Alfred Holbrook

Hi All, I noticed that there was a record in your archive which gave the service history of my late father, Pte. Alfred Holbrook. I have a number of photos of him which I have attached which show him in the uniform of the R.A.. He had a lot to do with the horses as can be seen. He later transferred to the RAMC, was part of the BEF and was evacuated off the beach at Dunkirk. He was then captured at Crete and spent the rest of the war as a labourer for German road and railway building. I also have a picture of him as a drummer in a concert orchestra in Stalag IVC Wistritz taken at Christmas, 1942. He wrote the names of most of the men in that photo on the back, but his writing is hard to read.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 09/10/2021 23:16:11

Hi Mark
Thanks for the photos. I have added a cropped version of one of them to the main archive entry we already had for your Father here:

https://www.commandoveterans.org/AlfredHolbrook_7Commando

Additionally I have added a fuller sized version of that photo to the No.7 Commando Gallery here:

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/7/

and the PoW one to our Prisoners of War album here:

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/POW/

Are you able to scan the rear of the photo with the names on and post it.

Finally can you advise me of the dates of birth and death of your Father and I will add those.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 25/08/2021 23:22:45

Hi, thanks for putting the pics up. I've attached a copy of the rear of the band photo. I can read some but not all of the names, some French, some Italian.

Chiapolino
Guizien (Andre)
Dickenson -?
Mogies
Lafargue
Myself
Franzosen
Dornier?

My dad's dates are 15. 08.11 to 23.03.93. He was liberated by the Russians. He and others hid in the nearby coal mine after the Germans had fled the advance, deserting the camp.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/10/2021 23:16:32

Thanks or the additional details. I have merged the reverse with the front here:

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/POW/Alfred_Holbrook_Stalag4C_+Xmas_1942.jpg.html

and updated the archive and also the gallery entry here: https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/7/Alfred_Holbrook_3.jpg.html