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Alan Forster's March to Freedom

THE TREK FROM KLIMONTOW TO REGENSBURG
19 January – 28 February 1945

Alan was one of some 100,000 allied prisoners of war plus some two million Russians being marched west away from the advancing Soviet forces but this was dwarfed by the flight and expulsion of some nine millions Germans living in the Czech Republic and Poland. They too were ultimately victims of Nazi racial policies.

Stalin’s eviction of some two to three million Poles living in what is now Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania to Pomerania, Silesia and Prussia combined with the mass deportation of the intellectual elite of the three Baltic states to Central Asia in the aftermath of the war made this one of the greatest mass migrations in history.

“Post war Europe was faced with tidal waves of refugees.”
Europe; Norman Davies. Oxford University Press, 1996

Each Stalag was responsible for co-ordinating the movement of POW at the outlying Arbeitkommandos as well as those at the main camp. In the case of Stalag VIIIB / 344 Lamsdorf (Polish Lambinowice) they took a northerly route via Dresden whilst those at Stalag VIIIB Teschen (Polish Cieszyn), which lay some hundred miles to the east, took a southerly route through the German occupied Czech Protectorate (Bohemia and Moravia) to Bavaria. E702 Klimontow and other Arbeitskommando linked to Stalag VIIIB Teschen took the southerly route.

They marched in small columns following side roads to villages where they could find accommodation in barns at the end of each day. Some published accounts (Whiteside, 1999) mention that at the end of each day’s march they would identify their billet. usually a barn, by the number of the Arbeitskommando chalked on the door, confirming that they remained in the same working party throughout the trek. Food was sparse, the guards themselves were hungry, and cooked communally. The delivery of Red Cross parcels was disrupted but remained a vital source of additional food (as well as “fags”).

The Vojensky Ustredni Archive in Prague contains the detailed plans made by the German authorities for the movement of 6,000 British and 58,000 Soviet prisoners of war through the Czech Protectorate, commanded by the head of POW camp VIII/B Teschen, Col. Thielebein. They were to follow separate routes and march in columns of 1,500.

Provision was made for accommodation:

“The BdS [commander of the security police] has ordered district captains to cooperate with the advance detachments of the leader of the march block and provide accommodation and straw in advance. The accommodation provided should be occupied successively by subsequent march groups. They are also responsible for the provision of warm meals and coffee. It is suggested that it will be appropriate to man each accommodation with one reliable NCO and 3 men until the last march group has passed through.

Under no circumstances should any larger towns be occupied.”

and for the supply of rations, medical care and security:

“It is of the utmost political importance that the march of the POWs should proceed without incidents and should not unnecessarily attract the attention of the civilian population. The garrison commanders and all official agencies participating in the provisioning of the march units should therefore support the leaders of the groups with all means at their disposal. The civilian authorities have equally been instructed by the German Minister of State for Bohemia and Moravia to provide the same help. The garrison commander should achieve the closest cooperation with these authorities.

The garrisons should actively support local police authorities for the duration of the march by providing patrols in order to prevent any traffic jams or population crowds. The commander of the patrol service shall increase the number of patrols on all march routes.”

Although Alan recorded the length of each march and the place names where they billeted at the end of each day these names are difficult to identify on modern maps. Apart from occasional mistakes in spelling the German place names have been replacesd by Polish or Czech. In Appendix two I have attempted to identify the current names of the places on the route from Klimontow to Regensburg in Bavaria.

19 January – 28 February 1945
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Thursday Jan 18

As Norman & I were peacefully lying about 12.00 listening to the wireless we were rudely disturbed by the door being blown open and the boys told to be ready for a 2.30 am move off. What a night! Air raids off and on, a bomb ten yards from the Lager, all the ……… in hand lobbed out (unequally of course) clothing etc. What a night. We eventually paraded about 7.00 o’clock Friday morning and after being …. warned by Ti…ale that any man breaking ranks would be shot we staggered off on a perfectly horrible march to Dombrowo (which must have been a lovely camp) owing to the snow and too much kit. During the Friday night we made a sledge of sorts for five men. Air raids were constant. If only I’d known what I know now – 9 weeks later – I would have escaped. We were all fools, absolute idiots!
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Friday Jan 19

Started on march to Domt..wo. Stayed night, had beds. Rations:- 2K loaf per man, 1K .. per man, 1 parcel per man mixed Xmas and Canadian. Made sledge for five of us.

Saturday Jan 20

To Beuton – a school – very cramped, 50 men per small room. 40K

Sunday Jan 20

To Gleiwitz – school – also bad about 150 to room. Rations:- 5 pks Knacherbrot [Knäckebrot, dry crisp bread e.g. Ryvita] per man 2 K tins meat between 3. 20K

Monday Jan 22

To barn near Heidrechtstadt – bad – got roused out about 2 am. Joe was within 10K off & we didn’t know. Dumped blanket, kit and sledge. 2 others carried on with it. 20K

Tuesday Jan 23

Forced march to first ladder barn bad although still very cold – all … together. First not the …. 40K

Wednesday Jan 24

To second ladder barn at Guad ..f Good billet, made lamps, still plenty of room, very cold, fine snow. 20K

Thursday Jan 25

Neudorf. Very cold. Got bombed. Village full of troops. Hot water from kitchen. 34K

Friday Jan 26
Posnitz (?)
Barn off the Jugensdorf road. …guard for a bit of bread for soap not bad billet. Had shave and wash. 15K

Saturday Jan 27

To Wechen. Quite good. Made first fire & cooked tin of corned beef in stew. Hot water from kitchen.

Sunday Jan 28

Rest. Brewed up & tried to keep warm all day. Had custard drink.
Rations:- four packets biscuits per man, 1 lb sausage, … of very … & spoon of sugar. … of meat from …

Monday Jan 29

To Don..er farm. Had big ….. ……….
………. 20K

Tuesday 30 Jan

……… Heavy bombing amongst hills. Big place. Very uncomfortable …….. collecting ……… 24K

Wed 31st Jan

…. Not quite so cold. All ….. collected together here. Water difficult … to dip in well with bucket. Collecting wood for fire ….
……………

Thursday 1st Feb

Rations:- old loaf between 10 … loaf between 7 (both 2K) 2 pks biscuits between 5 (20 per man) ……….

