Badger | Peter George Henry William
Biography
Peter George Henry William Badger died as a result of poisoning on 7 May 1945 having been held as a Prisoner of War. He was aged 21 at the time. He was a Lance Corporal in the Parachute Regiment, A.A.C., 2nd Battalion (Service No. 4699060). He was initially buried at the Margraten Cemetery which later became the American Cemetery. He was re-interred on 1 May 1947 in grave IV. A. 2. in the Overloon CWG Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads: “He wears immortal honour and is proud with those who fought for England.”
Family Background
Lance Corporal Peter George Henry William Badger was the son of William Badger (1899-1974) and Doris Mary Badger (nee Barker) (1903-1964).
Peter’s father, William Badger, was the son of Richard Henry Badger and Emily Dodson who had married in the Rotherham district of Yorkshire in 1884. Richard was born in 1858 while Emily was born in 1862. They had a total of twelve children between 1885 and 1904, though two died in infancy. William was born on 3 June 1899. Both Richard, Emily and their children were born in the Rotherham district, more specifically Kimberworth which is just to the north west of Rotherham.
In 1901, Richard and Emily’s address was Provision Shop, 82, Wortley Road, Rotherham. This road leads from Rotherham to Kimberworth. Richard was a Beef Butcher. With them were their eight surviving children who were born by then, including William. The two eldest boys were working as Butcher’s boys, aged just 14 and 15. The family also had a female servant living with them.
By 1911, Richard and Emily were living at 38 Deepdale Road, Holmes Lane, Rotherham. All ten surviving children were with them. Richard was still working as a Butcher as were the two eldest boys. The next two eldest boys were working as Commercial Clerks and the fifth eldest was an Engineering Apprentice. Again, the family had a servant living in.
Their eldest son married in 1913, but he died in 1918, aged just 33. The third eldest son also married in 1913. Their second eldest son married in 1915 and served in the Royal Field Artillery in WW1 but died of influenza in 1919 while still in service. Sadly, Barbara, one of their daughters, died in 1918 aged just 22. Another son married in 1920, having served in the 9th and 10th Battalions of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in WW1, reaching the rank of Lance Corporal.
William Badger also served in WW1. His address was given as 139 Wortley Road, Rotherham, the same as his father, RH Badger, who was his next of kin. Before joining up, he had been an engineer for John Brown & Co Ltd, Atlas Works Sheffield from 26 July 1915 to 18 June 1917. He already had experience of aero engines. He initially served in the Royal Flying Corps. By 23 January 1918 he was a 3rd Class Air Mechanic at which time he was appointed as 2nd Lieutenant. By 18 February 1918 he was in 92 Squadron. This squadron became part of the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918. Standardising on SE.5as, the squadron went to France in July 1918. However, prior to this, on 26 May 1918, William had been transferred to 93 Squadron which it is understood did not see active service. It seems that he spent a time in hospital from 12 September 1918 to 9 December 1918. He seems to have then joined 42 Training Depot Squadron, followed by 30 Training Depot Squadron from 21 December 1918. He left the RAF on 1 April 1919.
By June 1921, Richard and Emily were still living in Wortley Road. Five of the younger children were living at home, including William. Richard had his own butchery business and a 29 year old son who was living with him was in the same business. William was working as a Steel Works Engineer at Parkgate Iron & Steel Co Ltd and his youngest brother was working as a Steel Works Clerk at the same company. Steel making was a major industry in this area. One of the two daughters still at home was a Clerk for L. Brittain while the other was helping in the home.
