Alfred Vivian Minchin (27 January 1917 – February 1998) was a British merchant seaman who was taken prisoner by a German destroyer after his ship, the SS Empire Ranger, one of a Murmansk convoy, was sunk by German bombers off Norway.[1] He held the rank of Sturmmann[2] in the Waffen-SS British Free Corps during the Second World War. He was taken prisoner on 28 March 1942.[3] It was he who suggested the name for the British Free Corps.[4] By 8 March 1945 he 'was being treated for scabies in the SS hospital at Lichtefelde-West.'[5] The National Archives holds the depositions for his trial at the Central Criminal Court under reference CRIM 1/485.[6] and a Home Office file on him under reference HO 45/25817 [7] He was "convicted at Central Criminal Court on 5 February 1946 of conspiring to assist the enemy and sentenced to 7 years' penal servitude" for offences against the Defence Regulations.[8][9] He died in Somerset in February 1998 at the age of 81.[10][11]
Alfred Vivian Minchin | |
|---|---|
 Alfred Minchin (second right) with SS-Mann Kenneth Berry (second left) and German officers, April 1944 | |
| Born | 27 January 1917 |
| Died | February 1998 (aged 81) Somerset, England, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | British merchant seaman |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy to assist the enemy |
| Criminal penalty | 7 years' imprisonment |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Weale, Adrian (2014-11-12). Renegades (Kindle Locations 1968-1969). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ Weale, Adrian (2014-11-12). Renegades (Kindle Location 2342). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ http://bills-bunker.de/56856.html Archived 2016-02-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Weale, Adrian (2014-11-12). Renegades (Kindle Location 2216). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ Weale, Adrian (2014-11-12). Renegades (Kindle Locations 3000-3001). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ "Defendant: Minchin, Alfred Vivian Rowlands, Herbert George Berry, Kenneth Edward Jordan..." National Archives. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "WAR: Renegades and Persons suspected or convicted of assisting the Enemy: MINCHIN,..." The National Archives. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ The National Archives - Reference: HO 45/24477
- ^ "Seamen Sentenced For Aiding Enemy." Times, London, England, 21 Feb. 1946: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
- ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
- ^ "Guy Walters' site - history of the BFC, complete with pictures".
External links
edit- "Seamen Committed For Trial." Times, London, England, 3 January 1946: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 February 2015.