Friday 2nd Feb

…………….. 24K
Sat Feb 3

To Rabemdorf. Got split into two parties then as we settled got thrown out of billet and made to …. Bad fire. Made stew again. 25K

Sun Feb 4
To Blauda. Not bad. Good fire. Made last stew. Hard march again. Slept badly. Got up at 7 & made hard & strong tea. Good. Very hungry. Now waiting rations. 20K

Mond 5 Feb
Celleschan.
Rest. Tomali checked up on ……. Sitting starving here. Total distance to date stands at 328 K
Ration:- 2K bread per man, 1/2 smoked …, 1/2 sausage, spoon sugar, 1 lb marge beteen 7. …(1K) between1!

Tues Feb 6
To Neider [Nieder, lower] Hermanitz.
Mild weather, very wet & …
Yesterday got about 3K bread.

Wed Feb 7
To Rathsdorf. Very wet. Good billet. Good spuds. Excellent fire. Pity we couldn’t stay some time. 25K

Thurs Feb. 8
To Wilderschaut
Crossed Czech Protectorate at 11.00. Very bad billet.
Had to chop down trees for wood. Windy wet & cold.
Definitely bad place. 12K

Friday Feb 9
Rest. Awaiting rations. 2K loaf between 4

Sunday Feb 11
Rations. 1k per man small portion of meat marge & honey, sugar.
Marched off at 9.30 to Chotzen. 16K
Best billet yet. Soap issue good made an excellent one ourselves. Bread again per man. Buckshee electric light all night – in short an hotel. Raw meat issue about 1/4 lb.

Monday Feb 12
To Ceberjellen. Boiled meat – good. Very warm billet but poor contact. Notable because we came out of the hills & all is flat. Good going now. 17K

Tuesday Feb 13

Rest. Some extra bed from … but very little. A few spuds. No fires allowed now – boilers instead. Good issue of excellent sausage about 1 lb or so per man for 4 days its sad.

Wed Feb 14

To Bycsta (?). Very cramped quarters. Some spuds given. 14K
A good march rain having cleared roads entirely of snow.
To date 432K.

Thursday Feb 15

To Patowitz-an-die Elbe. Crossed the river at 10.10. This place is a village 2K from it & 11K from the town of Konigsgratz which has been bombed for the two previous nights. We hear we are to stay in this woefully overcrowded barn for a period of 3-5 days – I hope to God this isn’t true! 13K
More or less good trench fire until the Feld [-webel, NCO] finds out about it I suppose!

Friday Feb 16

Rest. Rations:- 1K bread per man, sugar 1/2 lb marg 4 men, dried spuds, cabbage …, 1/2 meat (raw) per man, 1/4 flour, salt, coffee,

Sat Feb 17

To Leibca.
Good day dry hard roads at last.
Amazing tobacco issue – 3 men to a packet of real German stuff – roughly 20g each. No fires – no cooking big barn! 16K

Sunday Feb 18

To Unter Gutwasser.
Fair barn. Made communal soup.
Good march cold & dry with … excellent road. 14K

Monday Feb 19

Rest. We made a good communal soup & had quite a decent day. Weather bright & clear with a warm sun.
A Dondrowo [?] chap was shot whilst attempting contact.

Tuesday Feb 20

To Aulibitz. Rations were issued before we started – 1/2 smallish 2K loaf per man. About 1 oz cheese (good) marg 2 1/2 ozs a little honey. Rest consisted as last time of meat flour dried veg potatoes & macaroni, sugar salt. From midday yesterday until midday tomorrow. 18K

Wed Feb 21

To Uber Bousow. Bad billet. No dry wood for boiler. Arrived at 2.00 after a hellish long march round & about. 35K

Thurs Feb 22

Rest. Rations for six days. 2K loaf per man + 1/5 or so. Other rations in usual proportion but remaining on wagon.
Another good soup today.
Friday Feb 23

To a village Rep by a big town called Jugessbunslau. Arrived to find boilers lit & a big billet. Didn’t start til 9.00 and arrived at 12.00.
14 K

Saturday Feb 24
To Kropatsch Urutitz (?).
In a brick factory. Very bad although warm. No boilers, not even water. There appears to have been some mistake made. We were not expected. 29 K
To date 571 K

Sunday Feb 25

Rest. Two soups up today. We had to use all meat rations as they were going off. Contacted 4 K bread for 2 g tin Players & 10 fags. Place is dusty but warm & dry. Quite prepared to stay here for as long as Jerry likes. Electric light all the 24 hours. …

Monday Feb 26

To Tunsein. Bad – very.
Everything gets worse, every day we notice a new weakness & loss of physical recuperative powers. 20 K

Tuesday Feb 27

To Ilosein. Good billet. Very warm & beautifully warm. Not a bad march although rather black looking. 14K

Wednesday 28

Rest. Rations: 3K loaf between 3. Sausage about 1/4 between 4. Sugar a spoon. Other rations square of cheese roughly 1/4 oz each. A 1 lb marg between 4. Small quantity honey. Day rations & meat left for communal soup. Had quantities of roasted maize all day very good!

Thursday March 1

To Dallen. Cramped quarters – bad march warm & strong wind. The behaviour of the Germans gets steadily worse. Several men were shot, some killed for attempting to escape – that treatment is perhaps deserved but when it comes to not allowing our commando to shit by the roadside when the fellows all have dysentery – pushed about whilst marching sticks tapped round our legs etc. I can’t understand why they engender this hate for themselves … Spring! Treesfin [?] leaf! 24 K

Friday March 2

To Jetschin. Split into two parties. Norman, of course, got on the other one to Charlie & I. We slept warmly with Betty [?] between us. Had a cup of good stodge & one of pease pud. Today the Germans lobbed out leaflets inviting us to join their cause against the Reds! Bloody cheek after the treatment we’ve been having! This is the
second one I’ve seen, the first was 15 months ago inviting us to join the ranks of the Free British. There seems to be a definite move towards Karlsbad where we have apparently been expected for some while. If all accounts are true we shall receive some little attention from the Red X. I hardly dare hope this is true! 14 K
To date 643 K

Saturday March 3

Rest Rations:- cupful sugar 5 men. 1 oz sausage per man, 2 oz marg per man, 1 oz honey per man, 1 1/4 K per man approx. 50 fags per man 3.50 split up from Norman.

