Robert ‘Bob’ Shaw was born on the 1 September 1924, in Australia. Before joining the Army he had been working as a waiter at the Egerton Arms Hotel, Chelford in Cheshire. He enlisted into the Pioneer Corps on the 8 January 1943. ^[1a]

He volunteered for Airborne Forces in late 1943, and was on Parachute Course 99 at RAF Ringway, 19 January 1943 to the 3 February 1944. However, he was, strictly speaking, deemed to have failed the course by going sick with a swollen eye. He had, however, completed the three balloon jumps and four of the five aircraft jumps. ^[1b]He was serving with the Intelligence Section, 2^nd Parachute Battalion, by the Summer of 1944. ^[2]

Private ‘Bob’ Shaw flew to Holland, as part of Operation ‘MARKET’ on Sunday, 17 September 1944, from Saltby aerodrome, and dropped successfully onto DZ ‘X’ near Renkum in Holland.

He got through to Arnhem Bridge with the Battalion Headquarters element and fought there in defence of the Bridge for four days. He was taken prisoner on the 21 September 1944 and initially sent to Stalag 12A at Limburg, where he arrived on the 25 September, here he was given the POW No. 89543. He was held there until the 8 October and then moved to Stalag 2A at Neubrandenburg, where he arrived on the 12 October. ^[3]

He was liberated by Allied Forces on the 28 April 1945. ^[4]

From the AJEX file:

Robert Schlesinger (?) aka Bobby Shaw - call from comrade QMS and WO Eddy Pruden, 7348767, 16th Para Field Ambulance - Schlesinger wore a Methodist dog tag and was a Viennese Jew. He lived in a children’s home near Bolton and then was interned, later went to the PC and then Intelligence Corps as he spoke German. He then volunteered for the Paras in the 1st Para Brigade at Arnhem where he was POW and met Pruden in Stalag 2A near Brandenburg. He told Pruden that he captured an old German school friend at Arnhem, who then captured him later!! His brother had a pub in Dalston, London after the war and Bobby was in the rag trade.

NOTES.

[1a] See Parachute Regiment Transfer & Enlistment Book 17, page 26 and POW questionnaire.

[1b] Parachute Course Report, R.A.F. Ringway. February 1944.

[2] See letter from Eric Small, 2 Para Bn, Int Sect. 20 Feb 1996.

[3] & [4] POW questionnaire.

Complied from information kindly researched and supplied by R Hilton.