31 May 1940; son of Abraham and Miriam Roscoe, of Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire; buried in Beuvry Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France (Info from the CWGC database). Note was written by Frank Roscoe's uncle, Fusilier John Gettings, also a serviceman of the Lancashire Fusiliers, Army service number 3445406, POW number 26026
Caption reads:
'...Roscoe, 1/8 LF;
...in Action...;
J. Gettings;
Uncle.'
Personal inscription made by Driver J. Nelson of the 510 Ammunition Company, the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC).
Caption reads:
'Driver J. Nelson;
510 Amm Coy;
RASC;
Perth;
Scotland;
14 days.'
It could refer to:
Driver J. Nelson, Army service number T/82632, POW number 36834, imprisoned in Stalag 21D, Poznań, Poland (more likely);
Driver J. F. Nelson, Army service number T/216482, POW number 253168, imprisoned in Stalag 4F at Hartmannsdorf Chemnitz in Central Saxony, Germany.
Commemoration note for the fallen of the 51st Highland Infantry Division.
Caption reads:
'Drawing of the cross;
Maginot, April, June;
Somme, May, June;
In Memory of the 51st Division's Dead;
Thay Are Not Forgotten'.
Second personal inscription made by Private C. W. Ball from Ryton, Tyne and Wear, 1st Battalion (Tyneside Scottish), the Black Watch, Army service number 4455422, POW number 2457.
Caption reads:
'... Ball;
1st Batt;
Thee Tyneside Scottish;
Ryton on Tyne'.
Fort XI of Stalag XXA (20A) in Toruń (Thorn).