Private Ronald Hopper

	This page: general experience.
	Includes inventory.

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August 1941 in Cyprus - outside Famagusta, Ron Hopper (left) with Ernie Howell

Ronald Hopper was born in 1919, the youngest of 7 children. He attended secondary school, where amongst other subjects he studied German and shorthand - both of which were to prove useful during the war. He signed up for the Territorial Army in April 1939, and on 1^st September he joined the 50^th (N) Division R.A.S.C. (TA). One of his first duties was clerical work in the No. 1 Echelon Office. On 16^th January 1940 the 50^th Division left England to join the B. E. F. in France. After a successful evacuation from Dunkirk he served in Cyprus, Palestine, Iraq and North Africa.

On 29^th June 1942, while in North Africa he was captured by the Afrika Corps and became a Prisoner of War. He was transported to Camp 82 in Laterina, North Italy where his talents for typing, shorthand and languages were put to use. He was put to work in the Italian Camp Office, outside the camp and received extra rations (including cigarettes). While working in the office he wrote that he didn't feel like a prisoner, quite different from his experience in Germany. During this time he was taken into the Red Cross Hospital at Lucca with abscessed tonsils (later discovered to be diphtheria). He became involved in organising entertainment and the Doctor made an excuse to keep him in hospital for a total of five months.

On 8^th September 1943 Italy capitulated. Ronald was free - until a German garrison arrived one week later on 15^th September. Soon after he was transferred (in a cattle truck) to M - Stammlager VIII C in Germany, where he was forced to work first in a sugar beet factory and then when the season ended, in a concrete factory. On 20^th March 1944 he was transferred to a mining camp in Waldenburg. The work was hard and the conditions depressing. However light relief was provided by the entertainment group, 'The Moles'. Ronald was instrumental in setting this up, and went on to produce many of the group's productions. He remained there until the war ended and was Mentioned in Despatches, for his entertainment work.

The Centre is proud to preserve Ronald's letters home, letters from his family, his memoir and associated items of memorabilia.

A letter to Mother Transcript

Nazi Armband and Badge

Private Hopper's Dog Tags

	This page: general experience.
	Includes inventory.