Peter’s mother, Doris Mary Barker, was the daughter of George Barker and Mary Hannah Biscombe. George was born in West Melton, Yorkshire around 1859 and Mary around 1866 in Castleford, Yorkshire. West Melton is just west of Doncaster, while Castleford is south east of Leeds. George had initially married Mary E Nuttall in 1878 in the Rotherham area, but it is not thought they had any children. By 1891 they were living in Lloyd Street, Parkgate, Rawmarsh which is just north of Rotherham. Mary Hannah Biscombe had initially married Fred Thompson in 1887 in Pontefract. They had a son, Edwin Thompson, in 1888 in Parkgate. She then married Alfred Pashley in 1893 in Rotherham. They had a son, Clifford, who died in 1896. Alfred Pashley died in 1898.
George Barker then married Mary Hannah Pashley (nee Biscombe) in 1900 in Pontefract district. In 1901 they were living at 6 Lloyd Street, Rawmarsh. With them was Mary’s son, now referred to as Edward. They also had a servant living with them. George was a Dairyman with his own business. Their only child was Doris Mary Barker, born in Parkgate on 21 November 1903. In 1911 George, Mary and Doris were at the same address and George was still a Dairyman.
George Barker died in the spring of 1921, so by June 1921, Mary was widowed and living with Doris at 5, Clifton Mount, Rotherham.
William Badger married Doris Mary Barker in 1923 in the Rotherham district. His family believes that they had three sets of twins, but only two of them survived. These were Peter George Henry William Badger on 12 August 1923 in Rotherham and Anthony Barker Badger on 14 April 1930 in the Eccleshall Bierlow district which included part of Sheffield.
The Sheffield Independent of 18 July 1935 recorded that Peter GHW Badger of 6 Perigree Road had been attending Woodseats School in the Sheffield area and had qualified for a place in secondary or intermediate schools. He went on to be educated at Netheredge Grammar School in Sheffield.
By September 1939, William and Doris Badger were living with their two sons at 60 Archer Lane in the Millhouses area of Sheffield. William was working as a Mechanical Engineer.
After leaving school, Peter started work as a Bank Clerk.
Military Career
Peter served in the Home Guard in Sheffield from June 1940 up to 15 August 1941. On 15 August he enlisted as a Private at Sheffield with the 70th Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. This was a Territorial Unit. He gave his address as 60 Archer Lane, Sheffield and named his parents, William and Doris Mary Archer of the same address as his next of kin. He was described as 5ft 8in tall, weighed 161 lbs and had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He was educated to grade C and declared fit. His religion was given as Church of England. He was working as a Bank Clerk.
He seems to have been sent to No. 6 Training Centre at Strensall, near York the day after he enlisted. However, on 16 August he was relegated to the reserves as it was deemed that his civilian role was more useful to the country than him joining the Army. He was assigned to the home reserves on 21 August 1941. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 27 December 1941 and then Corporal on 16 July 1942. He was reprimanded and forfeited a day’s pay for being absent without leave for just under a day while at Grimsby from 2359 hrs on 18 July 1942. He asked to revert to Private at his own request on 14 October 1942.
On 11 November 1942 he re-enlisted at Lincoln as a Private in the Regular Army. His profession was still given as Bank Clerk. This time he joined the York and Lancaster Regiment. He signed up for 7 years in the colours and 5 in the reserves. He was initially assigned to No 7 Infantry Training Centre which was at Lincoln. He was posted to No 57 Primary Training Wing on 30 November 1942 and appointed as a Lance Corporal the same day. He seems to have returned to No 7 ITC on 22 January 1943.
He transferred to the Army Air Corps on 28 April 1943. He relinquished his rank as Lance Corporal on this transfer. Having volunteered for Airborne Forces, and completing the selection process at Hardwick Hall, he was sent on Parachute Course 64, R.A.F. Ringway, 10 – 21 May 1943. Here he completed the following descents to qualify as an Army Parachutist; one by night from the balloon, two daylight from the balloon, and five from Whitley aircraft. His Parachute Instructor’s comment was: ‘Good pupil and Section Leader’.
This course was one for Reinforcements to the 1st Parachute Brigade, and upon completion they were sent to North Africa. Peter embarked for North Africa on 17 June 1943 and arrived there on 27 June. Here he was assigned to the 2ndParachute Battalion.
