The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
Welcome this new archive relating and dedicated to the men and women service personnel and the part they played at the Liberation and subsequent Humanitarian Effort of the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945: The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp. UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who submitted a name/details to coincide with the anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen – we’ll go through all your submissions, moderate and add them on. If you have a photo or any more details please email us. Thank you.
We are now inviting any relatives of service personnel who may have been at the camp to get in touch. Any regiment, service, nationality, volunteer or any snippet of information – we would like to hear from you. We do not believe there are any records of the diverse group of men and women, many completely untrained, who were involved with the camp, after it’s liberation.
There are currently 44 names in this directory beginning with the letter D.
D’Arcy, Priscilla
R.A.M.C. 29th British General Hospital
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Dalby, Horatio Joseph Kitchener
Soldier
Submitted by: Dalby
Dale, Ray
L/SGT Belsen Liberator At rest on September 3rd 2019 at the R.S.U.H, Ray aged 95 years of Tunstall, formerly of Knypersley, dearly loved husband of the late Dorothy, much loved dad of Elaine & Adrian, father in law, grandad, dear brother to Catherine and the late Doreen, Joan, Mary & Wilf, brother in law, special uncle & great uncle. Ray will be greatly missed by all his family & friends. Biddulph.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Dale, Thomas William (113th)
Service number 818096
Regiment 113 LAA Regiment RA
Gazette date 15 Dec 1944
Award Gallantry Cert.
Submitted by: 113th Durham Light Infantry RA
Dane, Rosslyn A J (Capt.) (113 LAA)
Rosslyn A J Dane
Birth 12/09/1912 • Dover, Kent
Death SEP 1997 • Thanet, Kent, England
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Daniell Robert Bramston Thesiger Brigadier
Daniell, Robert (Captain) Submitted by: Archive
Daniels, Bob (Lt Col) Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Guy's Hospital medical student.
Davies, E Margery P
Edith Margery Pearce Davies. Born 1895.
Guide International Service hospital team.
In charge for a month of 700 patients.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Davies, W. A. Maj.
US Army, a consultant in typhus control attached to 21 Army Group
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Davies, Walter (RAF)
RAF Medical
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Davis, Thomas Ernest (RAOC 37 Kinema Section) Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Davis, W.A. Capt.
US Typhus Commission
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Davys, Michael Gwynne Douglas
Guy's Hospital medical student.
Day, William Henry
I'm not sure if anyone can help me. I'm trying to find out more about my Grandad and his war time service. When I was much younger and learning about World War 2 at school, I'm afraid to say I did badger him about his time in the war. He told me he would talk about his experience of Belsen once and never again. he told me he was part of the group of soldiers who liberated the camp and that it was like Hell, people dead or dying and hardly recognisable as human beings, he said that they tried to help and as they were starving gave the prisoners their rations, he said, we killed more people, we didn't know that our rations were too rich for their stomachs.
This has stayed with me for over 40 years now and I think about this exchange often and wished I'd asked more questions, even though he made it clear the subject wasn't up for discussion again!
The reason for the resurgence of interest is threefold, firstly we are due to visit Auschwitz over the next week, although not the same, still an important place to visit, secondly and the reason for the visit is our son has recently studied further in History at school and has an interest, along with reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in English lessons, in learning more and thirdly as part of his GCSE course in RS has to prepare a project, he is intending to research all of my Grandads medals and why he received them.
My mother is of an age that although she's always been interested in what her Father did in the war has not had the opportunity to research, I'd like her to know more before she exits stage left and I feel like it's left to me to share his story and know more.
Any pointers you can give me would be most welcome, I do have his record card but it's very vague. His name was William Henry Day born in Bradford.
I'm also sending over a couple of photos we have in case they are of interest. My Grandad is the one writing at the desk!
Submitted by: Charlotte Parker
De Greff, E M (Red Cross)
Red Cross Relief Officer
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Dearden, Elizabeth (FRS)
FRS arrived at Belsen Sat night 21st April
(Friends Relief Service)
Maiden name: Elizabeth T Clarkson
MoreMore
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Deeks, Elsie
St John’s Ambulance
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Delson, Ben RCAF
Canadian. He was an aircraft mechanic and amateur photographer stationed near Bergen-Belsen
More
Captain William Denton, Royal Engineers, Personal No. 287521, Army No. 4749563
More details to follow...
