Lt. Robert Earl Crawford

November 26, 1921 - November 13, 1988

Bob Crawford was captured on February 27, 1945 at the Hochwald. 

                HIS STORY

My dad did not speak much about his POW experiences.  According to my mother his imprisonment had a great impact on him.  I have spoken to both Jack Gardiner and Ed Thorn about February 27, 1945 and they filled me in on details I did not know.  What I do know is that my dad made a decision to surrender. This was the only option he had at the time, other than certain death for them if they did not surrender.  I do know about the "incident" at the train station where they were taken after they were captured and where the local townspeople wanted to hang the SAR captives.   It was  the German troops who kept the people at bay and prevented the hangings.  I also know about the "hard time" given to my dad.  From my understanding it was about having a gun held to his head and repeatedly cocked.  He himself told me he did not know if he was going to be executed that day.   Jack Gardiner told me a story last week about the day they were captured and interrogated.  Jack's story, on his web-page, details the incident.  My dad did tell me that boredom, being penned in, food and the avoidance of the Russian prisoners were big issues in the area in which he was being held.  He spoke about being transported back into Germany in a very crowded boxcar full of prisoners.  As I said he did not speak of his captivity often. One story he did tell me though was about when he was being interrogated.  The young German officer spoke perfect English and told my dad that he was a German-Canadian from Kitchener, Ontario who happened to be on holidays in Germany when the war started. He had been conscripted into the German forces.  He had played junior hockey in Canada and he really missed Canada. It must have seemed a strange experience to be interrogated by another Canadian. My mom said the POW experience, more than the actual combat, appeared to have had a greater impact on him.  One other story I was told was that when he was reported missing, his mother, my grandmother in Medicine Hat never left the house until it was confirmed he was not dead.  Thanks Jack and Ed for filling me in on a lot of the details and for the many kind things you said about my dad.

* If you were a SAR prisoner of war or know of a member of your family who was a POW and if you are interested in telling your story please contact me through the website e-mail address

Click here for the story of  "The Little Brown Hen at Stalag 11-B"