General Prisoner of War Information
Prisoner of war information is available on various Internet websites. These are listed here as they are identified:
The National Association of ex-Prisoners of War
https://www.prisonersofwarmuseum.com
Specific POW Information Pertinent to Canadian POWs
Below are references to published articles and other information about the prisoners of war (POWs) captured at The Dieppe Raid and held by Germany during World War II.
Stalag VIIIB
Stalag VIIIB was a major German prisoner of war camp complex during World War II that was located in southwest Poland at modern-day Łambinowice. The camp was in reality, a group of camps that contained tens of thousands of POWs. In early 1944 the name of the main camp changed from Stalag VIIIB to Stalag 344.
Harry William Manchester was interned at Stalag VIIIB from October 1942 until late February 1943, at which time he was transferred to Stalag IID.
The POW camps constituting Stalag VIIIB/344 remained operational until January 1945, when advancing Soviet troops caused the German government to evacuate all prisoners westward via The Long March.
Stalag IID
Stalag IID was another major German prisoner of war camp located at Stargard, Poland. Harry William Manchester was interned there from February/March 1944 until January 1945, when the German government evacuated all prisoners westward, to avoid their liberation by advancing Soviet troops.
The Long March
Youtube: Forced March To Freedom (Prisoner Of War Documentary) | Timeline
Archive of Long March Articles
Maps
March route Lamsdorf to Gorlitz
Memoirs
Robert Waddy Memoirs: Horror Beyond Dieppe
Websites
Website: Stalag VIII-B PoW Camp
Downloads
Google Earth POW/Concentration Camp Location File
This .KMZ file contains the location of the Dieppe Raid beaches, German prisoner of war (POW) camps, concentration camps, extermination camps, and Long March routes.
File Name: OPERATIONAL_EXTRACT_WWII-POW_Data_2021-01-01.kmz
Application: Google Earth
Usage Instructions:
- Download the file.
- Using the Google Earth application, “open” the .kmz file.
A Google Earth compressed Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file containing the locations of WWII German POW camps, concentration camps, extermination camps, and POW Long March routes.
Historical Note
Harry William Manchester Evacuation
The featured image at the top of this page is a still image taken from a German Wehrmacht newsreel of the Dieppe Raid, on the afternoon of the raid. The photograph shows Harry William Manchester being evacuated off of RED BEACH at the conclusion of the raid, upon the subsequent surrender of the Canadian survivors.
Harry William Manchester sustained wounds from indirect mortar or artillery fire, and carried shell fragments under his skin for the remainder of his life.