Bryden, Robert

Name: Robert BRYDEN

Born 16 April 1921

Birthplace: Dreghorn, Ayrshire, Scotland

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 23

Died 2 November 1994 in Ayrshire, Scotland, age 73

Service: Royal Air Force

Service ID: 1825512

Service Rank: Flight Sergeant

Duties: Gunner

Air Group: 76 Squadron

Airbase: Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire UK

Aircraft: Halifax bomber MZ524

Date shot down: 16 July 1944

Fate of crew: 4 KIA, 3 evaded but captured (Bryden, PEIRSON, and HUGHES).

Evasion summary: Evaded with HUGHES, met PEIRSON by Noyers. Stayed with with 3 US airmen and one RAF airman. RAF airmen went to a small hotel in Paris and then to a nearby park.

Date captured: 2 August 1944

Capture summary: Bryden, Peirson, Hughes, Fernandez, Nuttall, Lucas, and C Hoffman met eight other airmen there, picked up by truck and taken to Gestapo HQ and later to Fresnes Prison. If there was an agent among the US airmen, it would have probably been Marcheret.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78365

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, Belairia

Kriege ID: 8081

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde

Notes on SIIIA internment:

Liberation: 22 April 1945 by units of the Red Army but held for negotiated release in May.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

Veteran status: