… is a question that I’m often asked.

A friend of mine, Stuart, who I had known for many years after we had met when I took over as Cub Scout Leader at a local Scout Group where he was a Venture Scout (& subsequently Assistant Leader), eventually moved out to live in Normandy, France – about 18 years ago, now.

As we talked from time to time over the ‘phone, he told me about something of interest on the wall of the shed in his garden – “there’s some names that you might find interesting” was the usual comment (Stuart was only slightly aware at that time of my interest in the Second World War).

Eventually, in 2003, we decided to go & visit him.

So, having made our way through France, we unloaded our gear and the conversation went something like this…

“OK Stuart, where’s this shed?”
“There… & see those patches? Well, they’re patched up bullet holes”
“Hmm..OK, But there was a lot of fighting around here in 1944!”
“Go in, then”
“OK… you’ve got a big, empty shed with bullet holes in!”
“Now turn around”

And that was when I saw the whitewashed (1944 dated!) area of the shed wall with the 18 “signatures” on… Name, Rank, Serial number, Date of Capture & unit (In one case, an address, also & a record of several escapes & re-captures!).

At this point, I did say something, but it was quite rude & not for print!! Let’s just say, I was well impressed!!

Stuart had found out a little about the fighting in the area, but nothing specific regarding the men who were captured, so I agreed to see what I could do to track them down as I had access to the Internet; Stuart didn’t.

What I could tell him, straight away, was that where he lived was (more or less) situated on the top edge of what became known as the “Falaise Gap” where the German Army attacked to try to force a gap between the British & Canadian Armies and those of the Americans.

Fortunately, they were stopped near Mortain & then encircled, thus helping (I believe) shortening the war.

So, in December 2003, I began the quest to find out what I could about these men. Did they survive the war? Are they still alive? Did they have any memories of being held captive in my friend’s shed? The result is this Wiki

Here’s a photo of the shed…

You can see a couple of patched up bullet holes on the white door!

The names are written on the left hand side of the door - as soon as you go inside, you turn around & there they are!




The names of the servicemen are as follows...

Number	First	Last	Rank	Regiment
2100201	P Rod	White	Pte	1st Battn Green Howards
3326726	A	Oliver	Pte	1st/7th Battn Green Howards
5059174	CA	Wellings	Pte	6th Battn Green Howards
14692314	GF	Reid	Pte	7th Battn Green Howards
14217219	S	Brunt	Pte	1st Battn Hampshire
14215934	JBI	Bird	Pte	Hampshire
5568852	TH	Blunt	Pte	2nd Devon Regt
5385568	J	Chapman	Cpl	2nd Devon Regt
5573158	D	Lawrence	Pte	2nd Devon Regt
4612746	V	Scott	Cpl	Duke of Wellington's
14618159	A E	Smith	Pte	Essex Regt
4343414	N H T	Welch	Pte	EYR
119026	JW	Harder	Flt Lt	RAF
14209000	TM	Caldwell	Cpl	Royal Scots Fusiliers
O&431954	Raymond	Elledge	Major	US Army Air Corps
37558056	Gerald	Willen	Pvt	US Army Paratroops
O-803969	FT	Gillespie	1st Lt	USAAF
37164445	Morris A	Sheppard	M/Sgt	US Army Paratroops