DERRICK FLINT

DERRICK TAYLOR FLINT

1921-1945

Derrick Flint, the only serviceman from Kettlestone killed in World War 2, is remembered on the war memorial in the churchyard.

MILITARY RANK LANCE BOMBARDIER

SERVICE NUMBER 887434

MILITARY UNIT 3/1 Lt.A.A.R

REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY

THEATRE OF WAR MIDDLE EAST

The grainy photograph below was donated by his niece Rosemary. Her father Bernard, Derrick’s brother, kept it on his desk throughout his life. Derrick was one of 4 children born to Henry and Grace Flint of Manor Farm Kettlestone and according to Derrick’s sisters he was great fun, always up to mischief and dearly loved by his whole family. After the tragedy of his death the Flints sold up and left the village. They had expected that Derrick would take over the farm and had earmarked a calf to greet the ‘Prodigal Son’ on his return. They never recovered from losing him.

derrick flint

Manor farm kettlestone

MILITARY CAREER

Derrick enrolled in the Royal Artillery in 1941. Exact details of his service are not available but the National Army Museum has helped to determine Derrick’s probable war record.

‘’It is possible that 3/1 L.A.A.R. may stand for 3rd Battery, 1 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (1 LAA Regt RA). If so, Derrick possibly served with 8th Army in North Africa from May 1941 to May 1943 and was captured in autumn 1943, when 1 LAA Regt RA was part of attempts to capture and hold the islands of Kos and Leros.’’

The Battle of Kos

The Battle of Kos was fought between German and Allied forces for the island of Kos in the Italian-held Dodecanese islands group of the Aegean Sea .

The battle was precipitated by the armistice of September 1943 between the Allies and Italy, after which the British landed troops on Kos This triggered a German offensive to seize the island. Supported by major air power, the Germans quickly overwhelmed the Italian garrison and the recent British reinforcements, denying the Allies a base from which to attack the German presence in the Balkans. 1,388 British and 3,145 Italians were taken prisoner, while the captured Italian commander of the island, Colonnello Felice Leggio, and nearly 100 of his officers were executed . A further consequence of the German occupation of Kos was the deportation of the small but long-established Jewish community to European death camps, from which none returned.

Left and below - images of prisoners of war taken at Kos

IMPRISONMENT AT KAISERSTEINBRUCH

Records show that Derrick was held at Stalag XVII-A at Kaisersteinbruch in Austria.

The construction of the camp at Kaisersteinbruch began in September 1939 and by January 1941, the camp reached its maximum capacity of 73,583 soldiers, 970 officers and 220 civilians. In the following years the number of occupants fell and in February 1945, a total of 26,470 prisoners were registered with the International Red Cross.

Initially, the majority of the prisoners were French and Serbian but by the autumn of 1943 the camp included a large number of Russians and other nationalities including British troops. Russian prisoners of war were particularly harshly treated and due to their poor health, typhus and dysentery quickly broke out. In order to control the spread of disease an area known as Camp 1 was designated as a Russian camp and prisoners of war of other nationalities were evacuated . A high percentage of the captured Red Army soldiers did not survive. The dead were buried in mass graves in the camp cemetery and there are about 10 000 soldiers buried there

British and American prisoners of war were treated better than other nationalities but even so conditions were harsh.

THE IMAGES BELOW SHOW STALAG XVIIA AT KAISERSTEINBRUCH DURING WW2

Healthcare: Medical care was limited and often insufficient. The camp lacked adequate medical facilities and trained healthcare personnel to attend to the needs of sick or injured prisoners. As a result, many inmates suffered from untreated illnesses, injuries, or chronic health conditions .

Punishments and Mistreatment: Prisoners faced punishments and mistreatment by the camp authorities. Any attempts at escape or disobedience were met with severe repercussions, including solitary confinement, beatings, or even execution in some cases.

: Prisoners were subjected to long hours of forced labour under harsh conditions. They were often assigned to perform physically demanding tasks such as construction work, agricultural labour, or industrial production.

Food rations were meagre. Prisoners received minimal portions of low-quality food, which did not provide sufficient nutrition for their physical well-being.

DERRICK'S DEATH

It is not known how Derrick died. However military records state that he 'presumably died while evading the enemy on or some time about 4th April 1945 after escaping from captivity' Stalag XV11-A was evacuated in advance of the approaching Russians at the end of March and beginning of April 1945 and the prisoners were force-marched westwards, leading to many casualties. It is possible that Derrick may have attempted to escape during one of these marches.

Derrick's name on the allied prisoners of war list

List of 'presumed' dead.

A faded military document showing that Derrick was presumed dead rather than missing

Derrick was just 23 years old when he was killed. He is remembered on the GROESBEEK MEMORIAL Panel 2. Netherlands pictured below.

SALE OF MANOR FARM

After Derrick's death the Flints sold up and left the village.

From the village hall minutes May 27th 1946

'It was agreed to by all members that a tree be planted in the churchyard if permission were granted as a memorial for Mr Derrick Flint, who did not return home, but gave his life for his country. Deepest sympathy was felt for Mr and Mrs Flint and family amongst all members.'

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