From:Keren Hayles
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 11:25 PM
To:
Subject: Stalag 8b/344
My Grandfather John Hugh Wyatt was a POW at this camp....
His DOB 21st July 1917 and died 1991 in Taree, Australia....
He was a POW twice the first time when he and Lewis Hodges escaped and went back to the UK to fly again only for my Grandfather to become a POW and spend his time in Stalag 8b
John Hugh Wyatt RAF number 754237 POW number 27055 at camp 344
In the photo POW Group at Stalag 8b he's 2nd row from back 4th person from the right.
Below is information I have above his first capture with Lewis Hodges
Wyatt J.H.
Posted in: August 1940
Posted out: September 1940
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 754227
Trade: Wireless Op/Air gunner
Operation:
4.9.40
1500hrs. Five a/c detailed to operate from Mildenhall. Target – oil refinery A104 at Stettin or Semo/Mopa as an alternative.
All airborne by 2007hrs. Four were known successful on main target .
Hampden P1347 missing with crew: F/O Hodges; Sgt. S.J. Hitchings; Sgt. J.H. Wyatt;; Sgt. L.C. Turnbull
From Bomber Command Losses 1939-40 by William Chorley:
4-5 Sept 1940 49 Sqdn Hampden 1 P1347 EA-D
F/O L.M. Hodges pow T/o Scampton. Strayed off course and after being
Sgt. S.J. Hitchings pow fired on by light flak from an airfield in Brittany
Sgt. J.H. Wyatt pow the Hampden was force-landed in a field near
Sgt. L.C. Turnbull pow St-Brieuc. While being held captive at a camp
Near Toulouse, F/O Hodges and Sgt Wyatt managed to escape and both arrived home via Gibraltar, on 31st July 1941. It is believed they were the only Hampden aircrew to make a successful escape from a prisoner of war camp. F/O Hodges rose in rank to W/C and in November 1942 took command of 161 Squadron which was involved with SOE operations.
I will continue to check the rest of the sites you have suggested but sincerely appreciate your help and assistance in this matter... His son Ian from his second marriage and my mother don't know much about what happened during the war and what ever information we gain is more than what we currently have at the moment, any small amount is better than nothing... Apparently he didn't talk much about it, to me and my mother we never had the opportunity to meet him so anything we can find is helpful in knowing him more...
Keren
More Photos:
Back standing 4th from (L) of photo just under "S" Stalag V111 B no date
Front row seated 4th from (L) of photo Stalag 344 marked as received July 1944
Back standing 5th from (L) of photo under "S" Marked as received May 1944 Stalag 344
Not known date or place but 3rd (R) in photo back row