Thomson Andrew P

NAME Thomson Andrew Purvis
RANK IN GREECE

Private

ON DEMOB

N/K

SERIAL NUMBER SERVICE

7757804

PRISONER

216

UNIT IN GREECE

RAVC

ACTIVE

 

IN GREECE

March – 28 April

METHOD OF DEPARTURE

 

Captured/surrendered at Kalamata  29 April 1941
POW CAMPS

 

IN GREECE

Presumably Dulags 185 Corinth & 183 Salonika

IN OCCUPIED EUROPE

Stalag XVIIIA, Wolfsberg;

ArbKdo 11096/GW, Unterdrauberg

 

NOTES

Source:  Son (William)

“When my Dad got called up in 1939 the recruiting officer asked him what he did for a living and my Dad answered that he was a milkman for the co-op.  ‘Oh’ said the officer ‘just what we need – drivers’ and was about to put him down for a driver in whatever company. ‘No’ said my old man ‘ I drive a horse and cart – it’s a milk float’. ‘Even better’ said the recruiting officer. ‘It’s the Veterinary Corps for you then laddie’ and that’s how he ended up in the Middle East and in Jerusalem in charge of a stable full of horses!  After a while he got a bit bored and the army was looking for volunteers to go to Greece and the rest as they say is history.

When his mother (my grandmother) heard from the war office that he was missing in Greece she collapsed fearing the worst.  My mum and dad knew each other through junior and secondary school and got married after the war in 1946 – a wait of over 6 years (imagine that now!)”

Archivist’s Note:  Andrew served in Palestine in 1940, based for a period in Jerusalem, possibly dealing with pack-mules and cavalry horses (both known to have still been in use).

STORY

We are pleased to share with you the story of Andrew Thomson from the information we have in our Archive. Please click on the headings/links below which will take you to the relevant PDF file.

Andrew Thomson Foreword

Andrew Thomson Pre Greece

Andrew Thomson Greek Campaign

Andrew Thomson Post Greece

Please note we are sharing the contents of our Archive in good faith and in the spirit of the veterans asking us to “Tell Them We Were Here”. The copyright rests with the original authors (as credited), the families and/or The Brotherhood of Greek Veterans.

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