Lamendola and Yapp, West Dorset Spring 1944. These two were inseparable. Lamendola was wounded in action whilst the Company attacked a German bunker. Yapp went to his aid and was also wounded. Yapp pulled Lamendola into the relative safety of a captured bunker but the German army would counter attack and recapture the bunker. Don Yapp was taken prisoner, no one is sure what happened to Lamendola, he remains to this day, missing in action.

Yapp was taken to an aid station in a wheelbarrow by a German soldier. There the German doctors operated on his wounded leg. He was taken to a series of prisoner of war camps where he suffered from lack of food, infection and cold. It was a miserable existence. Yapp volunteered to work outside the camp hoping he would be able to attend a civilian hospital. He and 500 others were put into box cars for the trip to the new area. The trip took 7 days and food was in very short supply. Yapp was assigned to work for a farmer, an ex SS trooper. At first the farmer made him work even though he was at deaths door. Thankfully the farmer was convinced to send Yapp to a hospital and finally after four months Yapp received proper care. Once well he worked for a different farmer until the war ended. Yapp returned to Germany in the late 1960's to try and find the people who had helped him. He was successful and came upon the catholic hospital, some of the nurses and staff and even the doctor who had treated him. He also managed to find the second farmer who showed him a letter Yapp had written for him, showing the allied forces that he had taken care of Yapp and treated him well.
Taken from an article in the 1st division newspaper of 1967 and the words of Gary Mohrlang. Gary's father was delighted to hear about Yapp again having lost contact for 23 years.

Photo: Sergeant Raymond Mohrlang