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 74 names in this directory beginning with the letter T.
Tarplee, Walter Submitted by: Wendy O’Donnell
Tasker Peter Williams Gedge
Tatarczuk, Marian (Lt.)
In the very early days Hardman appealed to Colonel Johnston, who allowed him to set up a “first-aid centre” in camp 1, the death camp. With Doctor Natolski and Lieutenant Marian Tatarczuk, who were both Polish political prisoners, and Stephen Green of the British Red Cross, Hardman created the first improvised hospital at Belsen in what had been the SS pharmacy, which contained some medical supplies. Hardman got it cleaned up by SS women, and doctors and nurses among the inmates helped to establish it. There was space for about a dozen beds, with two patients to a bed, so that it accommodated twenty to thirty sick people at a time. Serving in the first four weeks of liberation as a miniature hospital, its staff struggled to save lives, caring for critically ill people until they could be evacuated to the new hospital in the military barracks
Taylor, Richard. I. G (Dick) (Lieutenant-Colonel) (63rd ATR)
Commanding Officer of the 63rd Anti-Tank Regiment.
“A great number of them [the inmates] were little more than living skeletons with haggard yellowish faces. Most of the men wore a striped pyjama type of clothing—others wore rags, while women wore striped flannel gowns or any other clothing they had managed to acquire. Many of them were without shoes and wore only socks and stockings. There were men and women lying in heaps on both sides of the track. Others were walking slowly and aimlessly about—a vacant expression on their starved faces.” April, 15
Taylor, Robert (113 LAA)
“I was immediately sent to a room nearby to be treated with insecticide. I was stripped completely and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) sprayed my body with that now famous powder, A.L.63. On completion I dressed and prepared to deliver my goods into the concentration camp.”
“I visited a cookhouse controlled by a British Army sergeant. He was issuing good hot food, strictly rationed and controlled. A British mobile bath unit was already in operation, hot water and soap being freely given. Ablution and sanitation facilities never before existed in Belsen, water being a luxury commodity, for drinking only, and strictly rationed at that.”
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Thompson, George Wilbert
No known unit. Just visting or something else?
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Thompson, JE (Flight Officer) RCAF
My grandfather, F/O James Ernest Thompson of 437 sqn RCAF.
More
My father was a British officer who I believe entered Belsen helped to liberate
Submitted by: Christine Lawry
Thwaite, Herbert Henry Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Tilbe, Ronald
Royal Service Corps, driver 10 Ton Mack dessert truck. Transportation of medical supplies, food & removal of German prisoners from the camp. I know my dad gave Kramer, the camp commandant some cigarettes.
(Thank you - if you have any more details or a period photo please email liberator@belsen.co.uk)
Please add my father to the directory. His name was John William Turner and he served with the Kings Troupe, Royal Horse Artillery. His DOB was 16th June 1923. Thank you for keeping the memories alive.
Medical Students: St Bartholomew’s Hospital David Cordley Bradford 1922–2002 Became a general practitioner and founded the first purpose built surgery Read more
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
***
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.
