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 42 names in this directory beginning with the letter J.
JACKSON, ERIC (KIA)
Name: JACKSON, ERIC
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Unit Text: 113 (2/5th Bn. The Durham Light Inf.) Lt. A.A. Regt.
Age: 28
Date of Death: 03/07/1944
REF in war diary
Service No: 1526427
Additional information: Son of John and Elizebeth Jackson; husband of Viola A. Jackson, of Nawton, Yorkshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: VIII. F. 8.
Cemetery: BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY
Killed by splinters, believed to be from an enemy 88mm shell.
Sergeant with the Intelligence Corps - British Army for six years. Following the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Tom was part of the team that arrested the SS Guards on 17 April 1945.
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Jackson, William (Bill) Sgt (113th LAA)
Regiment 113th LAA, Royal Artillery
Rank: Sergeant (Regimental Sergeant Major)
DOB: 3/12/1920 Birth place around durham / hartlepool area
Address: 17 Park Street. West Hartlepool
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive
Jacobsthal, Hilde
Hilde Jacobsthal worked as a childcare provider, nurse, ambulance driver for the Belgian resistance. As a nurse at the newly liberated Bergen-Belsen camp, she learned that her best friend Margot Frank and Margot's sister, Anne, had died there weeks earlier
I am wondering if you may have any records or information in regards to my great grandfather, 14340467 Sgt Thomas Jasper. He was in the anti tank platoon of the south Lancashire regiment and the story goes his section was involved in the liberation of Bergen Belsen concentration camp.
Submitted by: Benn
Jenkins Edward G LCpl.
Jenkins William John
Jenkins, Edward G
Lance-Corporal. Guarded Josef Kramer. Nes article 26th April, 1945
368 Battery
On landing in Normandy the Battery commander.
85862
Awarded MILITARY CROSS. 11/10/1945
From Sunderland.
Badly Injured, 25th March 1945, Rhine Bridges.
Born: Jan 1906, Sunderland.
Probate Ref: 7 Palatine Road, Birkdale, Southport, Lancs.
Died 9th February, 1962. Married to Sheila Ethel Jobling
Liberation Dolls given to Miss Johnson of the British Red Cross.
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Johnson, Ronald Sydney
My grandfather was always reluctant to talk of the experience and only spoke about a boy in the camp he offered a bar of chocolate from his rashion pack to
Submitted by: Martin Slade
Johnson. Gordon Rankin
CSqdn 5RTR. My father told me how their stomachs were too weak for food. They had to have "slops". Dad saw lampshades made from tattooed skin. He said the smell was horrific, and never forgotten.
(Thank you - if you have any more details or a period photo please email liberator@belsen.co.uk)
Submitted by: Gillian Johnson
Johnston, James Alexander Deans Lt. Col. (Later Maj. Gen.)
Commander of the 11th Light Field Ambulance unit and appointed senior medical officer.
32nd Casualty Clearing Station
MoreMore 2
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Johnston, William James (RA)
1918–2012
Birth 03 MAR 1918 • Norton Bavant, Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Death 29 JUL 2012 • Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Enlisted in British Army - Artillery (25 pounders) -Served in post-D-Day landings in France, Belgium, Battle of the Bulge. Remained in Germany in Occupation Forces including witnessing, first hand, Belsen Concentration Camp just after surrender.
369 Battery
Perhaps B.S.M. J. Joyce. of 59 Tenth Street, Blackball
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Jones Richard Kingsley
Jones, Douglas
B Platoon. RASC.
King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Jones, Eva Moreen (Sister) QAIMNS
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Jones, John Frederick Submitted by: D Pearse
Jones, John Spencer
Guy's Hospital medical student.
Jones, Jonah
224 Parachute Field Ambulance
Attached to 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive
Jones, Joseph
My Uncle Joseph Jones was one of the first through the gate, giving medical assistance to the poor people in there. He spent weeks working in there and gave evidence that was used at the Nuremberg war trials to send the Nazis to the gallows. On his return to the UK, he became a vicer in Blackpool and passed away about 20 years ago.
Unfortunately don't know his unit or whether he was RAMC. I know he married a Wren who worked as a BOMBE Operator in Bletchley Park, my Aunt Jessie. The only photo I have of him is with a dog collar on. I'll contact his son Martin to see if he has any details. I'm a Navy Veteran myself.
(Yes please - a photo and any more details would be fantastic!)
Submitted by: Michael Woodfin
Jones, Leonard (REME)
"Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away" Veteran of Normandy Landings and a Liberator at Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp Len, sadly passed away at the age of 93 years on 20th May 2017 at Hengoed Park Residential Home, formerly of Orchard Court. Loved father of Cheryl and Jeff, dear father-in-law of Clive and Roberta, much loved grandpa of his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Update by Cheryl Srbek.
My father Leonard Jones spoke little about his war until into his 90’s
Even though from Swansea and Welsh served in the 15th Scottish regiments REME.
He talked about liberating Bergen Belsen and after the commandos he drove through the gates on a bulldozer and was then tasked with bulldozing bodies into mass graves.
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.
