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Background history
John Dale Chew’s chronicle consists of three albums which contain original photographs, correspondence, press cut-outs, maps and also documents written in different POW camps, where he stayed in the years 1940-1945. The author himself elaborated on the whole and added copious suggestive comments on the Werhmacht-run POW camps. The chronicle contains a total of 237 original photographs bearing stamps of the camp censors: XXI A Schildberg (Ostrzeszów), XXI B Schubin (Szubin), XXI B-H Thure (Tur), XXI D Posen (Poznań). As it is explained by the author, the shots were taken by German guards who “[…] had got cameras and – at the same time – liked the food sent in by the Red Cross and Gold Flake cigarettes. One photo could be purchased by a POW for two cigarettes in the black market […].” based on the photographic material and detailed descriptions, the author undertook an attempt the task of illustrating his stay in the captivity. The letter from the Headquarters of the Royal Army Service Corps, dated on 9 August 1940 and addressed to John Dale Chew’s parents, which informs them of their son missing in action, deserves special attention. The author devoted a lot of space to showing the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross in extending aid to POWs. For this reason he included a letter from the British Red Cross, in which we can read about the scale of the aid given in the form of food and objects which were delivered to POWs and civilians interned in the years 1940-1945. An event which crowned the long period of captivity was the wedding of the POW, which took place on 4 May 1945 – one month after his returning home. The information about this exceptional event was published in the local press, which is documented by the attached cut-out. Upon studying the album, we can also learn about the friendship which the POW made with Arnold Klarbunds, a former camp guard. During the evacuation march both men shared food they managed to get hold of and after the war their mutual helping each other gave rise to their friendship. John Dale Chew submitted a surety at the American Embassy, on the basis of which Arnold Klarbunde was reinstated to the post of a banker. The first camp, which John Dale Chew was sent to with the whole detachment of Field Petrol of Royal Army Service Corps was Stalag XXI B Schubin. Next, he was detained in the following stalags: XXI B Thure, XXI A Schildberg, XXI D Posen. From January to March 1944 he was staying in Genshagen near Berlin, ironically dubbed into Holiday Camp. Afterwards, he was transferred to Stalag VIII B (344) Lamsdorf (Łambinowice), where, after 21 days, he was employed in a mine. In January 1945, he was moved to Stalag Luft III Sagan (Żagań), from where he set out on an evacuation march into the heart of Germany. On 20 March 1945, John Dale Chew reached the environs of the place called Bad Orb, where, on 2 April 1945, he was liberated by the American Army. The chronicle of captivity elaborated on by John Dale Chew has served the Museum to carry out its educational and publishing activities.
Prepared by: Anna Wickiewicz
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Chronicle of captivity
Source of acquisition
Donation of Elisabeth Sutherland and Martin Chew.
Description of the item
Three volumes of 25cm x 30cm, containing notes, original photographs, maps and documents written in captivity during World War II.
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