North Africa
The 1st Parachute Brigade had been formed in September 1941 with its headquarters at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. It arrived in North Africa in late 1942 and consisted of the First, Second and Third Battalions. Each of the three battalions were sent on individual operations behind enemy lines. Hasty planning and poor intelligence resulted in the 2nd Battalion suffering many casualties when they attacked Oudna in late November. They found themselves under attack, deep in enemy territory and with no relief. They only just succeeded escaping back to Allied lines. They lost 16 Officers and 250 and B and C Companies were decimated. 200 reinforcements arrived in December.
In December the entire Brigade was reunited and deployed in a straight forward infantry role, eventually ending up at Bou Arada in January 1943. The end of that month saw them being transferred to the 19th French Corps and charged with the task of relieving French units on the front line that were to withdraw and re-equip. They moved to Beja on 4 March. Here, they were heavily involved in the Battle of Tamara from 6th March to 14th April. Their lengthy tour in North Africa then ended as they were moved into the reserves. Over the five months that they had been there the Brigade had suffered 1700 casualties, but had inflicted over 5000 on the enemy, and had been responsible for the capture of a further 3500.
Their next role was to be in the airborne assault on Sicily.
Italy
Peter joined his battalion on 27 June. However, it seems that he was almost immediately injured as on 3 July he was admitted to No. 100 General Hospital then discharged on 12 July. This hospital was based at this time at Philippeville (mow Skikda) in north eastern Algeria.
On the day he was discharged, the 2nd Battalion with the rest of 1st Parachute Brigade set off to the airfield, prepared to fly to Sicily on the evening of 13 July in Operation Fustian – the invasion of Sicily. Their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River. The bridge was initially captured but was relinquished the following day. It was finally taken three days later. Casualties were high and lessons were learnt from the operation which were put into practice for future Allied airborne operations.
After this operation, the 1st Parachute Brigade took no further part in the conquest of Sicily. They were back in Tunisia by September and formed part of the 1st Airborne Division in Operation Slapstick. This was a landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto. It was one of three operations, the others being Operation Avalanche at Salerno on the western coast, and Operation Baytown at Calabria. The airborne division was selected to undertake the mission, but a shortage of transport aircraft meant the division could not land in their traditional way by parachute and glider, and all the landing craft in the area were already allocated to the other landings. Instead, the division had to be transported across the Mediterranean by ships of the Royal Navy. The 1st Parachute Brigade left Bizerta on 8 September but as they sailed the Italians surrendered. This resulted in a very easy landing at Taranto. The 2nd and 4th Para Brigades also landed and proceeded to move through the town and secure the terrain outside it, meanwhile the 1st Para Brigade were held in reserve and simply took up defensive positions around Taranto itself. They remained here for four days before being moved forward to Castellaneta and from there to Altamura on 22 September. Most of September was spent in normal training including field firing. They were withdrawn at the end of the month, not having had much to do.
Peter seems to have been wounded again on 30 September 1943 as he was admitted to 16 (Para) Field Ambulance that day. This Field Ambulance had accompanied the 1st Airborne Division to Italy in September where they based themselves in the Altamura Military Hospital. He was posted back to the 2nd Parachute Battalion on 4 October. However, he seems to have been admitted to No 11 General Hospital on 5 October but discharged the same day. This hospital was based at Catania in Sicily at this time. He embarked for the UK on 17 November 1943, arriving back on 9 December 1943.
Great Britain
By 1944 Peter was the ‘A’ Company Clerk and was based at Easton Hall near Grantham in Lincolnshire. He went absent without leave from 12.30 on 8 July to midnight on 9 July for which he forfeited a day’s pay and was given 14 days’ Field Punishment. Nevertheless, he was again appointed as Lance Corporal not long after this on 12 August 1944.