Sunday March 4

To Kirchen. Lovely billet. Long march.
24 K

Monday Mar 5

To Peterburg (?) Hard going on dry road. Cold wind & snow. Not bad billet. Came out of Protectorate about 5K after marching off. 20K

Tuesday Mar 6

Rest. P/C written. Rations:- 1 K bread per man, less sugar than usual, no cheese, sausage a tiny piece 3 men 1/2 lb marg, very comfortable place after all. Slept very well in spite of hordes of mice which ran around all night.
Wed March 7

To Grossfarwitz. Good weather & a dry road after yesterdays snow made for an easy and pleasant march. 16 K

Thurs March 8

To Deutschkeit. No boilers. A trench fire with hardly any wood. Straffed the camp for pinching spuds & sacks. We’d pinched some pea powder stuff from the previous place & it made grand soup – lucky we had it. 20 K

Friday March 9

Rest. Rations:- 1K raw spuds per man, 2 oz peas, 10g or so raw meat. Bad weather, heavy snow & heavy wind. Filthy dirty messing about with fire.

Saturday March 10

Rest. Continuation of yesterday. Had the birdie on last night but pitch darkness spoiled the chances altho’ some results were achieved at first. Conditions are very difficult. We were all marched out for … at 9.00 but came back immediately. 8 men went out for rations at 7.00 but up to now (1.00) have not returned. Weather continues bad. Note turned off Karlsbad road at Buchau on Thurs. Now heading for Marienbad its said another 14 days approx to a Stalag.
Tonight was a night of all night – the story went round like wildfire
– Red X parcels had arrived in the village! And strangely enough it was true – a huge ten wheeled lorry straight from Switzerland full of a varied assortment of parcels – French, Belgium, American, Canadian & medical comforts! Between five of us it worked out as 3 parcels. & a medical parcel & one of the big Belgium parcels between twenty men which brought the issue up to roughly 2/3 per man – a great help. We also had a ration issue from the Germans, about 1 K spuds & a swede between 8 with a little meat. How we hope that the Red X service continues – its already had a tremendous effect on the boys to feel they haven’t been forgotten – or at least that they’ve been found again! The fags were very good each man receiving the equivalent of about 60 each with the shag tobacco etc. We smoke again – thanks to the Red X!

Sunday March 11

To Neudorf by Potchau.
A hell of a march containing one of the longest & worst climbs we’ve yet done. Road third class & covered deeply with slush. Billet is good, however, but only one boiler. We had plenty of light but no bread & wish to cook up the macarone we received yesterday but we no chance. 25 K
To date:- 743 K

Monday March 12

Rest. Thank God! We’re ready for it after yesterday but it’s a great surprise all the same – we think the Huns are suffering pangs of conscience over the rations they’ve been giving us & as we noticed there was an VIIIB ration centre at the station in Petchau we may be having something today. The guards are growing hungry – yesterday they had only about 250 g bread given them. They grow more browned off every day.

Tuesday March 13

To Abaschau (4K from Marienbad). We await rations as do the Jerries who, apparently are as pushed as we are. They have, we’ve been told, to demand it off the villages! In their own country …
We lie in a barn, three stories high but plenty of light as well as dust!
The roads are pretty clean & dry with 14K the exception of patches.
Rations:- 1K spuds, 1 oz meat, 1/2K swede per man. Dried peas salt etc.

Weds March 14

To Waschengrian (4K from Plan) heavy going without bulk in ones stomach. An excellent barn, very warm & clean with two boilers.
20 K

Rest day Thurs March 15

Again. The Red X thank God! We had 3/4 Amer. Pcl. per man, 15 French biscuits per man, 3/5 confiture & extra pcle per man. Some goods were stolen by the Germans.
Rations:- 2 K bread between 5, spoon sugar 2 cups per man, turnips, spuds. Some raw meat 16K Comp. On the whole an excellent day. Warm sun, plenty of water, plenty of brews, just a lovely day. Still no one has any idea of where we are really going but just as long as we have parcels & we don’t march far it will be all the same to us.

Friday March 16

To Haid. A hot dry march.
The roads are as though snow has never been & we covered the distance in 4 1/2 hrs. For the first time two Comm…aiders are here together – just a big square with three sides barns & the other the main road. No water facilities except in a wagon, no boilers – sweet F.A. 26 K
Rations:- K156 – 700 G bread Comp (20g man)
K20 meat (good)
41-900 peas
62-900 pots
29-900 …
6-270 salt
Till the 21st. It appears we are going to Weiden at least half the battalion – while the others go to a point 60 K further on. Seems to be st…. the time but – !
Sat March 17

To Rosshaupt – a rotten day due to rain & hail but a shorter march thank heaven. We hear (from the Hauptman) that orders are definite concerning our destination & better still we shall have parcels every 5 days. This march should be finished within a few days now … 17K

Sun March 18

Rest. Quite good billet. Rather cold lots of rain. An excellent pudding last night with the issue … Purchased from Geig at 2 fags per man, 50K good meat which is now being cooked.

Total Rations for periods 10 Jan – March 21

Bread 17 1/4 K per man 1 lb 70 days
Pots 5 1/4 2 1/2 oz
Meat 3 3/4
Swede 1 1/2
Marg 1
Peas 1
Honey 1/4
Sugar 1/4
Cheese 60 grams
Mac. 125 grams
Salt 1/4 K

March 18 (cont)
We had the meat – my God! As old as the hills & tough as leather. Each man got roughly 2 ozs I’d say – a bad show.

