| 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). For more information please email us at greekveterans@gmail.com and we will forward your request to our Archivist Noah Scott |
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