The early weeks of September were a fairly uneventful time for the Battalion. Three operations which were due to take place were cancelled. Time was spent in training, including route marches, road walks and runs. Sometimes troops were confined to the camp area but there were other times when they were allowed out, including a trip to the cinema in Grantham.
On 14 September the warning order for Operation Market was received. Officers then companies were briefed on 16 September. The task given to the 2nd Battalion was to seize the three bridges over the Rhine at Arnhem and then go on to establish the western half of the Brigade sector forming a bridgehead north of the main road bridge, to allow the advanced units of the 2nd Army free passage and deny use of it to the enemy. The plan was that the Battalion would advance with all possible speed, with A Company leading, to seize the main road bridge west of the town. C Company was to seize the north end of the railway bridge and pass one platoon to the south bank with the task of linking up, from the south, with A Company on the main bridge. C Company was then to establish their part of the Battalion sector for phase 2. On reaching the boat bridge, B Company was to seize the bridge and hold it as the left flank of the Battalion sector in phase 2. The expectation was that the 2nd Army would reach them after 48 hrs.
Market Garden
On Sunday 17 September Reveille was at 0630 hrs and troops started for Saltby aerodrome at 0900 hrs, arriving at 0930. At 1126, 31 Officers and 478 Other Ranks took off, in U.S.A.A.F. crewed Dakotas bound for the Netherlands as part of Operation ‘Market-Garden.’ Meanwhile, the first glider lift had taken off 1055 from Keevil near Trowbridge in Wiltshire. No definite information was received back from either the parachutists or the gliders. The following day, the 2ndglider lift took off at 1116 from Fairford near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. They landed on their landing zone at 1515 and connected with Division HQ. They experienced heavy shelling and mortaring.
The Battalion, including Peter in ‘A’ Company, was dropped at 1445 hours on the 17th with perfect accuracy on the Drop Zone near Renkum. 7 miles west of Arnhem. There was no opposition on the drop zone and, except for a motor patrol captured by A Company at the R.V. , no opposition was met until they had moved two miles towards the town. Here A Company bumped what proved to be the southern flank of a strong enemy position, and after a spirited assault by one Platoon, were able to continue the advance. They met no more opposition until the railway west of the town. From then on armoured cars and hastily organised defences caused only minor delay in the falling light, until A Company reached and seized the north end of the main bridge at 8 p.m. They had taken some 50 prisoners during the advance.
Meanwhile C Company had taken the north end of the railway bridge only to see it blown as they began to cross. Similarly, the boat bridge, which B Company reached after overcoming considerable resistance, was burnt before they could use it. An assault by A Company, across the main bridge, was met by devastating fire from tanks and light A.A. on the bridge, and the attempt was abandoned. Efforts were then made to secure boats for an assault on the south end of the bridge, but none were available.
By Monday morning they had achieved their initial objective with comparatively few casualties and were holding a small but strong bridgehead north of the bridge. They had repelled a strong counter attack during the night but had lost contact with C Company. It was later discovered that they had reached their objective but
were surrounded and taken prisoner.
Throughout Monday they were attacked with increasing vigour from the east and subjected to continuous mortar fire and shelling. The enemy made several attempts to bring armoured cars and tanks over the bridge but these were successfully repelled. During Monday night another counterattack from the south was repelled with heavy losses. Major Wallis was killed on Monday evening and Major Tatham Warter took over command of the Battalion.
There was no wireless communication with Divisional HQ or the rest of the Brigade until midday on Tuesday, 19 September. When contact was finally made, they heard that every effort was being made to reach them. They had met very heavy opposition soon after leaving the drop zone and never got more than a footing in the town.
Tuesday was a repetition of Monday, with no appreciable worsening of the situation, except for an increase in casualties and a growing shortage of ammunition. This meant that their houses could now be shelled at very close range. While the bridge and western approaches could still be covered, they could not maintain their position east of the bridge. Capt. Frank M.C. (commanding A Company) was wounded that evening.
