- SURNAME
Carr
- FORENAME
Richard Philip
- UNIT
LRDG
- RANK
Captain
- NUMBER
901212
- AWARD
Member of the Order of the British Empire
- PLACE
London Gazette 21.2.1946
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 52 Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
born 22.09.1919, Kingston, Surrey, England
father Philip Carr (1884-1968)
mother Marjorie (nee Romer) (1887-1973)
wife Susan (nee Hatfield) died 2002
from Montpelier Square, London
awarded M.C. (London Gazette 27.8.1940) as 2Lt for France
11 Commando (1 Troop) 1941
postwar joined family business Carr's Biscuits
died 24.12.1977, Fulham, London (Aged 58)
CITATION:
Member of the Order of the British Empire : Capt. CARR was captured at MSUS on 26 January 1942.
At Camp 35 PADULA on 13 September 1942 he and thirteen others escaped through a tunnel which had taken them 1½ months to construct. Outside the camp the party split up and Capt. CARR with one other started out in the direction of SWITZERLAND. They were recaptured by Carabinieri 7 days later when forced to seek shelter at a farmhouse in the hills near TITOPOTENZA. As a result of his escape, Capt. CARR was sent to Camp 5, GAVI and did one month's cells as punishment.
His second attempt was made after the Germans took over Camp 5 in September 1943. He and another officer had prepared a small hideout beneath the stairs and were sealed in an hour before the camp was due to move. About 58 others had also hidden themselves and at the last moment their absence was noticed. After a hunt lasting all day and most of the night, during which the German guards threw hand grenades indiscriminately, Capt. CARR and his companion were dragged out of their cramped and airless quarters at 3 a.m. and beaten up before being taken to MANTUA and thence with other officers by train to Stalag VII A MOOSBURG.
On 5 October 1943 Capt. CARR and an American officer walked out of this camp dressed as French workers and walked to MUNICH, where they parted and Capt. CA2, with the assistance of French workers, boarded a goods train bound for STRASBOURG. He had been given the address of a helper at VENDHEIM but was unable to get in touch with him and while trying to find him in one of the barges on the canal at DETWEILIE, was arrested by a German policeman.
Taken to OFLAG VA, Capt. CARR took part in digging a tunnel but before they could use it, 120 officers including
Capt. CARR were moved by train to Stalag VIII F. On the second day of the journey (6 January 1944) while the train was going fairly fast, Capt. CARR and another officer escaped through the netted windows of their truck and jumped from the train. Capt. CARR broke a finger and was completely winded but his companion's face was so badly cut that he had to give himself up at NEURODE next day. Capt. CARR who was wearing battle dress was arrested at OPPELN and after an unpleasant interview with a Gestapo agent in NEURODE and time in the cells at GORLITZ, he was returned to Stalag VIIIF, given five days' hospital treatment and a week in cells.
In May 1944 all the prisoners were loaded onto trucks, handcuffed together and taken to Stalag 79 at BRUNSWICK. Almost immediately Capt. CA walked out of the camp through a partially finished sewer but was caught when he returned to fetch his kit.
He remained in this camp until his final liberation in April 1945.
At Camp 35 PADULA on 13 September 1942 he and thirteen others escaped through a tunnel which had taken them 1½ months to construct. Outside the camp the party split up and Capt. CARR with one other started out in the direction of SWITZERLAND. They were recaptured by Carabinieri 7 days later when forced to seek shelter at a farmhouse in the hills near TITOPOTENZA. As a result of his escape, Capt. CARR was sent to Camp 5, GAVI and did one month's cells as punishment.
His second attempt was made after the Germans took over Camp 5 in September 1943. He and another officer had prepared a small hideout beneath the stairs and were sealed in an hour before the camp was due to move. About 58 others had also hidden themselves and at the last moment their absence was noticed. After a hunt lasting all day and most of the night, during which the German guards threw hand grenades indiscriminately, Capt. CARR and his companion were dragged out of their cramped and airless quarters at 3 a.m. and beaten up before being taken to MANTUA and thence with other officers by train to Stalag VII A MOOSBURG.
On 5 October 1943 Capt. CARR and an American officer walked out of this camp dressed as French workers and walked to MUNICH, where they parted and Capt. CA2, with the assistance of French workers, boarded a goods train bound for STRASBOURG. He had been given the address of a helper at VENDHEIM but was unable to get in touch with him and while trying to find him in one of the barges on the canal at DETWEILIE, was arrested by a German policeman.
Taken to OFLAG VA, Capt. CARR took part in digging a tunnel but before they could use it, 120 officers including
Capt. CARR were moved by train to Stalag VIII F. On the second day of the journey (6 January 1944) while the train was going fairly fast, Capt. CARR and another officer escaped through the netted windows of their truck and jumped from the train. Capt. CARR broke a finger and was completely winded but his companion's face was so badly cut that he had to give himself up at NEURODE next day. Capt. CARR who was wearing battle dress was arrested at OPPELN and after an unpleasant interview with a Gestapo agent in NEURODE and time in the cells at GORLITZ, he was returned to Stalag VIIIF, given five days' hospital treatment and a week in cells.
In May 1944 all the prisoners were loaded onto trucks, handcuffed together and taken to Stalag 79 at BRUNSWICK. Almost immediately Capt. CA walked out of the camp through a partially finished sewer but was caught when he returned to fetch his kit.
He remained in this camp until his final liberation in April 1945.
WEB LINKS:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7396974 (MBE)https://www.express.co.uk/news/history/530620/WWII-war-letter-Captain-Richard-Carr-finest-letter-frontline
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