Submitted by: Michael Denton
Deverill, K G Lt (113th LAA)
Att 100 Club (113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive
Dews, Jesse (Pioneer Corps)
Jesse worked in the Pioneer Corps and served in France and Germany with Canadian troops.
He was one of the first in to the Concentration Camp of Bergen-Belsen.
Submitted by: Martin Greatbatch
Diack, Bill
2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Dickson. Michael, Irwin (Sgt)
86th Hertfordshire Yeomanry Field Regt R.A.
Submitted by: Dorothy Ramser
Dixey, John Roger Bertram (Medical Student St Barts)
Medical Student. St Bartholomew’s Hospital
“We were dealing with the killer, the main killer, which was typhus.”
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Doherty, Muriel Knox
Arrived at Belsen Camp on July 11th 1945
"Australian nurse, who ran Belsen Hospital, is going Poland as chief nurse UNRRA Mission. This practical - looking woman with a kindly smile had one rule only in her Belsen hospital It was “No rules and regulations allowed.’’ ...
Muriel Knox Dougherty (1896-1988) was a leading figure in Australian nursing and nurse education.
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Doignie, Albert
REME Corporal attached to the 109th Heavy Artillery, RA. He too was at Belsen and he told me of some of the most appalling events there. He entered there on 15th April 1944 and remained there until he was sent home on leave, sick with dysentry, on the 18th May
Submitted by: Archive
Dossetor, Andrew Ernest (Medical Student St Barts)
My name is Harry White and I am attempting to find photos of my great grandfather Harold Doward who served in The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of the Scottish Regiment and was involved in the liberation of Belsen in April 1945. Any information would be much appreciated
My Grandad John Duff went into the camp April 1945. He said it was a terrible place. I remember as a child playing with 2 silver rings a silver signet ting with a black enamel line through it and the other a silver skull and cross bones. He took them from a dead SS officer. He told me the skull and cross bone ring was an honour ring gifted to the Nazi members by Heinrich Himmler as a reward for good service. The camp had to be destroyed it was rife with Typhus.
Submitted by: Marie Millar
Duffy, Dennis Submitted by: Archive
Duncan, William
11th Armoured Division
Fife yeomanry
"Within the first tank squadron which helped the final push towards the camps". Mr Duncan, of Castlehill, Turriff
EMAIL/CONTACT PLEASE NOTE: Recently we found an important email hidden away as spam. It could have been lost. If you contact us and either do not get a personal reply or a mention/update on this website, please send your email again. Thank you.
This site will progress and I’d encourage anyone with any info to get in touch. My granddad, Reg Price served with the 113th Durham Light Infantry*, as part of 369 Battery. As a signwriter, he produced this sign…
The Sign at the Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
And this was kept in the family for years – so for the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Belsen in 2020, subsequent VE Day and VJ Day, I thought it’s about time I’d try to find out more about Reg – his comrades (many of which are names, simply written on the back of photos), what they did together and for a way to remember them all, properly.
To coinicide with the anniversary, I was able to be filmed both on national and local BBC TV to tell Reg’s Story. Whilst this was totally out of my comfort zone and I dreaded every moment – I decided I needed to do something to start this all off. BBC Midlands Today aired 7th May and a VE Day Antiques Roadshow Special aired Sunday 10th May.
The main photo, shown here was coloured for the 75th Anniversary and we’ll tell you all about it shortly – and what happened next!
*Just 113th Durham Light Infantry? No we are interested in all Service and Medical personnel who took part during the humanitarian effort at Belsen Concentration Camp. Their roles and names are largely forgotten, as many were too horrified to ever speak of what they had to do, so this archive seeks to form a tribute to ALL those that were there, to find out more and to remember them. If you have a relative, or any info, on the relief effort at Belsen, we’d love you to please get in touch. Email us: liberator@belsen.co.uk – Thank you
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The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
Any 113th Durham Light Infantry friends or family are encouraged to get in touch via 113th@belsen.co.uk
** In 1938 the old 5th Battalion DLI changed its role to Searchlights and then in 1940 to Anti-Aircraft. This 113th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment went to Normandy in June 1944 and joined the advance into Germany in early 1945. Official designation – Brigade: 100 AA • Division: 30 Corps. • Unit: 113 LAA Regt. RA (DLI) TA.
