"North Shore Man freed by British". POW K38637 Cpl George A. Reid freed by the British 7th Armoured Division at the Fallingbostel Camp, north of Hannover, Germany. He was captured on 17 October, 1943 in Italy. He returned to England on 13 April 1945 (according to the regimental history). It is believed that Cpl Reed was in Stalag 357 at the time of his liberation. In September 1944 Stalag 357 was moved from Thorn in Poland to the site of the former XI-D, with construction being carried out by the Italian POW from XI-B. This new camp was used to house mostly British and Commonwealth POWs. In November 1944 British paratroops captured at the Arnhem arrived at Stalag 357. Led by the formidable RSM John C. Lord of 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, they set about raising the standards of the camp. Lord insisted on proper military discipline with regular exercise and parades. At that time 17,000 POW; mostly British, but also Russian, Polish, Yugoslav, French, and American prisoners were crammed into the camp causing severe overcrowding. Each hut contained 400 men, though it had bunks for only 150.By February 1945 the POW of XI-B and 357 were suffering from lack of food and medical supplies exacerbated by the influx of several hundred American POW captured in the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Nordwind. These newer arrivals found themselves accommodated in tents. The camps at Fallingbostel were liberated on 16 April 1945 by British troops from B Squadron 11th Hussars and the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. Clipping and information on the Fallingbostel Camps attached to Media.