Private Andrew Duggan enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment in November 1939. The British Expeditionary Force, which included the 7th and 8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, and landed in Le Havre on the 16th January 1940. Private Duggan joined the Worcesters and the B.E.F. in France on the 11th April 1940.

At the end of May 1940 the British troops were retreating towards Dunkirk and it was during this rear guard action that Private Duggan was wounded in the head and shortly afterwards was captured and became a prisoner of war.

Over the next few years he found himself moving from one prisoner of war camp to another Oflag 64/Z, Stalag XXIA and Stalag XXID. He was given a POW number of 18043.

Oflag 64/Z - Private Andrew Duggan front row middle with eye patch

Initially he was at Oflag 64/Z at Schokken, Poland followed by a move to Stalag XXIA which was located near Schildberg, Poland (now called Ostrzeszow). This camp was initially open in September 1939 at the start of the war. In March 1943, Stalag XXIA closed and Private Duggan was moved to Stalag XXID near Posen (Poznan) on the Polish border. This camp was split over several old "forts", situated on the River Warter and dating back to the Franco Prussian wars.

Due to his wounds Private Duggan was repatriated back to England on the 25th October 1943 as part of a prisoner of war swap and was finally discharged from military service on the 5th March 1944.

Thanks to his daughter Valerie Fogg here are a few photos taken of her father as a POW.