大象传媒

I have recently been researching my father's military career from 1937 to 1945. His name was Alfred Davies. He was born in 1920 and enlisted in the TA at Horwich, near Bolton in Lancashire, and then the Regular Army whilst still only sixteen years old. He served with the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers (regimental No. 3856055) in India, Iraq and North Africa. He won the Military Medal in June 1942 during the withdrawal from the Tobruk area. Only four officers and about 100 men from the battalion evaded capture or injury after being surrounded by enemy forces. In August of the same year, all but 19 of the survivors were transferred to the King's Own Royal Regiment.
In November 1943, Sgt Davies was part of the ill-fated garrison occupying the island of Leros in the Dodecanese when it was invaded by an overwhelming force of German infantry and paratroops. Other British regiments involved included the Royal East Kents (Buffs) and the Royal Irish Fusiliers. After five days of incessant bombing and strafing, and often bitter hand to hand fighting, the garrison was forced to surrender.
Alfred was among the hundreds wounded and taken prisoner. He was treated in a German military hospital in Salonika and then taken by cattle truck to Austria and eventually to Stalag 357 (Oerbke). He remained in captivity until April 1945.