By Wednesday midday the situation had worsened considerably. They had been burnt out of all their positions east and immediately west of the Bridge. A and B Companies had put up a strong defence, but the remnants of both companies had to be withdrawn to a firm position, still covering the Bridge, but slightly further North. Colonel Frost (Commanding Officer) and Major Crawley M.C. (Commanding B Company) were wounded during the morning.
It was now clear that the rest of the Division were very unlikely to reach them but were cheered by the news that advanced units of the 2nd Army would reach the bridge by 5 p.m. that evening. This did not happen and by dark the situation had become critical. Soon after dark the few houses still standing were set on fire, and they found themselves without a position. The wounded were then surrendered.
By the morning of 21 September they were no longer able to fight and the battle was over. Of the 2nd Battalion approximately 350 had reached the bridge. Of this number 210 were wounded, many of whom had fought on to the end, in spite of their wounds. They were then taken prisoner. Approximately 100 were taken prisoner unwounded and many others were killed. However, nothing had crossed the bridge in the 3 days that they had held it.
Prisoner of War
Peter was one of those wounded and taken prisoner in the area of Arnhem Bridge on 21 September 1944. He was initially recorded as missing by his regiment on 25 September, then later recorded as being a prisoner of war, then as wounded and a prisoner of war. According to his German issued POW card he was admitted into the German Lazaret 303 with a ‘suspected pelvic fracture’ on 22 September 1944. He arrived at Stalag XIB at Fallingbostel in Germany on 30 September where he was diagnosed as having a ‘state of paralysis of both legs’. He was given POW Number 117561.
Fallingbostel lies between Hamburg and Hanover. Stalag XIB was formed in September 1939. It initially housed Polish prisoners. They were put into working parties (Arbeitskommandos) and put to work in local factories, farms and as forestry workers on the land. However, the camp expanded significantly during the war leading to major hygiene issues such as typhus resulting in many deaths. By mid 1944 there were some 96,000 POWs in the camps and sub camps in Fallingbostel.
400 British paratroopers who had been captured at Arnhem in September 1944 arrived at Stalag XIB including Peter Badger. Among the prisoners was RSM John Lord, ex Grenadier guards, attached to the Paras. He took the conditions in Stalag XIB on as a personal challenge and, starting with the men of the Parachute Regiment, set out to change the state of the camp. He insisted that his men should wash and shave daily as if they were in barracks, also they should salute German officers. He also demanded the men take some form of exercise daily.
Having presumably recovered the use of his legs, on 28 January 1945, Peter Badger was moved further east to Stalag IIIA at Luckenwalde. This is 32 miles south of Berlin. As of January 1 1945, it housed 45,942 POWs of many nationalities including 1,433 British. No more than 8,000 were ever housed at the main camp, with the rest sent out to work in forestry and industry in more than 1,000 Arbeitskommando spread out over the entire state of Brandenburg. In early 1945 yet more POWs were transferred there from various other camps, adding to the already overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. Finally, as the Russians approached in April 1945 the guards fled the camp.
Peter Badger was liberated on 20 April 1945 by the advancing Russian Forces. It is very probable that he, along with other released British POWs, decided to make his own way towards the West, instead of waiting for repatriation via the Russian Forces. He must have made contact with advancing Allied Forces by late April or early May 1945, as he is recorded as filling in a POW questionnaire on 3 May 1945.
Only two days after the surrender of the German troops in The Netherlands, Peter Badger died on 7 May 1945 at the age of 21.
His father received a letter from the Army dated 5 June 1945 which said he that died from poisoning on 7 May 1945 in a United States Hospital in Western Europe. However, they were still making enquiries to confirm this. His father informed them on 27 June that the last letter they had received from Peter was dated 4 December 1944 and came from Stalag XIB in Germany. They had had a number of letters returned since then with Stalag XIB crossed out & IIIA substituted. It seems they had heard no more about the circumstances of his death. They received another letter on 5 July confirming that they had heard no more and indeed his death had not yet been confirmed. It was only confirmed in a letter dated 18 July 1945, though there were still no further details.
