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.
My late father Denis John Whiteman was in 11 Air Formation Signal, Royal Signals Regiment. They provided communications between the airfield and military headquarters (the first between an airfield and General Montgomery). His unit landed in Normandy on Gold Beach. He helped put in an airfield at Arnheim, provided telephone lines for ground observers to direct bombing and ditto for the Rhine crossing.
I did not learn that my father's unit had been in Belsen until well into my teens. He was reluctant to talk about it and I asked him several times before he told me briefly.
Dad said that when he arrived at Belsen in spring 1945 (17th April?), a couple of days after it had been liberated by the British, there were no inmates to be seen. Typhus was rife, and they were all locked away in huts being cared for by Red Cross workers.
He said that a huge deep pit the size of a football pitch had been dug in the camp, and machines were bringing over and loading bodies into the mass grave. German locals from all around the camp were being forced at rifle-point to walk around the pit and see for themselves what was happening.
He saw the crematorium oven at Bergen-Belsen.
He had other appalling war memories dating from his time in France and Germany.
Submitted by: Yvonne Whiteman
Spicer, WRC Lt. Col (RAMC)
My father, Lt. Colonel WRC Spicer was an RAMC officer who was in the group which liberated Belsen in April 1945. I attach a letter he wrote from Belsen to his older brother who was serving as a doctor in the Royal Navy. His younger brother was a doctor in the RAF.
More to follow...
Submitted by: Richard Spicer
Davies, James Harold
My father, James Harold Davies was serving with an armoured division at the relief of the concentration camp. His job was relieving all the German officers of their insignia, badges, medals etc as they were all reduced to the rank of private thereby avoiding the need to treat them with respect.
That apart, he never spoke of the horrors he witnessed. He served in north africa, Burma and other theatres being awarded a BEM for services to his regiment
Submitted by: Kevill Davies
Brooks, Leslie (63rd ATR)
My grandad Lance corporal Leslie Brooks was among the first to liberate the camp, he was a medic attached to the 63rd regiment. I’ve been doing research and I’ve found my grandad in part of some footage for the liberation of the camp.
I’ve applied for his army records and I’m just waiting to receive them. Unfortunately my grandad passed away when I was 12 but my dad heard all of his stories and shares them with us. I have his medals and pictures of him in the blood transfusion hospital in Bristol, I’ve found his name in the London gazette on the 8th November 1945 for an act of heroism.
Submitted by: Emma Brooks
Freer, Arthur (39 Kinema section)
My father, Arthur Freer, pte number 14205665 of R.A.O.C. visited the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp at the end of ww11 with his unit 39 Kinema section. My mother told me that he never spoke about it. My father died in 1964 and being a child then,I did not have those conversations with him that I might have had later in life.
He was posted ultimately to Ploen in Schleswig Holstein where he met my mother. They married in Peterborough in 1947.
Love conquers all!
Just wanted to share this after the Holocaust Memorial Day.
Submitted by: Rita E Cole, nee Freer
Woodhead, Donald
My father, Donald Woodhead, told us that he was one of the first to reach Belsen on April 15th 1945. He was very reluctant to say any more about it, so I have no information about his role. Do you have anything that you could tell me about what he did at Belsen or any further information about him? I’ve looked carefully at photos and film taken at Belsen but cannot be sure that I’ve seen him.
His details are: born 1916, died 1997.
Army number: 7380186
Rank: Corporal in the RAMC.
I have a note that he was with the 8 Brit Field Ambulance.
Submitted by: Peter Woodhead
Hanson, Daniel James
Daniel James Hanson (1921-2005), a Britsh Army soldier. He was originally with The Buffs, but later transferred to the 79th Armoured Division, landing at Sword Beach, Normandy on D-Day.
In April 1945 he was part of the British contingency, still with the 79th Armoured Division, as they liberated Belsen.
More to follow...
Submitted by: Paula de Reuck
Dunkersloot, Albert (Sgt)
British MP
More to follow...
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Cherrington, Paul (Major)
On the 12th I had a most unusual experience. Two emissaries arrived from the other side to arrange that an area to the North of us should not be fought over.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Colley, Henry Lt. Col.
Chief Cypher Officer 21st Army
He was one of the first British officers to arrive at Belsen.
Gideon Taylor, President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), today (November 10, 2021) announced the Read more
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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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UPDATE: 2025. Apologies for the ridiculous amount of Google adverts within the site. We are looking into changing this, to a more appropriate level. That said, the adverts do generate income to keep this site going.
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.
