The medals belonged to the late DLS Hamer of Kerry, Near Newtown, Powys, who was captured and detained at notorious camp Stalag 1VB until the Russians liberated it at the end of the war.
The medals will be sold at Auctioneers Harry Ray & Co of Welshpool, Powys.
Plenty of interest is expected from collectors, particularly in the concentration camp tag which identified Mr Hamer as Prisoner number ‘47636, Stalag 1VB, Campo Concentramento’.
The medals will include Mr Hamer’s Africa Star, a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in an operational area of North Africa between June 1940 and May 1943.
Memorabilia from Mr Hamer’s estate includes paperwork identifying him as a liberated prisoner of war; entitling him to a shower and full uniform, bank notes and other tickets and vouchers.
Stalag 1VB, near Mahlberg, Saxony – about 30 miles north of Dresden – covered 75 acres. The first inmates were 17,000, who slept under the open sky or in tents.
Soldiers from 33 nations passed through the camp. It held round 7,250 British prisoners when the Soviet Army liberated it in April, 1945.
About 3,000 died in the camp, mainly from tuberculosis and typhus.
A variety of other memorabilia aside from Mr Hamer’s estate will also be going under the hammer at Welshpool Town Hall on Thursday, August 6.
These include early local newspapers, post card collections and a quantity of Newtown and district memorabilia in a sale of collectables, antique furniture and effects.
Victorian and Edwardian furniture will also be auctioned along with an eight-day grandfather clock in oak case by John Rees of Machynlleth.
“These are fascinating items,” said Auctioneer Jim Mason of Harry Ray & Co.
“[They’re] some of the most interesting we have had in the sale room for many years and obviously of great interest to those involved in the collection of war memorabilia.”
The auction begins at 10am with viewing from 9am, and on Wednesday between 1-30pm and 5pm.
