Thomas Cunningham
1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers Burma
and
with the Paras at Op Market Garden at Arnhem,
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Thomas is on the right appox 1933 |
Thomas Cunningham's Medals |
Thomas's kit lay out |
Thomas is on the right |
Thomas Cunningham was born in Wigan 1919 where he lived at 188
Bell Lane with his WW1 veteran father and his mother.
He joined the 1st Bn Lancashire in September 1939 and served with
them in India and Burma just prior to the Bn taking part in the Chindit
Operations.
He transferred to the Army Air Corp in October 1942, before becoming
a member of the Parachute Regiment and taking part in the Op Market
Garden at Arnhem, where he was shot and wounded, resulting in the
loss of one lung.
He was captured and made a POW in Stalag X11A as POW number 40500,from
where he wrote to his mother (see pic )
The date 30 September is significent, most of our forces had been
captured on the 25th, so Thomas held out to the very last.
Here is a link to a site dealing with this POW Camp:-
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/frames.htm
He would have been liberated in April 1945
A rare insight into the story of one of our WW2 heroes.
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