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.

Those That Served

Tom Scholes (58th LAA)

Tom Scholes was called up for 6 months in the First Militia, aged 21, on 17 July 1939. Those 6 Read more

Colonel Michael Osborn

Colonel Osborn was one of the first to enter Belsen concentration camp, and what he discovered stayed with him for Read more

William (Bill) Roach 58th LAA v2

Commemorations to mark 60 years since the liberation of Belsen earlier this month had very personal memories for a city Read more

Molly Silva Jones - British Red Cross

The human laundry. ‘Going into that place, who could forget it?’ wrote Molly Sylva* Jones of the Red Cross. ‘Living Read more

Derrick A Sington - 14 Amplifier Unit

On 15 April at the request of GSO, 11 Armoured Division, 14 Amplifier Unit joined 23 Hussars and accompanied them Read more

William E Roach (Acting Capt.) 58th LAA

William E Roach OBE 172 Battery, 58th Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment Royal Artillery (RA), during April 1945 when his unit Read more

Desmond Hawkins (Medical Student)

Desmond Hawkins’ early medical career was heavily affected by the Second World War. As a student he was involved in Read more

Charles Williams

Williams ‘Pip’ (Charles) 1924 - 2005 Pip joined up aged just 17 and served as a driver/mechanic in France, Italy, Read more

Mike Courtenay

Born 14 March 1923; died 25 June 2018 ‘Has anyone got a case?’ So Mike Courtenay would begin a group Read more

Duncan Campbell

Duncan is standing, second from left. Back of the photo says, “The Belsen Gang, Calais 45” Secomnf photo: Duncan's on 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…

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.

Read here about The Heroes of Belsen.

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.

The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
Names of British soldiers who liberated Belsen

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