Stallard, Thomas

Date of birth:: 1904 (Bath/Somerset, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: 1983 (Bognor Regis/West Sussex, United Kingdom)
Service number:: 28308
Nationality:: British

Biography

Thomas Stallard was commissioned in the DLI as a Second Lieutenant in 1924. On 27 May 1940, whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion DLI, Stallard was taken prisoner at St Venant in France.
After organising a number of escape attempts (for which he was later awarded the MBE) he was sent to Colditz Castle, where he spent two years as a Prisoner of War, latterly serving as head of the 'X' Committee..
After retiring from the Army, he worked in the wine trade. Thomas Stallard died in Bognor Regis in 1983, aged 79.
31 January, 1941: Major
17 April 1948 retirement on account of disability and is granted the honorary rank of Lt.-Col.

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Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major
Unit:: 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, British Army
Awarded on:: November 15th, 1945

Citation:
"Major STALLARD was captured at ST. VENANT (France) on 27 May 40 and subsequently was sent to various officers' camps in Germany.
On 9 April 42, accompanied by two other officers he got through the perimeter wire of OFLAG VIB (WARBURG). He was however captured at HAMBURG the next day.
Four months later he organised a mass breakout from the same camp. 29 officers succeeded in climbing the wire and three reached England safely. Major STALLARD was caught at GRANAU near the Swiss frontier by civilians out for a walk on 13 Sep 42.
The Senior British officers of each camp in which he was omprisoned have commended Major STALLARD's excellent work from the security and escaping angle, and he has been highly praised as an escape organiser by many other officers."