The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

A Second World War ‘Escapers’ M.M. group of four awarded to Lance-Corporal T. Owen, Worcestershire Regiment

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4197320 L/Cpl., Worc. R.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals, these three privately impressed (4197320 L/C. T. Owen, Worc. R.) good very fine and better (4) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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M.M. London Gazette 7 January 1943.

Thomas Owen was born on 16 April 1919. A Radio Specialist by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 1 December 1939, being transferred to the Worcestershire Regiment in April 1940.

In an account detailing his capture and various escapes given to M.I.9, he states:

‘I landed at Le Havre, France, on 16 Apr 40, and was sent to No 1 Infantry Base Depot, Rouen, from which I was moved about in the district of Pommerval and Torcy during the summer. We evacuated Torcy in Jun 40, and marched to a point about 10 km from Bellencombre (20 miles N.E. of Rouen). One morning at 0600 hrs we awoke to find ourselves without any officers, and our group was therefore split up into two parties by Sgt Major Lewis of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, with instructions to get to the coast in a westerly direction as soon as possible.

Somewhere North of Neufchatel the party in which I had been placed was approached by German tanks and motor-cyclists, and seven of us were taken prisoner. ..... We marched for 2 days in the direction of Amiens, passing through Formerie and Poix. At this point Lewis and myself, together with two others, decided to escape. There were no guards on the right hand side of the road, and when we were close to a village, which I believe to be Soues, three of us (not Sgt Maj Lewis) slipped through a gap in the hedge and down a small bank, where we lay hid until until the column had passed by, finally coming across country to Soues at about 1500 hrs. Here we lay in a small wood until dark, going North at night to Araines (10 miles S.S.E. of Abbeville). At about 0800 hrs the next morning we went into an empty house in the village in search of food, we were discovered by a Belgian who proved friendly. We stayed there for two and a half days, learning during this time of the French armistice, and receiving food, civilian clothes, and 1000 francs from our friend.

We next proceeded Eastwards by mistake ... and came to Flesselles, where we asked a woman the way. She told us that we were making for Arras: we therefore turned back for about 10 km before stopping at a house for food. Here my companions remained, but I tramped on, keeping on the roads for about 5 weeks and sleeping in the open. .... I went on to Le Havre, where I was stopped by a drunken German officer, but I succeeded in bluffing my way through ... and finally reached Paris in Aug 40.

In Paris I visited the American Embassy, and was helped by a woman. ..... I also met a young Frenchman who was to accompany me into Unoccupied France. ... and boarded a train for Macon. .... From here I went on to Marseilles and stayed for about 6 months at a third-rate hotel .... During this time I did not possess any identity card.

In the summer of 41 the American ship “Cold Harbour” came into Marseilles with milk for children. I attempted to board this ship, but was caught in the act by a gendarme. I declared my true identity to him, and although I had no papers, he let me go. .... I therefore turned my thoughts towards Switzerland.

In Aug 41 I took a train to Annemasse, walked over the frontier from there without difficulty, and finally entered Geneva .... I slept in a small park outside a large hotel. The next morning I was apprehended by a Swiss plain-clothes policemen while on my way to the British Consulate. I was put into the prison at St. Antoine and remained there for three weeks, receiving very good treatment. At first the Swiss Police would not believe that I was English, and in fact I was interrogated for two hours on one occasion and twice accused of being a spy. However, they finally succeeded in checking up on me, and through the help of the Consul I was put on “residence forcee’’, and given a civilian passport. I lived at the Hotel de l’Union until November. In November I went to Nyon for 5 days and then returned to Geneva, saw the Consul, and asked for help to get to Spain. At this time I met a Swiss who helped me with my plans to get out of Switzerland. I ended by bolting without any permission or papers across the frontier, and found myself arrested in France, fined 1200 francs, and imprisoned at Annecy for 6 weeks.

On 15 Dec 41 I was escorted to Fort St Hippolyte, and was later moved to Fort de la Revere, near Nice. In Mar 42 I made various attempts to escape from the Fort, and finally succeeded in Aug 42 with the help of an organisation by means of which I was brought back to the UK.’

Owen was in Gibraltar in August 1942 and arrived in Greenock on 5 October 1942. He made the above report of his capture and escape to M.I.9 on 9 October 1942. For his great bravery and tenacity in evading capture Owen was awarded the Military Medal - this being presented by the King. He was later posted to No. 6 Commando and then to the Royal Armoured Corps, serving in the Middle East, September 1944-December 1945. Owen was discharged as permanently unfit on 30 December 1945.

With copied statement of capture and escape; copied letters to his mother from France (via the U.S. Embassy); copied service notes and copied photographs.