The Rushden Echo and Argus, 2^nd March, 1945

Escaped Twice - R.H.A. Man Who Fought With Patriots

  A soldier who was stationed in Rushden with the R.H.A. 4½ years ago, Gnr. Stanley Watts, recently re-visited the town to meet his many friends here, and was able to relate his experiences.

Badly wounded in Greece, he was taken prisoner by the Germans and put into hospital for four months.  After he had recovered, he was sent to a prison camp, from where he escaped and had three months'€™ freedom in the mountains trying to get into Turkey before he was captured again, this time by the Italians.  Sent to Italy, he was in captivity for two years before he escaped and joined the Patriots, fighting in the North of Italy for 14 months.

  No one had any news of him for over two years until he finally crossed into the Allied lines after an eight-day walk.

  Gnr. Watts is now in hospital at Wellingborough to have a bullet taken out of his neck.  His wife lives in Poplar, London.  In Rushden he has many friends, particularly at the Athletic Club, and has visited Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, of Harborough-road, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown, of 43, Oval-road.

The Rushden Echo and Argus, 9^th March, 1945

A Cheering Cup

  Just arrived from Holland is a picture of a Rushden man, L.A.C. Harry Edwards and one of his companions in the R.A.F. Regiment, enjoying a warming cup around the Y.M.C.A. mobile canteen Altrincham.

  L.A.C. Edwards is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Edwards, of 151, Cromwell-road, Rushden, and his wife and son and daughter live at 18, Headingly-road.

  He went to France on D-Day and was home on seven days'€™ leave a few weeks ago.  Aged 34, he has been in the Army nearly four years and previously worked for the Tecnic Boot Co., also being a member of the Athletic Club.  As a boy he passed through the Park-road Methodist Sunday School and Boys'€™ Brigade.

  His youngest brother has been a prisoner of war in Germany for nearly five years.

Rushden Echo & Argus, 16^th March 1945

War Prisoner Promoted - Rushden Craftsman

A prisoner of war in Germany, Sergt. Clifford W. Case, R.A.P.V.R., has been promoted to Flt. Sergt.

The news came from the Air Ministry to Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Scroxton, of 8, Portland-road, of whom he is the nephew and adopted son.

Sergt. Case is 34 years of age and joined the R.A.F. in Match, 1943 and became a Flight Engineer in a Lancaster aircraft. He has been a prisoner for 12 months. Previously he was a carpenter for Messrs. Sanders Ltd.

Release After Five Years
On Tuesday the message, "In England, see you soon," was received from Pte. Francis Bert Hall, of 65, Oakley-road, Rushden, who was taken prisoner while serving with the Northamptonshire Regiment in France in June, 1940.

Unmarried, Pte. Hall is the son of Mr and Mrs. Harry Hall, formerly of Irthlingborough. Before the war he was employed at Burton's Stores, Finedon, and played football with Irthlingborough Thursday.

Arnhem Captive Coming Home
Captured at Arnhem, Pte. Gordon William Bridgeford, South Staffordshire Regiment, of 59, Irchester-road, Rushden, has wired to his parents: "Arrived safe. See you soon, Love, Gordon." The telegram arrived on Thursday afternoon and flags were immediately displayed on the house.

Atrocities Near Nazi Camp
Captured in Tunisia in April 1943, Pte. Charles Sidney Mackness, Northamptonshire Regiment of 87, Trafford-road, Rushden, is now home from a German prisoner of war camp.

In Italy until September, he had no work do there, and the food was pretty good. Transported to Stalag 4D in Germany, he was put on railway work. After D. Day conditions became "rougher" and food was very short. This camp was composed of all British men—10 from this district - and was at Konnern.

On April 13th, when the American were "strafin" the area, Pte. Mackness and the others in a working party of 120 men made use of the opportunity to escape into nearby civilian houses. Here, some of the people were eager for the Americans to arrive, believing they would then be better off than they had been under Hitler's regime.

The Americans soon swept through the village, and from them the British received food and cigarettes.

Battered Corpses
Pte. Mackness stopped for three to four hours at the Nordhausen concentration camp. He said he was not surprised at the sights he saw there after seeing in the nearest village the bodies of 24 people who had been battered to death by the Nazis. These victims had been called "political" prisoners.

He gathered the impression that the Germans would not give in while the S.S, men were over them - they had been held down for so Iong.

Pte. Mackness, who is looking well has 46 days' leave. He has been in the Army since September, 1939, and previously worked for Messrs. Eaton and Co., being a pigeon flyer and belonging to the Rushden Homing Club and also the Band Club. Aged 27, he is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Mackness. One of his brothers is in Italy and the other in the Middle East.

Glider Man's Captivity
After a short period in captivity Sgt Walter Ashby, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Ashby, 48, Spencer road, Rushden, has been liberated and is again in this country.

In March the sergeant, who longs to the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry landed east of the Rhine in a glider. He was officially reported missing, but relatives heard from other sources that he had been taken prisoner and was not wounded.

Aged 31, Sgt. Ashby has been in the Army 15 years and did much of his peacetime service in Burma He was born at Kettering, but moved to Rushden when 12 months old and before joining the Army worked for the Tecnic Boot Co., Rushden.

The sergeant's wife, who had been staying in Rushden, left for their home in the South of England on hearing of her husband's release.

Rushden Echo & Argus, 18^th May 1945

Delayed In Hospital

Sergt. Walter Ashby, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Ashby, 48 Spencer-road, Rushden, became a prisoner in March after landing East of the Rhine by glider.

Near the end of April his parents and wife received a message from one of his comrades which led them to expect that he would soon be returning home. No further news, however, arrived until Thursday, May 10th, when Sergt. Ashby sent the following telegram: "Out of hospital to-day. Hope to see you soon."