Camp 334. Stalag 344, Lamsdorf Hospital, Germany. Camp 18A. Stalag VIIIA, Wolfsberg, Austrian Tyrol, Camp L2. Stalag L2, Litzmannstadt, Poland, Camp 8B. Stalag VIIIB, Lamsdorf, Germany. Camp L3. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan and Balaria, Germany (now Poland), Camp L6. Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Lithuania, Camp 357. Stalag 357, Kopernikus, Poland

(1) Sgt William James (Bill) Middleton was repatriated in 1943. Supplement to the London Gazette 30th January 1945 - RAFVR General Duties Branch. Appointment to Commission as Pilot Officer on probation 5th December 1944. 968144 William James Middleton (189099) Supplement to the London Gazette 13th July 1945. RAFVR General Duties Branch. Confirmation and promotion. Pilot Officer (prob) confirmed in appointment and to be Flying Officers 5th June 1945. W J Middleton 1890990. It is believed that Bill Middleton came from Aberdeen

Prisoners of war dividing up the potato peelings at Stalag 357 Fallingbostel (courtesy National Library NZ)

(2) Sgt Kenneth Robert (Bob) Coles MBE was also known as "Smudge" Coles. He was a persistent POW escaper and was awarded the MBE as per Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Friday 28th June 1946. The citation reads - "Warrant Officer Kenneth Robert Coles 751124 RAFVR No 139 Squadron. Warrant Officer Coles was captured and taken to a Luftwaffe hospital at Amsterdam after his aircraft had crashed into the sea on the 8th April 1941. A few days later he and a friend, dressed in uniforms stolen from the Luftwaffe patients, climbed through a window on the first floor and over the boundary wall, making their way to the outskirts of the city. They were recaptured the next day having been betrayed by a man who had offered to help them. In June 1941 when being transferred to Litzmanstadt by rail, he and four others prised open the door of the truck and jumped from the train while it was travelling at about 30 m.p.h. For the next ten days they walked towards Switzerland, eventually reaching Regensburg, where they planned to steal an aircraft, but this proved impracticable, so they continued walking south. On the 7th July they were recaptured by the police while attempting to board a goods train, and taken to Stalag Luft VIIIB at Lamsdorf. During the summer of 1942 Warrant Officer Coles took part in several tunnelling operations which were discovered before completion. He also assisted the escape committee by making dummy heads to cover the absence of escapers, and he did valuable work in reproducing identification papers etc. Warrant Officer Coles and a friend escaped from a marching column on 15th April 1945 and 3 days later made contact with the Allied forces". Bob returned to Holland to be reunited with his recovered aircraft in 1998. In 2002 Bob returned to Amsterdam to visit the building (Luftwaffe Hospital) that he, Bill Middleton and Bob Hale had been admitted to in 1941. Sadly Kenneth Robert (Bob) Coles died on the Isle of Wight on July 12th 2013 aged 94

Prisoners of war hard at work in Lambsdorf camp (courtesy Australian War Memorial)

(3) Sgt H R (Bob) Hale. It is believed that Bob Hale came from Coventry. No further information as yet

Researched by: Kate Tame for aircrewremembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew

Acknowledgements: With special thanks to  Isle of Wight - County Press, American Air Museum in Britain 

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