| Administrative History | James (Jim) Riley's family lived in South Darley, with his father, Sam, running a fishmongers' business in South Darley until his death in 1939. James was the second youngest of five brothers, and also had three sisters. One of ther brothers, Sam, enlisted with the Sherwood Foresters during the First World War, but was killed at Ypres in February 1916, aged 21.
James Leslie Riley was born in 1908. His marriage to Lilian Frances wood in 1933 saw him move to Marple in Cheshire. They had a daugther, Jeanne, born in 1935, before moving to Buxton. When the Second World War broke out, Jim joined the Buxton Home Guard before being called up to the Royal Artillery in December 1940. At this time, Lilian moved back to Darley to live with her sister. Jim joined the light anti-aircraft regiment six months later, and was sent to North Africa in August 1941. Less than a year later, Jim was captured by the Italian forces, and remained in prison camps for 15 months.
With the surrender of the Italian government in September 1943, there was a hope that the 33,000 + Allied Prisoners of War [POWs] would be repatriated. Instead, Jim and the thousands of other prisoners were transported by troop train and cattle truck through Northern Italy, Austria and Germany to the German POW camps in 'Greater Germany'. Jim was sent to Stalag 344, between Krakow and Katowice, in Southern Poland. The camp was in the Dabrowa coalfield, the prisoners used as a labour force in the coal mines.
In January 1944 he was moved to the Sosnowitz coal mine, working deep underground. On the 26th, he was crushed by a runaway coal truck, dying at the age of 36. He is buried at Milwitz Cemetery. The camp leader, R S M Read, took photographs at the funeral service, which he sent to Jim's widow, Lilian. |
| Custodial History | These papers were found in a wardrobe at the home of the donor's nephew and donated to Derbyshire Record Office in November 2018. |