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.

Those That Served

Latest | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z | Submit a name
There are currently 124 names in this directory beginning with the letter W.
Waldock, Kenneth George (MBE)
Planning Field Hospitals. Awarded MBE for war services.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Waldron, Francis Raymond (Major)
76 Field Hygiene Section RAMC
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wales, Luther Frederick (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 10/02/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Walford, David de Guise
113th Durham https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80030463
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Walker George Gordon

Walker John Brian

Walker, Alan George (Gnr) (113 LAA)
Known as George 370 Bty, 113th L.A.A. Regt RA More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Walker, Cyril Stanley (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Walker, Edward James
Private walker
Submitted by: Samantha Cheeseman

Walker, Fred Bernard (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Walker, Gordon Johnston (Sgt)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (AFPU)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Walker, Joseph (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wallace, Frederick Alfred (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wallace, James Meighan
Participated in the Normandy landings. He was ordered to Belsen concentration camp the day after its liberation to assess the medical needs of the inmates; in his memoirs he describes how the army authorities did not believe his estimates of the scale of human tragedy revealed. Because of his linguistic skills he was left in administrative charge of 13 German military hospitals and a large civilian hospital.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wallace, Joseph E (RAMC)
3390651
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Waller, John (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 18/04/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Walton, Harry Douglas
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wand, Lawrence (Medical Student St Barts)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Warburton, David (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Ward M. W. Miss

Ward, John (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wareham, H C Lt (113th LAA)
(113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Warmer, C C. (Captain)
Durham 113th RA
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Warmer, Christoper Charles (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Warren, Cecil (11th LFA)
11th British Light Field Ambulance regiment 1914-2009
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Warrington, Maurice (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Waters, Melvin (AFS)
Helped liberate Bergen-Belsen.
Submitted by: Linda Mathes

Waters, Thomas (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 08/02/1937
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Waterson, David James
(Earlier) 8th Army Western Desert Blood Transfusion Unit Among the firts medical staff at Belsen. Awarded CBE in 1972. Later Honorary Consultant Surgeon at Great Ormond Street
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Watkin, John (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Watson Sgt.

Watson Roger William Woodcroft

Watson, John (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 18/05/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Watson, Leonard Archie (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Waxman, David (Capt) RAMC
RAMC
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Waytzman, Louis (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Weatherson, Henry (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Weaver, Peter (1SAS)
1 SAS. Two jeeps arrived about 3pm on Sunday the 15th of April 1945. with John Randall. (The SAS left shortly after with the exception of Weaver who stayed on as a translator for the 63rd C.O) More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Webb, Leonard
Submitted by: Archive

Webb, William Stanley
Royal Artillery (poss 113th) Badly wounded 4th November 1944. More
Submitted by: Archive

Webster, James (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 31/10/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wells Derek Geoffrey

Wells, Frank (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wells, Sidney David (14th LFA, RAMC)
14th Light Field Ambulance, RAMC He was sent to France with the B.E.F. At Dunkirk they drew lots which let him try to get back to England. He was lifted off the mole by an almost new Destroyer with only one set of rear guns and two sets of torpedo tubes believed to be HMS Harvester. The unit was then sent to North Africa, Syria(attached to Australians), back to north Africa. For a time he was an orderly in an American Field Service ambulance. These were volunteer American drivers and dodge ambulances supplied by the American Red Cross. After North Africa he was in Italy before returning to the UK for the Normandy landings. From then on to Belgium, Holland and Germany. He did not often talk of his experiences. Once he said that after large tank battle the M.O. was with them and if the casualty was beyond help they would be given an excess of morphine. He was also at Bergen-Belsen a few days after it was liberated and said if you were not there in person you would not be able to take it all in. All the years I knew him he never used the word ambulance it was always a Blood Wagon. After the war he worked at Betteshanger Colliery in Kent as a male nurse
Submitted by: Norman Wells

West John Stainley Sgt.

West, Robert (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 08/06/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Westbury, David George Arthur (Guy’s Hospital)
Medical Student Guy's Hospital.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Westbury, Ron
He was in one of the first tanks to liberate Belsen concentration camp. When I was in my 20's when he opened up one afternoon and told me everything he witnessed there. More
Submitted by: Ray Westbury

Westwell, Matthew (Army Catering Corp)
Corporal Matthew Westwell, a butcher by trade, served in the Army Catering Corps formed in March 1941. He was also in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry - He was at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp after it was liberated by the 11th Amoured Division (Great Britain). More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Whateley-Smith, P.G (Major)
94th (Dorset & Hants) Field Regiment R.A More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wheatley, JN (Col)
UNRAA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wheeler A. F. Jim

Wheeler, Walter (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Whetnall, Tom (Sapper)
Royal Engineer (59 Plant Troop) 866 Mechanical Equipment More
Submitted by: Archive

Whimster, Ian Wesley (Medical Student)
Medical Student. St Thomas Contracted Typhus at Belsen. More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Whitaker, Edward (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Whitcome John Leslie Clarence

