The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp

Welcome this new archive relating and dedicated to the men and women service personnel and the part they played at the Liberation and subsequent Humanitarian Effort of the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945: The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp.
UPDATE:
Thank you to everyone who submitted a name/details to coincide with the anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen – we’ll go through all your submissions, moderate and add them on. If you have a photo or any more details please email us. Thank you.

We are now inviting any relatives of service personnel who may have been at the camp to get in touch. Any regiment, service, nationality, volunteer or any snippet of information – we would like to hear from you. We do not believe there are any records of the diverse group of men and women, many completely untrained, who were involved with the camp, after it’s liberation.

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Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Major Peter Granville Whateley Smith who served in the 94th (Dorset & Hants) Field Regiment R.A. The 94th field artillery Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Edwin Miller Aplin (known as Ted) emmigrated to Canada in 1930 where he met his future wife Elinor Grave Leef. Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Belsen: Our Story is a one-hour documentary film telling the untold story of the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where over Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Born in August 1920, Norman had worked as a builder's labourer before the war. He enlisted into the Royal Army Read more
bergen belsen concentration camp
A much-loved member of the Quaker community in Totnes, who was one of the first relief workers to arrive at Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
This kit, wrapped in a green canvas cover, contains some of the equipment used by an army medical officer when Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
My grandfather, F/O James Ernest Thompson (Ernie) of 437 sqn RCAF was there shortly after it was overrun by the Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
More to follow... Photo Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Copyright: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Provenance: Hilde Jacobsthal Goldberg Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Stanley Winfield was born in August of 1923 in Calgary, Alberta. He left Calgary in 1941 to join the Royal Read more
Liberation of Bergen Belsen
“My uncle and his "brothers". RCAF - 440. He’s holding a stray puppy they adopted. Taken after they helped liberate Read more

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Liberation of Bergen Belsen

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This site will progress and I’d encourage anyone with any info to get in touch. My granddad, Reg Price served with the 113th Durham Light Infantry*, as part of 369 Battery. As a signwriter, he produced this sign…

Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
The Sign at the Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp

And this was kept in the family for years – so for the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Belsen in 2020, subsequent VE Day and VJ Day, I thought it’s about time I’d try to find out more about Reg – his comrades (many of which are names, simply written on the back of photos), what they did together and for a way to remember them all, properly.

To coinicide with the anniversary, I was able to be filmed both on national and local BBC TV to tell Reg’s Story.
Whilst this was totally out of my comfort zone and I dreaded every moment – I decided I needed to do something to start this all off. BBC Midlands Today aired 7th May and a VE Day Antiques Roadshow Special aired Sunday 10th May.

Read here about The Heroes of Belsen.

The main photo, shown here was coloured for the 75th Anniversary and we’ll tell you all about it shortly – and what happened next!

*Just 113th Durham Light Infantry? No we are interested in all Service and Medical personnel who took part during the humanitarian effort at Belsen Concentration Camp. Their roles and names are largely forgotten, as many were too horrified to ever speak of what they had to do, so this archive seeks to form a tribute to ALL those that were there, to find out more and to remember them.
If you have a relative, or any info, on the relief effort at Belsen, we’d love you to please get in touch. Email us: liberator@belsen.co.uk – Thank you

***

The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp

Any 113th Durham Light Infantry friends or family are encouraged to get in touch via 113th@belsen.co.uk

** In 1938 the old 5th Battalion DLI changed its role to Searchlights and then in 1940 to Anti-Aircraft. This 113th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment went to Normandy in June 1944 and joined the advance into Germany in early 1945.
Official designation – Brigade: 100 AA • Division: 30 Corps. • Unit: 113 LAA Regt. RA (DLI) TA.

The Liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp
Names of British soldiers who liberated Belsen

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