Monday March 19

To Moosbach a village 5 K off the main road. Unfortunate for we turned off for we were head of the column & it might mean that we lost our place tomorrow when we should arrive at Weiden. We hear marvellous reports of a new camp from a labourer who helped build it. We are split into two parts again – 100 each – not a bad barn.
18 K

Tuesday March 20

To Shamenreith a village 3K off the main road 7 K from Weiden which, incidentally we saw signposted for the first time today. A lovely barn – in fact the best we’ve had – being of enormous dimensions & in two floors both plentifully supplied with windows. We are also fortunate in having two boilers which means bags of brews. Saw D at 11.00 & had a kilo of bread. 17 K

Weds March 21

Rest. At ten o’clock had the cake which Norman planned & I missed last night. It was absolutely delicious. We ate it with a decent cup of coffee & it reminded me of coffee time in Newcastle.
Rations:- 1/3 of a 2K Commis Brot [Kommiss Brot – i.e. army issue bread] each & half spoonful of sugar. 100 lbs potatoes, 1 buckett split peas, a little meat.
Stories still go round about what we are going to do so until some definite word comes I shan’t write anything further simply because we’re browned off with speculation.

Thursday March 22

To Weiden: at least an outlying part of the town for we bypassed it & are now lying in a barn about 3K out of the way. It was a good march but spoiled by our arrival here. We had to clear the whole bottom of the barn & even now many men are short of beds. When the Hauptmann [officer] was approached about going for parcels he said that if the Vertrauensmann [soldiers’ representative] in the Lager [camp] thought we were hungry he would send up parcels – very thoughtful! The Lager can actually be seen from here about 4 K away while we sit & starve. Swine!!! The sirens still continue; since we came into Bavaria the bombing has been increasingly heard in the near distance. 11 K

To date: 877 Kms

The worst has happened! Apparently the Hauptmann has asked at the Stalag here & has been told we can only draw parcels from our own (presumably VIIIB). When the latter was asked just where the Stalag lay he replied he had no idea – at least that’s what we’ve been told, I don’t know whether it’s true, according to our usual luck though, its more than possible, its nearly almost certainly just what’s happened. Consequently everyone is very fed up altogether & lie listlessly about waiting for something – anything – to happen.

Friday March 23

Rest:- Today we have received between 4 men 1 Canadian & 1 No 10 American pcle. It has made all the difference to everyone. I have also given myself a treat – a wash down shave shampoo & haircut complete with clean shirt. I feel a new man. The weather is more like May than anything else with people lying about in the sun smoking & playing cards.

Saturday March 24

Rest. Still awaiting transport.
Yesterday we received what we take to be a sort of lying up ration consisting of a 2K loaf between 5 for two days, half spoonful sugar, quarter spoon salt, etc. Fat ration is apparently a thing of the past as also honey. Many & various are the tales going about now & the best one of all comes from the American truck drivers who ferry parcels from the Swiss border to here.
They say all long term prisoners are to be sent into Switzerland – sometime! A lovely story & to my mind at least not improbable as we also hear that all Lagers [prison camps] round & about are all full. The weather remains beautiful – too warm for marching – which incidentally, the Hauptmann – God rest his soul! – has told the M.D. is finished.
We have just heard also that Dombrowo are drawing 3 days rations & 1/2 pcle. We scarcely dare hope this to be true!!

Sunday March 25

And it wasn’t! we had only a German issue of rations but it was good – nearly a 2K Commis Brot per man & 3/4 lb of sausage of decent quality. This morning we were ready for parade at 5.45. Marched off at about 6.00 & hung around the station until 8.00 when we entrained. This was done very smoothly & within an hour the whole battalion – about 1100 men were aboard. The train moved off at 10.00 prompt – 60 men to an open cattle truck – luckily the weather is sunny & warm – & so far the trip has gone well with the line winding alongside a river in a valley with beautiful scenery all around. Now we’ve stopped – the …. are about. In fact we’ve been here for a while now & just had a couple of slices of our precious bread & sausage for lunch: I’m smoking a Chesterfield, the sun is warm. I’m content!
Later:- altogether we’ve been stopped until 3.30 in Scherwandorf station & now we’re returning along the same line & have now stopped at Schwatzenfeld for a change.
Monday March 26

(Morning) Dark set in & I couldn’t write anymore – we’ve had one hell of a night in the wagon, which, after various halts reached Marienburg at 2.40 am & moved on again at 10.15 am to Regensburg again by a different route. Signs of bombing are everywhere evident. We have found one small country town with considerable sidings just about completely wiped out (Neumarkt). The bloody truck still crawls on in an agonising series of stops & starts; already we have taken 4 1/2 hrs for what we were told was a 3 hr journey – not of course that anyone really seems to know where we’re heading for. I can’t see much point in writing down place names we pass, it means nothing when ones going nowhere. At last we’ve sighted Regensburg! Stood outside the boundaries of the town until it became dark 8.10 pm when we moved on through bombed out sidings & wagons. The place has certainly been bombed a lot. We got out at 10.30 at some place & marched to a barn about 3K away where we collapsed in the straw. It’s called Neider [Nieder, lower] Fraubling.

Tuesday March 27

Roused out by German shouts – men wanted to fetch a barrack. Hope to Hell it doesn’t mean we are going to live here long. Rumour has it that Stalag of some sort is 20K away. Had a really lovely tea
last night comprising 8 courses of lovely delicacies. I felt quite satisfied for the first time in weeks. Norman certainly knows how to make something from virtually nothing. It’s necessary too on the bloody bird-like rations we receive.

Wednesday March 28

Rest. It’s now 12.00 & I’ve been lying in a semi-daze awaiting developments since roll-call at 8.00 this morning. We’ve eaten yes but how in hell can a man gain any strength on 3 slices of thin bread, a biscuit & a slice of cheese? It’s merely enough for the moment & what we require after the fatigue and strain of the march is large & regular quantities of bulky food. I only hope to God for all our sakes that something arrives from the Red X – a decent quantity I mean – not 1/2 a parcel or something fiddling like that but a quantity. It seems highly improbable that the Hun is going to do much for us because we’re too many & he’s too pushed for his own evacuees. The worst thing of course is the fact that I’m out of smoking stuff – the first time for years and boy is it bad! So I sit & wait wait wait getting browned off more more & more as the minutes drag by like lead. Rations:- 1 K Commis Brot per man with about 50 g extra for 5 days, about 1/2 oz sugar. Bread new & good but of course stupidly inadequate – a slice a day …. My God! To think we’ve come so far down, the lice will soon be with us if as we hear we live in this barn for the next five weeks or so waiting for barracks. I think the war has a chance of ending before then – we can only hope so – it appears that it will be a rather life & death race.

