William Hugh Middleton-Jones

Born 5 March 1912 Swansea

Died 13 May 1994  Pennard Gower

At the outbreak of war in September 1939 my father joined the Royal Engineers’ regiment via a Territorial Army unit. His rank initially was sapper Jones WHM army number 2129077, and was attached to unit No 1 RTC RE. His certificate of trade proficiency was undertaken at Longmoor camp Hampshire on 20 November 1940. He completed his test for trade checker (Railway) on 17 October 1940 and signed by A Captain of the Royal Engineers OC Coy No 8 Railway. He was attached to the unit in UK until July 1941.

According to his full-time army records he was at home from 17 October 1940 to 27 July 1941 (284 days) and overseas from 28 July 1941 to 19 August 1945 (4 years 23 days)

My father actually embarked for overseas on 8 July 1941 and was eventually ‘released’ to class 2 list in January 1946, with a class A release on 2 May 1946. He spent most of his service time in North Africa and the Middle East: Egypt, Libya, Syria( Damascus, Lebanon, Palestine and Beirut) Italy and the Mediterranean.

While overseas he was attached to the Royal Engineers’ Dock Operating Company (Op Coy) 1017. He was in Palestine from 17 September 1941, Egypt from 6 April 1943 AND Italy 9 September 1943

My father was admitted to the 3/N2 General hospital at Beirut for two weeks from 19 July 1942 to 3 August 1942. The records do not show why he was admitted but I do know he was slightly wounded at the Battle of Alemein in the July of 1942

According to the Unit’s war diaries these are the following locations my father was stationed, bearing in mind that on a number of occasions he was seconded by various units, such as the 8^th army, for various unknown purposes and wartime action.

Haifa, Kantara East, Ismalia, Port Tewfik, Suez, El Shatt, Port Said, Alexandria, Taranto, Bari, Beirut, Libya

Attained the rank of staff sergeant and mentioned in dispatches on a number of occasions.

Various medals including:

1939-45 Star

Africa Star

Italy Star

Distinguished Service Cross

Friederich Guggenberger (kapitanleutnant)

Born 6 March 1915 Munich

Died 13 May 1988 Ereinbach am Main

Decorations:

Iron Cross 2^nd class

Knights Cross

Knights Cross with Oak leaves

Friedrich Guggenberger began his U-Boat career in October 1939 where his first U-Boat was U-28, under the command of Günther Khhnke, a Knights Cross holder. In the Autumn of 1940 Guggenberger took over command of U-28 for a short period.

On 19 July 1943 (not long after our ‘Beirut incident’ which this narrative is centred upon) Guggenberger was badly wounded when in command of U-513, when his U-Boat was sunk in Brazilian waters by an American aircraft. He ultimately spent a day in a lifeboat with six other survivors before he was picked up by the US cruiser USS Barnegate.

After a lengthy stay in a US hospital on 25 September 1943 he was transferred to Fort Hunt, North Virginia. This wartime camp, located near the Potomac river, was a secret camp known as ‘P.O. Box 1142’, and during the war there were said to be around one hundred buildings, where German prisoners were interrogated about Nazi war plans and weapons. The buildings were razed to the ground after the war and all that remains now are grassy fields and picnic areas.

From here Guggenberger in late September was transferred to a Prisoner of War camp at Crossville, Tennessee, eventually arriving at Papago Park camp, Phoenix Arizona in late January 1944. Camp Papagao was known by the Germans as ‘Schlaraffenland’, land of milk and honey. Today the area is partly home to the Arizona National Guard.

On 12 February 1944 Guggenberger and four other U-boat commanders escaped from Papago Park, but he and a companion were recaptured in the August in Tucson AZ.

It is of interest to note that Guggenberger was one of 25 POW’s that escaped from the Arizona camp on 23/24 December 1944, however, two weeks later, on 6 January1945, he was recaptured along with Jurgen Quaet Faslem only 10 miles from the Mexican border.

A year later in February 1946, Guggenberger was transferred to Camp Shanks in New York, this was one of the largest embarkation camps of WW2 and was known as ‘Last stop USA’. Subsequently Guggenberger was moved to a British compound in the British zone of Germany near Münster.

He was eventually released from captivity in August 1946 and became an architect before rejoining the Navy in 1956, which was now the ‘Bundesmarine.. He studied at the Naval War College in Newport Rhode Island, rose to the rank of Konteradmiral and became the Deputy Chief of Staff in the NATO command AFNORTH, serving there for four years.

He retired in October 1972 and on 13 May 1988 left his home for a walk in the forest, but never returned. His body was found two years later.

His marriage in 1940 to Lieselotte Fischer  resulted in four children; twin daughters Anna and Eva born 1948, a daughter Elke born 1952 and a son Dieter born 1960.