White Ian Clifford Leonard

White, Walter (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Whitehead

Whitehouse, David

Whitlock, R M B Lt (113th LAA)
(113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Whittle, Joseph (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Whitworth, Gauces Colbeck (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 06/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Whyte, King (CBC Reporter)
Canadian Reporter from Montreal. Arrived 23rd April. Reported to Radio Luxembourg More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wigglesworth, Harry
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilde, Albert Edward (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilkins, R A Lt (113th LAA)
(113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Wilkinson Francis Owen Wharton

Wilkinson, Arthur (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilkinson, Cyril (113th LAA)
368 Battery. Battery Sargeant Major
Submitted by: Frank Lavin

Wilkinson, Fred (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 15/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Willcox, John Michael
(Medical) Awarded the Military Cross. One of the first doctors to enter Belsen.
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

William, Melville Arnott, Lt. Col. (Sir)
RAMC https://www.belsen.co.uk/sir-william-melville-arnott/
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Williams Eirean

Williams Gwyn

Williams Richard W. Capt. (Later Maj.)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Williams, Charles (Pip)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Williams, Edmund Douglas (32 CCS)
Known as Eddie 32nd Casualty Clearing Station Photo
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Williams, Eryl Hall (FRS)
Team 100 of the Friends Relief Service More FRS
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Williams, G K Lt (113th LAA)
(113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Williams, Ralph (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Williams, Walter Bennett (Capt.) (113 LAA)
113th Durham Light Infantry RA 368 Battery 172842 Awarded CHEVALIER OF THE ORDER OF LEOPOLD II WITH PALM AND CROIX DE GUERRE 1940 WITH PALM
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Williamson, John George (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 16/05/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Willis, Alfred (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Willmott Leonard Richard Douglas nd Lt. (later Maj.)

Willoughby, Alan
American Field Service
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilson, Alan Lt. (AFPU)
Lt Alan Wilson of Glasgow. British Army Film & Photographic Unit photographers More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilson, Conrad (AFS)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilson, David Kerr

Wilson, Edward (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilson, Fred (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 14/11/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilson, Fred William (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (2/5 Durham Lt Infantry) Enlistment Date: 18/05/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilson, Gunner (113th LAA)
(113th LAA)
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Wilson, Harold (Tug) 11th Armoured Div
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilson, Harry (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilson, J.M.G. Major (RAMC)
224th Parachute Field Ambulance, RAMC More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wilson, John Edward (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wilson, Joseph William (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

WILSON, RONALD (KIA)
Bombardier 1597191 113th DLI KIA. 16 August 1944. Aged 30. BANNEVILLE-LA-CAMPAGNE WAR CEMETERY VI. D. 23.
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Windle, Jack (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Winfield, Stanley Sgt. (RCAF)
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Winter, William Stanley (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (Durham LI) Enlistment Date: 26/04/1939
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Winterbottom, Walter Carlton Capt. (RAMC)
Arrived 17th April. The Anaesthetist More to follow...
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Withers, Ronald (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Woffinden, George Henry (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (Durham LI) Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wood, Albert (58th LAA)
‘9’ TROOP 174 Battery 58th L.A.A More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wood, Alison
Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wood, Charles Sidney (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wood, John Lancaster (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wood, Leonard (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA (TA) Enlistment Date: 29/07/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wood, Neville
Submitted by: Christel Woor

Wood, William Arthur (32nd CSS)
Private served as dental technician with Army Dental Corps, No 32 Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps 32nd Casualty Clearing Station "Outside the huts were piles and piles of dead bodies. Many of the soldiers who first entered the camp were desperate to try and alleviate the prisoners' starvation by giving them army rations. This first intake of food was fatal for many prisoners, who were too weak to digest it.”
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Woodruffe, F C Lt (113th LAA)
(113th LAA) Possibly Frederick Charles b: 1916 Kent
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive

Woodward, Clifford (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Woodwark, George Millington
Medical Student (Westminster) More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wotherspoon, William (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 14/11/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wray, William Arthur
1914–1975 Birth 6 JUN 1914 • Hemswell, Lincolnshire, England Death 28 FEB 1975 • Hemswell, Lincolnshire, England
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wright, Raymond (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 30/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wright, William (113 LAA)
55 Searchlight Regt RA: 113th LAA Enlistment Date: 16/09/1940
Submitted by: 113th DLI Archive/Belsen Archive

Wrinn, Bulldozer Driver
From Hoddington, Scotland Bulldozer driver 19th April More
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wyand, Paul (Cameraman)
Filmed No.1 camp on 23rd & 24th April, along with soundman Martin Gray
Submitted by: Belsen Archive

Wyer S. G.

Wyndham-Ward, Margaret
British Red Cross Civilian Relief Team Part of the first group of 6 teams. x5 British Red Cross and Order of St Johns (now St Johns Ambulance) and x1 Friends Relief Service. Arriving night of 21st April, starting 22nd April. Awarded MBE
Submitted by: Belsen Archive


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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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