Lewis Edwards

My father Lewis (Lew) Edwards was born in January 1914 and died in February 1993. He served in 'B' Company, 1st Bn Queen Victoria's Rifles (also known in 1937 as Kings Royal Rifle Corp).   His army number was 6142398.

Here is a photograph taken from the books entitled "The Second Great War" published by The Waverley Book Company Ltd and edited by Sir John Hammerton.  The text below the image says "Riflemen of Calais Fame - Men of the Queen Victoria's Rifles were among the small British force which held out gallantly in Calais towards the end of May, 1940. 

Above, men of this Territorial regiment are seen on their way to a training camp shortly before the war. Photo, Courtesy of the London "Evening News"". Dad had it marked in the book as "my mob".


He undertook a forced march from Poland to Germany in 1945 as documented in the "Forced March" section.

For all that he saw and all that he felt, he never seemed down about his experiences and had fond memories of his friends which always made him smile.

He was a PoW initially at Stalag XXA and then moved in 1941 when Stalag XXB was opened.

Guards at Stalag XXB

He was camp tailor in Stalag XXB and recalls the PoWs putting on shows to amuse themselves. Dad played the violin in the camp band also. Take a look at the Stalag XXA/B photographs and dad appears to be in them! 

Lewis' name on the camp show programme

I also recall him telling me that the PoWs spoke a form of German that even the German's did not understand.

Back Row (L-R) Johnny Johnson (RPs), Jack Smith (Signals), Frank Crockford (Driver) Front Row (L-R) Ron Harwood (Signals), Dad: Lewis Edwards (Signals) 'B' Company - 1st Bn QVR Whitbread Hop Farm, Beltring, Paddock Wood, Kent September 1939 - May 1940 This photograph was taken by Lindsay McLennan, 857 High Road, N. Finchley, N.12 Phone. Hillside 3161

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Family and Background
My father was born in Bromley (Kent) in the County of London on 13th January.  His birth was registered in the District of Poplar.

Father	John Lionel Edwards, bricklayers laborer
Mother	Emma Edwards (nee Grim)

He lived at 149 Brunswick Road, Bromley and had two brothers (I think). His elder brother, John, fought in the First World War and he had a younger brother, George, whom he was very close to.

My pal Geoff did a bit of a geneology search for me and found out a bit more based upon the 1901 census:

Name	Age	Place of Birth	Status	Current District
Emma G. Edwards	24	Limehouse, London	Wife	Bromley, London
John L. Edwards	24	Stepney, London	Head	Bromley, London
John L. J. Edwards	2	Poplar, London	Son	Bromley, London

Dad had a long working life, finally retiring fully in 1992.  He ended up in a home in Addlestone, Surrey, for around 6 months with dementia before he finally died in 1993.

Ralph Butler

Written by Chris Butler, son of Ralph Butler, from the information Ralph provided to him.

Stalag XXB - Ralph is 5th from the left

Stalag XXB - Ralph is far right, back row

1939 Aged 19

Training at Burley in the New Forest - Ralph is 2nd on the left with his hand on the weapon 

In early 1939 my father, Ralph Butler, joined the local TA Battalion Queen Victoria Rifles (QVR) B Company at the age of 19. The QVRs had a drill hall in Lymington Road, West Hampstead, London near where my father lived. The fact that is was also a motorcycle battalion appealed to my father as he was a keen motorcycle enthusiast. During the summer of 1939 the QVRs attended a two week camp at Burley in the New Forest.

The QVRs were sent to Calais on May 22nd 1940 at very short notice. B Company were deployed on the coast road at Oyez Farm, Sangatte. When the Germans began their attack shortly afterwards, B Company were redeployed to Bastion Eleven and here they came under command of C Company 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corp (KRRC).

The QVRs and KRRC's came under intense shelling and mortar fire whilst here. My father's Seven Platoon in particular suffering a lot of casualties as their position became increasingly untenable.

B Company with C Company KRRC took part in a fighting withdrawal into Calais where heavy street fighting took place. Eventually what was left of B Company (about 30 men), under the command of Captain Bowring, took shelter in a school house in the Courgain area of Calais near the lighthouse. The Germans now had surrounded this area and on exiting the school house the men found themselves face-to-face with a German patrol backed by the tanks. They were then taken prisoners.

My fathers recollection of this moment is the German patrol carrying on down the street shouting 'raus tommy and throwing stick grenades into the cellars which faced onto the street. This was to be the start of five years in captivity.

After a long march and being transported in cattle trucks and by train, my father and his fellow Prisoners of War reached a place called Torun (Thorn) in Poland this was where Stalag XXA was situated. He remained there for some time before being sent to Stalag XXB at Marienberg.

His recollections of being a PoW were of hard physical work on farms and building schemes and a shortage of food.

Right at the end of the War when they were being marched Westwards by the Germans (who were trying to get away from the advancing Russians), food was extremely short and he suffered severe malnutrition. My father survived.

The experience left him physically and mentally tough after the War.

My overriding impression of him was a man (like many of his generation) who never gave up or let things get to him.