Pte Allan Oliver 3326726
7th Battalion Green Howards
Summary
Born in Dunbarton, Scotland in 1920. He enlisted in 1940.
Serving with the Green Howards he was captured on the 18th of July 1944. Via the shed and other stopping points he arrived at Stalag VIII-B, Teschen, and was assigned to the coal mine at Hindenburg.
Marched away from there in January 1945 arriving at Brux in March, before being liberated sometime in April.
Early Life
Oliver was born on the 8th of May 1920 in Dunbarton the youngest of four siblings.
He gives his pre-enlistment occupation as labourer. His address is 144 High Street Dunbarton – the registration of his paternal grandfather’s death show that the family were at that address at least from 1926. The address has been many things since, including a Photographer’s shop and a video recording studio.
Service Life
Oliver enlisted on the 15th of August 1940 and his service number suggests that this was in the Highland Light Infantry.
[See Regimental Badge – Highland Light Infantry]
Time in Normandy
When he joined The Green Howards is not clear.
[See Regimental Badge – Green Howards]
The battalion landed on Gold Beach and were involved in the taking of Vers sur Mer and Crepon consolidating North of Coulombs then pushed through Creuilly. There followed a grinding action that caused many casualties – the War Diary mentions 4 Officer and 144 OR replacements arriving on the 19th of June, 33 more OR on 21st. Much of the later part of June was spent in the La Butte/ Longraye area.
By July 1944 Oliver is serving with 7th Battalion. He states he was captured on the 17th of July 1944, however there is nothing in the War Diary to support this. On the 18th a man is lost when a patrol sent out from Longraye at about 17.30hrs to establish a presence “in the ORCHARD” encounters an enemy patrol. On the shed wall the date is indistinct but could be 18.
PoW Life
Following his capture via the shed and other places he is taken to Germany. He does not mention Stalag XII-B nor does his surviving German card, but it is likely to have been where he was processed before being assigned to Stalag VIII-B Teschen in August. POW number 83117.
In November he is transferred to the coal mine at Hindenburg where he remains until January and the “Long March.” He states he ended up at “22A Brix “(Brux in what was then Czechoslovakia) which is a working camp attached to Stalag IV -C Wistritz. There is a file at the National Archives regarding mistreatment of prisoners at this camp.
The Green Howards Museum has a record card for his time as a PoW.
[See Green Howards’ Record Card Pte Allan Oliver]
We have also been able to obtain copies of his German PoW cards which are of a different design (sadly without photographs) to others that we’ve found.
[See German PoW Record Pte Allan Oliver]
His returning PoW form is dated 15th May 1945.
[See Returning PoW Questionnaire Pte Allan Oliver]
Post War
Contact through Ancestry Trees suggest that he moved to Keighley in Yorkshire, married and had two children, dying in 2001.
Research Done
We have no further information at this time.
Other Links
Oliver signature [return to info]
Regimental Badge – Highland Light Infantry and Regimental Badge – Green Howards [return to info]
Green Howards Record Card Pte Allan Oliver [return to info]
German PoW Record Pte Allan Oliver [return to info]
Returning PoW Questionnaire Pte Allan Oliver [return to info]