Friday March 30

As nothing at all happened yesterday it wasn’t worth while writing about it. The weather is most depressing & the ground is muddy & filthy. We still await parcels but so far nothing new has been heard of them. But today started a little more hopefully, ten men went down into Regensdorf for boilers & we hear the Feldtwebel [NCO] is walking around with the Hauptmann [officer]. We were told yesterday that we would be starting work on Tuesday but not from this barn. Well, how the two positions reconcile I can’t make out.
Good news has just been given out on parade – we can expect parcels this week. Thank God! Apparently we were reported to the Red X three days ago & they said they’d get supplies to us. We were up early this morning for seeing its Good Friday we thought we’d have a little something extra. And so a cake of sorts was made & has turned out very well. The ingredients are unusual – bulk of ground spuds with dried eggs, raisins, sweet cocoa & bicarb. It has been … & now awaits disposal. Between 5 men, however, it’s an inconsiderable trifle although of course most eagerly looked to. It’s now 10.00 – 17 hours since we ate: how can one really appreciate food under these conditions? (Later) But we did! I’ve honestly never been so surprised in my life as at that cake. As light as if best white flour had been amongst the ingredients – absolutely amazing. Definitely the most delicious way spuds have ever been served up to me. I reckon someone is due for a surprise when I get back to England because I don’t think anyone could ever guess at the basis of the cake. They say there’s a German recipe book “101 ways to cook spuds” – I wonder if they had this one in? It’s evident that’s how potato bread is made at home.

Saturday March 31

Still no parcels & a furore with the boiler which went after all to Pekin Commando [Pekin Arbeitskommando, a work detachment of Stalag VIIIB in the Pekin area of Sosnowice, known in Polish as Pekin Klimontowski, close to Klimontow, where there was a hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis]. This puts us in a bad spot. Hunger spectre having reared its ugly head we played “Happy Families” during the afternoon.
Rations:- 500 grams of Commis Brot per man, bar soap, 1/2 spoon sugar.
We had quite an exciting few minutes when 9 American “Thunderbolts” came over straffing the railway …. etc right besides us. We hear there are 16,000 K.G.F.s [probably, Kriegsgefangene, Prisoners if War, POWs] in the area under the control of the Nazi party. It looks as though, from today’s rations, we aren’t going to start work, as promised, on Tuesday.

Sunday April 1

And again, I regret to say, no sign of the Red X, bad ‘cess to ‘em.
We spent the morning making what is known as a super-blower & consists principally of tins embodying a fan rather like a smith’s ….

Monday April 2

Still no sign, no smokes now for three days & I’m fully convinced I could just manage to live comfortably, if not adequately on German rations providing I had 100 a week. The midday soup has improved 100% since the rations went to Pekins boilers – solid peas spuds & cab today, only salt is short which seems remarkable – it comes to something when Jerry hasn’t got that condiment. The weather is lovely today & would be really warm were it not for a blustering wind. One of course feels the slightest cold now owing to insufficient nourishment – one has little blackouts when one bends down or stands up too quickly – a la 1940. Wrote a card to Mother – as its rather blunt (truth always hurts) it may not get through but what does it matter anyway? The clocks went forward an hour this morning, much to our surprise – summer is a commin’ in! For tea the cooks lobbed up beetroot which came up, I understand, with the last rations of which I have no copy unfortunately. A very nice change indeed excepting of course that they were mostly brown & woody & we have now no salt or anything to go with them.

Tuesday April 3

Still no sign. 22 men were called for this morning but only to fill in a bomb crater in some nearby village. Such is life: I doubt me if parcels will ever turn up until we start work. If we don’t start – well, no parcels I suppose.

Wednesday April 4

Nothing doing yet – not even with German rations. In fact if the farmer hadn’t given 2 sacks of spuds & some beans away we wouldn’t have had any soup today. It seems he’s a decent sort & holds the point of view that the German government doesn’t give a damm for him so he shouldn’t be too particular in his offer that they are so insistent about. So many men – usually about 20 – go out in the morning to fill in bomb craters in a field about a mile away from here & are replaced by an equivalent number in the afternoon.
But this idea of working on no grub is very bad – this morning for instance, we had our usual slice of bread with about half a beetroot cooked overnight (also given by farmer) & now it’s 4.00 & bar our slice of bread & some more raw beet we’ve had nothing.
(5.00) But the soup was good! I mean from the standards we judge on at present of course – that is one could stand ones spoon up in ones cup & we had over a litre per man.
Rations:- a civvy 1 1/2 K loaf made from spuds between 7 men. Rest of rations not known just now but are said to include flour for making our own bread.

Thursday April 5

Again we draw a blank. I went out to work filling in the bomb craters in the field on a breakfast of a boiled beet slice of dry bread (thin) & a cup of coffee taking with me as a pleasant change a beet for 11.00. The field, luckily enough, is planted with excellent quality beans so in the course of one’s not-so-aimless shovelling one unearths quite a lot – are they appreciated!!!
Lots of planes over again today both bombers & fighters. They come all day & most of the night; certainly no peace for the wicked.
We have had a typical Kriegies soup today from what I believe to be Reichsbahn [railway] rations – 3/4 water 1/4 cabbage & spuds & 3 bits of meat the size of one’s fist between the 200 of us. Had a handful of wood-violets this morning & enjoyed their delicate fragrance more than anything else for years ….
Our potato bread has come up again – what foul stuff! The 11/2K loaf would be alright for one man & a pound of batter for a little meal because we’re used to the bread even when it is like wet plaster but for 7 – ! Shameful! Commis Brot I regard as a fair ration because it’s wholemeal bread but this stuff is 100% spud & doesn’t do any good at all when it’s eaten new as it must be.

