| Place | Europe: Germany |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR00918 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 1cm (1 item) |
| Object type | Memoir |
| Maker |
Woolmer, Eric |
| Date made | 1945 |
| Access | Open |
| Related File This file can be copied or viewed via the Memorial’s Reading Room. | AWM371 96/0818 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Woolmer, Eric (Warrant Officer)
Description
Typescript memoirs (39 pages) of Warrant Officer Eric Woolmer, No. 463 Squadron RAAF. They relate to his service as a wireless operator with the squadron, flying Avro Lancaster aircraft, and then as a prisoner of war (POW) of the German Army after being shot down over Germany on 6 November 1944. The recollections include a transcript of his diary kept from 6 November 1944 to 21 May 1945; photocopies of two pages of the original diary written on the back of cigarette packets; a transcript of a report written by Woolmer on their forced march from Stalag Luft 7 at Baukau, Germany, in January 1945; contemporary and modern photographs of RAAF crew, the author and memorabilia. The diary transcript and the report of the forced march include details of his interrogation, recreation activities in the POW camps, their reactions to air raids, attempted escapes by others and finally their release by the Russians and transfer to the American Army.