Leading Aircraftman Robert Arthur SMITH 943134 PoW Died 1945-03-14

[paulmcmillan]

re:

Leading Aircraftman Robert Arthur SMITH (943134) of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

https://www.rafcommands.com/database...php?qnum=42282

I requested all information from the ICRC Archives (Red Cross) on this one on there "request day " earlier in year to see if they had cause of death and got a reply today

"Further to your request, it is our pleasure to send you herewith a document containing all the information about the sought person that we found in the ICRC Archives.
We include a copy of one source of information, namely a capture card, and a copy of the report on visit carried out by the Swiss authorities in Stalag IX C on 20.03.1945 (ACICR, C SC, RR 991). The report states that the cause of death of these British prisoners was the forced march they were subjected to, which caused dysentery or pneumonia. According to the capture card dated 22.08.1941, the prisoner Robert Smith was previously in good health."


This is the summation

Information contained in the ICRC Archives

Name and first name SMITH Robert Arthur
Date of birth 25.11.1919
Place of birth Darlington
Father's first name William
Mother's name Pearson
Rank Corporal
Unit R.A.F.
Service number 943134
Date and place of capture 01.06.1941, Crete
Prisoner of war number 21312 Stalag VIII B
Places of detention
• Prisoner of war in German hands arrived at Stalag VIII B on 22.08.1941, coming from Saloniki (according to a list dated 22.08.1941)
• Detained in Stalag VIII B (according to a letter dated 28.10.1941 and a capture card dated 25.08.1941)
• Information about death Died in Stalag IX C on 14.03.1945 (according to a list received 20.03.1945)

Sources of information • One list and one letter issued by the German authorities

• One capture card
• One list transmitted by the Protecting Power (Swiss authorities)


So no cause of actual death but probably based on all know evidence dysentery or pneumonia due to the "Lamsdorf Death March" from Stalag VIII-B https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_VIII-B


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_(1945)

http://www.buckdenpike.co.uk/lamsdorfmarch.html

Paul