Friday April 6

Again nothing. But at last had a decent quantity of good beetroot between us 7 between 5 & big ones at that – of course with our usual thin slice of bread! It makes me determined that when I get back I’ll see just how much beetroot I can eat – naturally of course with vinegar in a civilised fashion. It’s a very funny thing that I never even tasted beet or porridge before I left home where there was always unlimited supplies. I started to eat both in 40 & except on rare occasions with oats from Rauch cookhouse have never had enough. Boy, will I make up for it when this bloody war is over!
I’m recommended (to my surprise) CWS [Cooperative Wholesale Society] “Greamo” oats as best on the market. However, that’s to be seen; I’ll try the whole range, I think. (1.00)
A big flash has just come up about 515 company (us) having drawn some Red X parcels. It’s said that 3 comp which is billeted 2 or 3 kms away already has them. Again hopes have risen; let us sincerely pray that they are not doomed to be dashed again. Most of all I want a smoke – a real cigarette, just imagine!!!
The rations have just come up from yesterday 20G cheese per man, 25G marge for two days: ie yesterday & today supposedly. Bread works out as 215 G. per day.
The farmer has said he’ll issue us 1 centrier [Zeniner, 50 kilos] spuds (cwt) & 20K peas.

Saturday April 7

I’m starting today’s entry early as I have a feeling – I can’t exactly describe it – as though something is due to happen. In which case I’ll make a record of today & be it good or bad it will serve to show at least how we exist here in this accursed barn.
Very well, at 6.30 a stupid guard flung open the door & yelled, “Aufstehen!” [get up!] but it was only a joke (German) so I went back to sleep until coffee (German) came up at 7.45. It worked out at a full 1/2 litre per man today & was also, remarkably enough, strong & black. With it we had a slice of dry Commis Brot & 10G of cheese from yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed it needless to say but again it’s such a hopelessly small quantity for a man. Then I scrapped through my pockets once more & found enough old tobacco dust etc to roll a very small fag which Dave & I smoked between us. As parade hadn’t turned up by 8.45 he had a search thro’ his pockets & produced enough for another of the same brand – amazing really as we have been doing it for the last ten days. Parade has just gone; time 8.50 & a cold morning with watery sun. Parade over we all retired to bed again bar the 15 men for work & a half-dozen peeling the extra spuds for the skilly. It’s darn cold & my fingers are frozen. 9.30, we hear the Hauptman is at Pekin Kommando. 9.45 Jock & the 110 have been taken away by the unteroff. To see him. Now we wait to hear something definite about parcels we hope after all these nerve-racking rumours.
They came back & had only seen the Feldwebel who, however, in expansive mood had told them that 3 coy had had 1/2 parcel by lorry from Weiden. We heard the full story later & it seems that their sui sent a note through to the Stalag by a lorry & back came the parcel.
2.00 Hurrah! The boys came back with the soup & the glorious news! A parcel & 50 fags to come up any minute now.
A lorry was around looking for us & Jock happened to be around just in time & stopped it. Good old Jock! What a difference it’s made in here: spirits are high & the thoughts of a fag are bucking me up no end.
Parcels are up! 1 1/2 American per man & good ones too working out at 150 fags for each of us. I gave my choc & sweets to Norm which entitles me to more later of course. Bread the same as usual.
But best of all – a letter! Came to the whole Commando & it was for me! It seemed almost unbelievable but true, a letter from my Bun. How thankfully was it received … I knew it was going to be a good day & by jove I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Sunday April 8

A lovely morning, up & washed before Parade as was nearly everyone else – what a change! People running about & singing all in good humour, very pleasant indeed.
And I spent a very busy morning making our home a little more comfortable building up a gangway etc & making places to hang things keeping them out of the straw.
At 5.00 o’clock we had a special tea – oh extra special! – & at the moment we are entirely replete & comfortable.
Norman again takes credit with honours to his pineapple trifle which, quite honestly was as good as any I’ve ever had in civvy
street. It only goes to show what can be done with a parcel. Herewith the menu & the quantity of material used:-

Café au lait
Celio Pate au Pain
Shortbread
Celio Salmon Straight
Cerospread
CocktailCuties
April Plain
Pineapple Trifle
Coffee Truffles
Sweet June Dreams
NEP New Gateau

Quantities:- 1 tin Prem. 12 oz; 1 Tin Pate 7 oz. 2 Pks Biscuits: 6 oz. Ea: 1 1/4 tin milk 1 1/4 lbs. just over kilo bread (…) little coffee, 1/4 lb raisins 4 ozs Celeo.

Monday April 9

Nothing untoward or unexpected has happened today save the rather surprising issue of rations. For six days we had between 5 men, 1 lb of batter and 1 1/2 of white cheese both of excellent quality. A pity the bread is so very poor & small; we … it now as a 1 1/2 K loaf between 6 one day & the same between 7 the next. The weather was again summer-like & at 5 o’clock about 1,000 or so of our planes passed overhead on a SE course.
Tuesday April 10

Again summer weather. Had a cold bath – my first bath since leaving Klimontow. I reckon I scrapped off enough loose skin to fill a double hand & I’m as scaly as a fish especially on hips & buttocks. Then into my last clean change – now I feel a new man. Also sewed up my blanket into a sleeping bag as I did in 40 in order to keep out of the straw a little for it’s wheat & that helps breed lice. Two very intriguing rumours are about today the first concerning parcels & the other concerning repatriation. They go something like this – a board of some 20 Swiss Red X delegates sitting at Meuseberg discover that Germany cannot afford to keep us & are seeing for our transference to a neutral country. In the meantime – until that blessed day! – we are to be issued with 2 parcels per week. I can only hope this is true.
Rations today embodies milk – about 1/2 litre between 5. Bread a 1/2 of a 1 1/2 K loaf per man double issue for 2 days.

