Corporal 5770168 Pearl Edward Goldsmith
2nd Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment
Corporal Pearl Edward Goldsmith was in the 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment which landed in Cherbourg in September 1939. He was then a Lance Corporal and assigned to Headquarters Company.
From his military records he appears to have been attached to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers on two occasions.
In May 1940, again from military records, it appears 5th Field Company Royal Engineers, fell under the command of 4th Infantry Brigade which 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment were also part of.
The 5th Field Company Royal Engineers were under orders for the ‘improvement of the defences of the Royal Scots and Royal Norfolks’. Therefore, it was possible that Cpl Goldsmith was still in proximity of 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment in his new defensive role.
Cpl Goldsmith’s first attachment to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers was in November 1939 until December 1939 whereupon he returned to the Royal Norfolks before his second attachment to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers in April 1940.
Up to his first attachment, Cpl Goldsmith would have been with the Royal Norfolks building the defences around Rumegies on the Franco Belgium border, known as the Gort Line.
After his first attachment Cpl Goldsmith re-joined the Royal Norfolks which had now moved to Metz, finally securing their position in front of the ‘Maginot Line’ separated by a few hundred yards from the German lines during a very severe winter. This area was known as the Saar Front and was during the period of the ‘Phoney War’.
On 13th January 1940, Cpl Goldsmith would have returned with the Royal Norfolks to Rumigies from the Saar Front which then moved on to Orchies where they remained throughout February preparing new defensive lines giving greater depth to the Gort Line. In this area the Royal Engineers had also been active preparing blockhouses with the assistance of local labour.
In March 1940, together with his battalion, Cpl Goldsmith would have moved to Rubempré, a few miles north of Amiens, for ten days battalion training with 4th Infantry Brigade before returning to Ochies on 18th March .
Training continued throughout the month of March and into April 1940. All leave was cancelled but Cpl Goldsmith secured 10 days leave re-joining the battalion on 19th April before being attached, for the second time, to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers on 22nd April 1940.
Cpl Goldsmith was reported missing on 4th June 1940 before being listed as a POW by the Red Cross.
It appears he was captured at Bethune on 27th May 1940, the same day as the battle (and massacre) at Le Paradis. The Royal Norfolks had been holding the defensive line between Bethune and Estaires on 26th May 1940.
Records show that initially Cpl Goldsmith was sent to Stalag XXA (Thorn/Thun), however he left many photographs of Stalag XXB (Marienburg/Malbork) which suggests he may have been transferred there.
Cpl Goldsmith’s nephew, Paul Murray, can only remember one incident which his uncle talked about whilst he was in captivity. This is as follows:-
“My uncle told me that the huts in the camp he stayed in were on stilts to make it impossible for the prisoners to dig tunnels . However, at night the Germans allowed their dogs to roam about the camp to try and ensure the prisoners did not exit the huts. The prisoners had fun opening up the trap door in the floor of the huts and baiting the dogs. My uncle said it became their entertainment at night and kept the guards on their toes.”
We are grateful to Paul Murray for providing us with this exclusive memory provided by his uncle and for allowing us to post his uncle’s army records together with photographs including those taken at Stalag XXB.
We would be grateful if any of our site visitors who can recognise any person in the photographs to contact us.
Below are various photographs which are likely to include Pearl. The first is of the sergeants' mess at Oxney Camp in 1939 and the remainder are of the prisoner of war camp Stalag XXB.
From his military records he appears to have been attached to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers on two occasions.
In May 1940, again from military records, it appears 5th Field Company Royal Engineers, fell under the command of 4th Infantry Brigade which 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment were also part of.
The 5th Field Company Royal Engineers were under orders for the ‘improvement of the defences of the Royal Scots and Royal Norfolks’. Therefore, it was possible that Cpl Goldsmith was still in proximity of 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment in his new defensive role.
Cpl Goldsmith’s first attachment to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers was in November 1939 until December 1939 whereupon he returned to the Royal Norfolks before his second attachment to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers in April 1940.
Up to his first attachment, Cpl Goldsmith would have been with the Royal Norfolks building the defences around Rumegies on the Franco Belgium border, known as the Gort Line.
After his first attachment Cpl Goldsmith re-joined the Royal Norfolks which had now moved to Metz, finally securing their position in front of the ‘Maginot Line’ separated by a few hundred yards from the German lines during a very severe winter. This area was known as the Saar Front and was during the period of the ‘Phoney War’.
On 13th January 1940, Cpl Goldsmith would have returned with the Royal Norfolks to Rumigies from the Saar Front which then moved on to Orchies where they remained throughout February preparing new defensive lines giving greater depth to the Gort Line. In this area the Royal Engineers had also been active preparing blockhouses with the assistance of local labour.
In March 1940, together with his battalion, Cpl Goldsmith would have moved to Rubempré, a few miles north of Amiens, for ten days battalion training with 4th Infantry Brigade before returning to Ochies on 18th March .
Training continued throughout the month of March and into April 1940. All leave was cancelled but Cpl Goldsmith secured 10 days leave re-joining the battalion on 19th April before being attached, for the second time, to 5th Field Company Royal Engineers on 22nd April 1940.
Cpl Goldsmith was reported missing on 4th June 1940 before being listed as a POW by the Red Cross.
It appears he was captured at Bethune on 27th May 1940, the same day as the battle (and massacre) at Le Paradis. The Royal Norfolks had been holding the defensive line between Bethune and Estaires on 26th May 1940.
Records show that initially Cpl Goldsmith was sent to Stalag XXA (Thorn/Thun), however he left many photographs of Stalag XXB (Marienburg/Malbork) which suggests he may have been transferred there.
Cpl Goldsmith’s nephew, Paul Murray, can only remember one incident which his uncle talked about whilst he was in captivity. This is as follows:-
“My uncle told me that the huts in the camp he stayed in were on stilts to make it impossible for the prisoners to dig tunnels . However, at night the Germans allowed their dogs to roam about the camp to try and ensure the prisoners did not exit the huts. The prisoners had fun opening up the trap door in the floor of the huts and baiting the dogs. My uncle said it became their entertainment at night and kept the guards on their toes.”
We are grateful to Paul Murray for providing us with this exclusive memory provided by his uncle and for allowing us to post his uncle’s army records together with photographs including those taken at Stalag XXB.
We would be grateful if any of our site visitors who can recognise any person in the photographs to contact us.
Below are various photographs which are likely to include Pearl. The first is of the sergeants' mess at Oxney Camp in 1939 and the remainder are of the prisoner of war camp Stalag XXB.
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Below are images from Pearl's Service Records (click on them to enlarge).
