| Surname: | Gallie |
| Initials: | W A |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Army Number: | 96992 |
| Notes: | General List. 51 Highland Div Pro Coy, POW. Formerly Royal Artillery. From Edinburgh. General List. Corps of Military Police. London Gazette 34698 page 6647, 30/9/39. 2/Lt William Alexander Gallie (96992) (late RA) to be Capt. 1/9/39. Not listed in POW, British Army 1929-1945. Captured with the BEF in 1940. Casualty List, 244, BEF, France, Missing believed killed, CMP, date not reported. Casualty List 406, BEF, France, CMP. POW previously reported as missing believed killed on list 244 Casualty list 1281 (Officers), previously reported POW in German hands now repatriated, previous list 406, France. Extract from the Perthshire Advertiser, 14/9/40. Perth Officer a Prisoner. Capt W A Gallie, Corps of Military Police, 51 Division, who has described life in a German prison camp in a letter received by his wife at Crossmount, Keir Street, Bridgend, Perth,as reported in our last issue. Capt. Gallie was joint home fire superintendent at the head office in Perth of the G.A. (photograph of Capt Gallie with article). Extract from the Perthshire Advertiser, 6/11/40. Officer captive lectures to fellow prisoners. Camp view brings memories of home. An official of the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, Ltd in civil life, Capt W A Gallie, Corps of Military Police, now in German hands has found relief from the tedium of prison camp life by giving lectures to his fellow captives on insurance, among other subjects. "Tell the General Manager that I keep the Company well to the Fore," he writes in one of several communications received by his wife at Crossmount, Keir Street, Bridgend. Capt Gallie states that he has received a parcel from Mr Campbell, of Estoril, Portugal, who has done such splendid work as connecting link between prisoners and their relatives at home. he suggests that his wife should send a cheque to Mrs Campbell (which she had done), and ask others to help. As to food, Capt Gallie says it has improved, but parcels are very welcome. As no cooking facilities are allowed "feasts for special occasions among the prisoners are all-cold affairs. Some grand mixtures are made fro odds and ends saved up from meals. The menu at one celebration consisted of cold mashed potatoes decorated with tomato and cucumber skins, cheese made by the prisoners themselves from sour milk and small hard biscuits was a grand success." His description from the window of his room, in which there are 50 prisoners, Capt Gallie can see hills and a river very like the Tay. "We organise lectures and debates, " he writes, " and so pass the time, otherwise we walk round the yard or very small field for exercise. I have no complaints. The Germans do their duty and leave us alone. Their officers are polite, We need food and would like pipe and some tobacco." In another letter, Capt Gallie writes: "We do not lose hope and thought for all our loved ones at home." A special request is for grape nuts, and there is a reminder that foods sent should be simple and nourishing. Extract from the Dundee Courier, 2/11/43. Perth to Welcome Ex-Prisoners. Perth Town Council Finance Committee last night decided to extend an official welcome to repatriated prisoners of war belonging to Perth. The welcome is to be given on Friday first at the City Chambers, and, according to a statement last night, is to be of a "homely nature." The Town Clerk said that repatriated prisoners in the city who did not get an invitation should get in touch with him. Yesterday Captain W A Gallie, who was a prisoner for three years, returned to his home at Crossmount, Bridgend, Perth. He was in the Corps of Military Police. |
Decoration Record: | |
| Decoration: | Member of the British Empire (London Gazette: 37302 Page: 4989 Oct. 11, 1945) |
| Citation: | Citation not found. |