Wednesday April 11

A lovely day again, in the morning went into the wood besides us to gather firewood. It was marvellous to roam about in there again & feel the sense of freedom once more. For dinner we had uncooked sauerkraut & beautifully boiled potatoes – the ordinary soup rations haven’t come up to date & if that’s a sample of what can be turned
up without this I’m all for them never coming up again. Tea was one of the feast day efforts & so was, of course, marvellous. The trifle especially was improved a great deal & was superb. Owing to Ron’s watch repairing we became a packet of tea & that of course made it a high light.
Three men from here have, or we hear, thrown in their lot with the Germans by joining the Free Corps … I can only be amazed at their stupidity. At a time like this it seems so utterly idiotic to go to the loosing side for the American troops are only about 90 miles or so from here so we believe as news is, to say the least, rather confusing & uncertain.
Thurs April 12

Whiled away the morning which is very damp with fine rain making a sort of fireplace out of an old tin or two while Norman carried on with the old blower. It’s quite a decent looking job & will soon, I hope, be put to the test.
Well, both went well, thank goodness, & we had a really good meal of fried spuds, spinach & corned beef washed down by excellent coffee – best meal I’ve had since leaving Klim. in the dinner line especially when one considers that the bulk came from the Germans. Paid 60 fags for a 1/4 lb of Canadian tea … I suppose in a way it’s a bargain but it grieves me to pay it out having once been short it makes me wary – not half!
Post cards were again given out – don’t know what came over Jerry. I honestly can hardly see them reaching home but suppose it is possible with all the evidence of Red X hanging around.

Friday April 13

Wrote two cards today – one to Mother & one to Bun a little more cheerful than the previous ones owing of course to the Red X again. The weather has again changed to wet & the ground is in a hell of a state with mud & pools. An excellent dinner & two lovely cakes for tea today.

Saturday April 14

Went out digging small step-trenches by the side of the main road. It was very pleasant today for the sun was shining & the air crystal clear. Heaps of evacuees about – mostly from Frankfurt am Main. 6 Yankee planes – Lightnings – came over straffing when we returned to the barn; they weren’t over 100’ high – a most encouraging sight. No rations have turned up at the cookhouse yet so we had plain spuds boiled in their jackets for dinner – we eat them as though they were apples. Certainly good spuds around here.
Rations:- bread 2, 1 1/2 K loaves between 7 for two days.
Sunday April 15

Well I reckon my date wasn’t far wrong for the finish of the bloody holacust [holocaust?]. Not that it’s actually stopped by any means but the Americans seem to be only 60 Kils away from here – it’s not far! So today we are having a Liberation Tea & soaking what remains of the parcels – I’ll append the menu & damage later. We are now sitting awaiting the arrival of our 10 lb cake from the cooks whom, I hope & pray, have taken some little care over its cooking & not just burnt the outside to pieces without touching the inside. It it turns out badly it will, I’m sure, break Norman’s heart. He started last night preparing & we’ve been busy together since 6.00 this morning making the spread. It covers a solid square yard tightly packed now finished & looks simply gorgeous – the whole barn has, I think, been around commenting.
Everything turned out very well – especially the cake which we couldn’t get round to eating. I never thought I should ever be in the position on this march of collapsing on my back unable to eat another crumb but today just that has happened – all five of us were beaten. Of course we’ve eaten more today than we ever have for this morning I happened to bag a bucketful of spuds for a bar of soap & three fags which we polished off for breakfast. Then we had another 8 spuds & a cup of thick barley & meat for dinner. It’s not really surprising!

Menu

Hors d’Ouvres
Swift Slice
Kraft …
Cold Salmon Slices
Paté Slice
Stuffed Pork ….
Cocktail Cuties
Short Shapes

Sweets
Gatéau
Pineapple Cream Trifle
Coffee Truffles
Sweet June Dreams
Butter Biscuits

Desert
Coconut Creams
Coffe Creams
Egg Flip
Stuffed Prunes
Marzipan Surprise

No, not really surprising!

Monday April 16

In a poor state today after the tea party. My stomach doesn’t really know what’s happened to it. I’m distended like a balloon – a bad show.
Have spent all the morning in bed except when I washed & saw an evacuee about some contact – ten bars soap & 20 fags for four good plates, 2 forks, 1 knife & 1 lb salt which isn’t I consider a bad deal at all. Soap’s a dead weight to carry around anyway. Oh, yes, & on Saturday I got rid of my watch. The first instalment from the guard has already been paid – 70K spuds. There’s a heap more to come including, peas meat & eggs which makes me (working on Posen prices) 100% up on the deal.

Tuesday April 17

Had permission for fires again today so spent all the time outdoors cooking. Norm made up spud cakes which we fried & added sugar to – result lovely! Nothing else of importance.

Wednesday April 18

Outdoors again on the fire – we’re eating well nowadays for the dinner ration consisted today of boiled spuds & barley with plenty of meat. We had a plateful of solid pea soup with spuds & meat added & then bread & spud scones. Lately & since Sunday I’ve had “durchfall” [diarrhoea] but it’s clearing up a little now – too many spuds. Saw the guard & had an 8 K loaf for 40 fags & 8 eggs for another 25 with a couple of bars of soap.
Parcels came up at night – a mixed bag of English, French & Belgian – a dead loss compared to American. Lots of the white transport wagons are about apparently bringing them straight from Switzerland so we may get more. It ran out at one per man.

Thursday April 19

Out to work today – on the railway sidings – which the RAF visited last week – what a mess. Bloody awful hours entailing rising about 5.00 in black dark & getting back about 4.00 at night. Not time for anything. Had another few extra parcels – 2 French between 5.

Friday April 20

Work again. Same as yesterday & again we rested during an air raid in the district.
But it grieves me to have to write that four men including Davy lost their lives yesterday during the second air attack by the R.A.F. Three of our chaps were in a bomb hole when a bomb dropped right besides them killing them instantaneously with concussion. The other died later from wounds. It seems an even greater shame when one considers that with the exception of one all were five years a prisoner. It certainly shook me up & I don’t mind admitting I thought I felt the dark angel brushed past me as the planes went over.
The fault of course lies again with the Germans for having us out on … a target against all conventions – if one could please oneself where one lay it wouldn’t be so bad but one must also bear the guards in mind for they’re liable to shoot if one runs too far (50 m). In fact one man from Dambrowo was shot last week for just that reason.

