Not Forgotten, WX1893 Private Angus Frank WINDSOR, 2/11 Battalion AIF, World War 2

Angus Windsor was born in Northam on 11 July 1918, the son of John William and Ella May Windsor of Dowerin. He enlisted on 4 March 1940, giving his occupation as tractor drier and his next of kin as John Windsor of Midland Junction. He was taken on strength on 4 March 1940 at Northam and admitted to Northam Hospital 3 days later suffering from mumps. Angus Windsor was taken on strength with the 2/11 Infantry Battalion on 10 April 1940 at Claremont. Whilst training in Egypt Angus Windsor was in hosptial again, this time with influenza.

On 10 April 1941 he embarked for service in Greece. Crete was a key strategic asset during the Second World War, a potential base for operations in the Balkans for the Allies, and for the Germans a base for operations against North Africa27. After the fall of Greece, the 2/11 Infantry Battalion was one of the Australian units that formed part of the ill-equipped defending force for Crete. Over 9500 German airborne troops landed on Crete on 20 May 1941, their main objectives being the three airfields on the north coast. They managed to take control of Maleme airfield on the night of 21 May and large numbers of German reinfocements were flown in.

On 27 Mayorders were given to evacuate the island and a withdrawal was begun, troops walking to the south coast village of Sphakia more than 12,000 Allied troops were evacuated over four nights. Those troops who could not be evacuated were told to return to the north coast and surrender. Many did; some remained at large on the island and were assisted by the local population. Angus Windsor became a prisoner of war, was transferred to Germany and was placed in Stalag VIIIB,
later designated Stalag 344 at Lamsdorf in Germany, now Lambinowice in Poland.

In January 1945, as the Soviet armies advanced into Germany, many of the prisoners were sent on forced marches, westward, in groups of 200-300. Many deaths resulted from exposure and exhaustion. Over 80,000
Allied Prisoners of War, from a total of 257,000 western Allied POWs held in German military prison camps, were forced to march westward across Poland, Czechoslovakia and Germany in extreme winter
conditions between January and April 1945. This was to delay the liberation of the prisoners. In the case of Stalag VIII-B this was known as the Lamsdorf Death March.Angus Windsor died, presumably on the Lamsdorf Death March, as the date of his death is given as 1
April 1945, and he has no known grave. He was 26 years of age.

Angus Windsor is commemoriated at the Athens Memorial, in the grounds of the Phaleron War Cemetery in Athens. It commemorates nearly 3,000 members of the land forces of the Commonwealth who lost their lives during the campaigns in Greece and Crete in 1941 and 1944-5, in the Dodecanese islands in 1943-45 and in Yugoslavia in 1943-
45, and who have no known grave. Angus Windsor is also listed on the Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial as well as the Dowerin War Memorial and the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour.

Angus Windsor was awarded the 1939/45 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Australian Service Medal.