His family subsequently understood that he had met up with 50 Americans on being released from Stalag IIIA. They had come across some wine which he and the Americans consumed and all died.
While there is no evidence to confirm the idea of mass deaths by poisoned alcohol, researchers at Margraten Cemetery are aware of at least three men buried there in the period 7/8 May who are known for certain to have died from methanol alcohol poisoning. They were friends and likely all drank from the same poisoned alcoholic beverage. This incident occurred east of the German town of Dortmund. It is not certain whether other Allied/British soldiers were involved in this incident.
Methanol, also known to Americans as Wood Alcohol / Green Alcohol and Methyl Alcohol, was widely used in the 1930s / 1940s to increase the alcohol content of homemade liquor. However, an excessively high percentage could lead to poisoning, resulting in blindness and the rapid onset of death. Methanol was also used in Germany as a fuel in rocket engines of the V1 and V2 weapon types. This substance was known as M-stoff. Whether this fuel was actually mixed with alcoholic beverages is not entirely certain, However, the story recurs frequently in statements from WWII veterans.
At the end of the war, in May and June 1945, various experiences and reports from American medical personnel indicate that methyl alcohol poisoning was widespread. For example: “While stationed at Bückeburg, Germany, the Third Hospitalization Unit acted as an Army Clearing Station for patients coming from the 84th Infantry Division. After the Division moved further forward, the Hospital Unit handled all cases. The bulk of patients entering the Hospital then were mainly road accident cases and green alcohol poisoning.” (53rd Field Hospital Unit History). Another story from Arthur B. de Grandpré of 95th Evacuation Hospital mentions Major Ray Hirsh telling him of 500 Soviet prisoners dying from drinking fuel from a V1 bomb which tied in with his own experience with 26 dying from drinking wood alcohol.
Peter was initially buried on 15 May 1945 in Plot CCC, Row 11, Grave No. 251 in the United States Military Cemetery at Margraten in the Netherlands. His mother was informed of where he had been buried on 28 September 1945. He was finally laid to rest in Overloon on the 1 May 1947.
His father still had to write to the Army on 1 January 1946 regarding his son’s personal effects. He could understand that they would get no personal effects from Germany but thought that there should be some which he left behind him when he went to Arnhem. They received a letter dated 31 January 1946 which enclosed the only personal effects that they had found which was a single cigarette lighter. They “regretted that in view of the elapse of time that no further personal effects appear to be forthcoming.”
He had served for a total of 2 years and 178 days of which 192 days were in North Africa, 8 days were in North West Europe and 224 days were as a prisoner of war.
He was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal and 1939-45 War Medal.
Aftermath
Doris Mary Badger died on 1 October 1954. She had been living at 94 Springfield Road, Sheffield. William Badger died in 1974 in the Buckrose district of Yorkshire which is in the old East Riding of Yorkshire, between Malton and the coast.
After Peter’s brother, Anthony, left school, he did two years’ national service in the Royal Air Force and then joined the police force. He emigrated to Sydney, Australia from Southampton on 11 January 1957, though his profession was recorded as Photographer at that time. There he met Deirdre B Dale who had herself emigrated on 1 April 1957. She had been born on 18 November 1934 in Surrey. They met in a beachside hotel at Coogee near Sydney in April 1957. In January 1958, they moved to Melbourne, from where they also visited Adelaide and Perth. They returned to live in Sydney but then returned to the UK in October 1959 to get married, fulfilling a promise to Deirdre’s parents. They married on the Isle of Wight in 1960 and went on to have one son, Richard C Badger, in February 1962 in Sheffield. Having experienced a very severe winter, the family returned to Australia in September 1963. All three became citizens of Australia in 1963. Anthony died in 2017 in Hobart, Tasmania.
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