Quote from the site page for F/Sgt M.J.Hibberd PoW experiences at Oflag IV-C (Colditz), Stalag IV-G (Oschatz) and on the march:-
MJH and 5 other PoWs escaped by diving into a drain beside the road, when marching through dense fog. This was described in a letter to a family member 15 Feb 1982 as "six of us shot through from a forced march and found Yanks in front of us a few miles". The name of one of the escapees was Holt, but no other identifying information is known.
Investigations have been made in an attempt to identify Holt. It was not known whether he was in the Army or the Air Force. His initials or first names were not known, nor was his age at that time, and there was no other recorded information about him in F/Sgt M.J.Hibberd's personal papers.
Searching for PoW Holt in WW2
German Prisoner of War Camps were under the control of the Luftwaffe or the Wehrmacht.
The Luftwaffe camps were known as Stalag Luft (Stammlager der Luftwaffe) and numbered from I to VII, e.g. Stalag Luft VII Bankau, Poland.
The Wehrmacht camps were known as Stalag (Stammlager) and numbered in 2 categories – Roman numeral plus an Arabic capital letter, e.g. IV-G, or those with just a number e.g. 357. The Roman numeral identified the Wehrkreis or administrative area, each with headquarters within that area.
Stalag IV-G Oschatz was situated in Wehrkreis IV, Saxony, with headquarters in Dresden.
Stalag VII-A Moosburg was situated in Wehrkreis VII, Bavaria, with headquarters in Munich.
In addition to IV-G Oschatz, other Stalags in Wehrkreis IV, Saxony were:–
IV-A Hohnstein (not Hohenstein near Frankfurt, not Hohenstein in Poland); IV-B Mühlberg; IV-C Wistritz (not Bystrice in Poland); IV-D Torgau; IV-D/Z Annaburg; IV-E Altenburg; IV-F Hartmannsdorf.
Oflag (Offizierlager) or Officer camps in Wehrkreis IV were:– Oflag IV-B Königstein; Oflag IV-C Colditz; and others.
Please note that the spelling of the above mentioned names, and locations, varies between authors and websites.
Air Force PoW in WW2
Referring to "Footprints in the Sands of Time – RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45" (author Oliver Clutton-Brock), there were four Air Force Prisoners of War with the name Holt (page 321).
Sgt S. Holt died of wounds the day after he was shot down in July 1944.
Sgt E. Holt was shot down in the Cologne area in November 1941, and was PoW at Stalag VII-A (Moosburg, ~50km north east of Munich), Stalag 383 (Hohenfels, ~145km north of Munich), and Stalag Luft VII (Bankau, Poland), and was PoW No. 116 and 90113.
Sgt J. Holt was also shot down in the Cologne area, but in June 1943, and was PoW at Stalag Luft VI (Heydekrug, Lithuania) and Stalag 357 (Thorn, Poland, later relocated to Oerbke/Fallingbostel), and was PoW No. 170.
Sgt G.M. Holt was shot down near Rüsselsheim in August 1944 and was PoW at Stalag Luft VII (Bankau, Poland), and was PoW No. 592.
All three were PoWs in camps long distances away from Stalag IV-G Oschatz in Saxony. Therefore they were all unlikely to have been the Holt who was part of the PoW group with F/Sgt M.J. Hibberd in April/May 1945, and were eliminated from further investigations.
Army PoW in WW2
Using Ancestry and The National Archives, searches were made of the database of "British Army Prisoners of War, 1939-1945".
Results were 58 British Army PoWs with the name Holt.
The search was repeated with filters, to segregate names of those PoWs in Wehrkreis IV only.
The results were 16 PoWs with the name Holt in Wehrkreis IV camps.
Stalag IV-A Hohnstein – 2
Private G.W. Holt 14547393 Lincolnshire Regiment, PoW 40151;
Private L. Holt S/211352 Royal Army Service Corps, PoW 11027.
Stalag IV-B Mühlberg – 3
Private G. Holt 4616788 Duke of Wellingtons Regiment, Pow 10213;
Private H. Holt 4460133 Durham Light Infantry, PoW 263446;
Lance Serjeant S. Holt 4344945 East Yorkshire Regiment, PoW 228470.
Stalag IV-C Wistritz – 2
Driver W. Holt 938377 Royal Artillery, PoW 10785;
Driver W. Holt T/182001 Royal Army Service Corps, PoW 259006.
Stalag IV-D Torgau – 1
Lance Corp. D. Holt 2081836 Kings Own Scottish Borderers, PoW 89587.
Stalag IV-D/Z Annaburg – 1
Driver J. Holt, T/151193, Royal Army Service Corps, PoW 226180.
Stalag IV-F Hartmannsdorf – 4
General C. Holt, 1074057 Royal Artillery, PoW 226597;
Craftsman J. Holt 7614534 Royal Engineers, PoW 11828;
Fusilier J.E. Holt 3972333 Lancashire Fusiliers, PoW 252993;
Fusilier S. Holt 3456908 Lancashire Fusiliers, PoW 258314.
Stalag IV-G Oschatz – 3
Trooper D. H. M. Holt 7925373 Reconnaissance Corps, PoW 226992 (Royal Armoured Corps and Reconnaissance Corps Record Office, The Drill Hall, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Record Office Number 3);
Private D. N. Holt 5503903 Hampshire Regiment, PoW 224435 (Infantry and Army Physical Training Corps Record Office, Stanwell Road School, Ashford, Middlesex, Record Office Number 23);
Lance Corporal S. Holt 3779923 The King's Regiment, PoW 131180 (Infantry Record Office, The Public Hall, Lune Street, Preston, Lancashire, Record Office Number 18).
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website was checked to 31 December 1947. All three Holts who were PoWs at Stalag IV-G Oschatz survived the war.
As F/Sgt M.J.Hibberd was only a PoW at Oflag IV-C (Colditz) overnight, Stalag IV-G (Oschatz) for three days, and then on the march, it was probable that the Holt in his PoW group was also from Stalag IV-G Oschatz, i.e. one of the last three names above. However this does not totally exclude any of the other 13 mentioned previously, as they may have been relocated between camps.
If anyone can assist in identifying the correct Holt PoW in the group with F/Sgt M.J. Hibberd, please make contact,
If he is still alive, contact would also be welcome with the Holt who escaped from the march with the other 5 PoWs including Hibberd. Similarly, information would be appreciated from members of the Holt family who may have knowledge of that event, or of Holt's time as a PoW at Stalag IV-G Oschatz, particularly if there is any recollection or mention of F/Sgt M.J. Hibberd.