Saturday April 21

As soon as we got back on the job today the sirens went – even before we were detailed into parties! We were on the place until 1.30 pm & altogether worked an hour: the rest of the time we sheltered while light & heavy bombers flew overhead & fighters straffed the district. All very uncomfortable. Several parachutists came down when their planes were hit – two I believe were seen to make off; the rest were either dead when they landed or else were killed by civvies.
It seems hardly believable to record but never the less it’s true that the Unteroff sent up yesterday evening a demand for three rations of bread … without comment.

Sunday April 22

Fine day today, thank God. Had a magnificent breakfast of two lightly boiled eggs, bread & butter & jam. The first meal I’ve had like that in five years. The weather has changed from summer to winter …. …. with a howling wind, rain & hail.
In consequence it’s very uncomfortable around the fire. Still, we hear the Yanks are only 25 K away … perhaps!!

Monday April 23

Was announced with bomb-like suddenness at 10.00 (we weren’t at work) to be ready packed for 6.30 tonight to march off. Regret buying “1,001 Nights” off guard – its very heavy. 30 K

Tuesday 24

Marched from 7.00 – 1.15. Very hard going indeed. Bags of mud & an average speed of 5 Kms per hour. But had good barn eventually complete with light. Slept solid until 9.00 when I got up for a scout round. The village is called Tiefenbau
Left again at about 7.00. A lovely April evening & except for the fact of guns in the near distance one would imagine oneself at home. They say the Yanks are in Regensburg in which case we should shortly be surrounded. I hope to God we are!

Wednesday April 25

Arrived at 4.00 AM at a big & generous farm in a village called
------------ [left blank] Slept like a log until 9.00 & then felt entirely refreshed.

Thursday April 26

Still here & a very pleasant place it is – quite prepared to stay here.
A parcel issue today – French – roughly 9 between 10. Had some macaroni twice today – lovely! Seem to have been eating steadily since 8.00 in the morning until 9.00 at night – excellent way of spending the day.

Friday April 27

Heard the news from the Drum last night – naturally quite the best I’ve ever listened to.

Saturday April 28

Still here despite alarms & excursions [?] about further marching. The more I examine my map the more unlikely I consider the possibility as we are in the very centre of the only German occupied part of Germany left. It will be interesting after this lot has finished to compare my track of events with those from some official quarter; the trouble being now that we don’t know if the 3rd Army’s spear point from by-passed Regensburg has passed us to E. or W. If it’s the former we can’t shift; if the latter there is still a gap of 200 K for us to step through (looking at it from a German point of view) but I can see neither sense nor reason in the procedure for it gets no one anywhere. Bread is being baked here for our rations from stolen &
issued meal. So far we have had 3 loaves of about 4 K apiece between 7. Spuds are being given by the farmer who seems a decent old chap – they seem to come out at about 8 per man per day.
Everybody though is completely browned off mainly through waiting, of course, for their release. The weather doesn’t help at all because it’s wet & horribly muddy. Most of the men have spent the day lying in bed – it’s the only warm place & anyway there’s nothing else to do save endless discussions on the war situation.
Luginger
Gounkofen XXX

Monday April 30

This is the Day!!

I shall remember this anniversary all the rest of my life for this morning the Americans arrived to free us. The time was 8.30 … it is now 7.15 pm & I can’t yet quite realise just what’s happened to me. We have eaten as we liked, bacon, eggs, milk – all those things which we’ve starved for in 5 long years. It’s more than strange to be able to walk around the fields a free man, to do what one likes without a guard’s interference – oh to do everything one wishes, only stopped by one’s sense of right & justice. Peculiar that one still has a sense of conscience regarding them.

Friday May 4

Am writing this in the former offices of ME in Regensburg – time 8.00 & a wet depressing sort of night.
I’ll start at the beginning. We started out for Rottenburg on foot at 9.00 Tuesday morning & marched about 10 K or so before picking up an abandoned horse & trap by the roadside. Before we’d been going twenty minutes a figure came panting long I our wake waving a whip; this turned out to be a Russian worker after his property. So we simply drove to Rottenburg & gave up the trap – the horse couldn’t go much further anyway, just a bag of bones.
Well anyway, we were told to go on to Regensburg (much to our disgust) a distance of around 50 K. The weather was wet, the road muddy & our feet sore – by 4.00 we’d done about 15K & were pretty fed up. Two reasons kept us going:- one that the Yanks in their super-rapid advance hadn’t left any guards anywhere around & two, we heard that there were still shootings of civvies etc going on by SS men hiding in the many woods by the roadside. So we came to an isolated farm by the roadside & asked for cover against the night … we were treated rather like prodigal sons & I shan’t forget it. I personally had a grand night chatting to the old folks: we made cocoa – they supplied white bread & milk & a straw bed – down in the next room.
In the morning the old lady gave us a dozen eggs, some more bread & milk & bags more chatter. I fried bacon (which we still had left) & the eggs … lovely! Then we set off, unwillingly, to the next village 3 K away (weather, snow) me limping with a bad blister in the middle of my foot. However, it wasn’t so bad for after trying vainly to get transport there we’d just decided to start walking when along came a tractor & trailer with a load of Klimontow boys on it. So on we hopped & got carried right here. The best sight on the journey was a muddy field full of Jerries, who’d evidently been there all night, trying to make themselves comfortable in the driving rain. It did my heart good to see them …
Well, we were told to register ourselves in the office at the airport so in we went & filled in a “Recovery Form for Allied POWs” & formed up into a group of 25 men – this had to be done before one could receive any form of status or even draw rations. Then, as the various buildings appeared to be full we departed into town to find billets for ourselves. We struck lucky at the second house after showing the strong arm & got a lovely little bachelor flat to ourselves complete with sprung beds running water & all the china, etc. we could want. So we stayed there Wednesday & Thursday but had to leave on Friday morning because our group had to be de-loused preparatory to being flown away. Needless to say we’d been deloused by 9.30 but I’m writing this at 10.00 pm & only six planes have gone out the whole day …

Monday May 7

And still awaiting that plane!
But up to pres I can’t say we’ve had a bad time for on Saturday morning we left here for a walk first visiting the cathedral & then an archway built during Roman times: then we went a little further & came upon the banks of the Danube, it most certainly wasn’t blue – rather a sort of dirty marine-green – but then, of course, the weather was bad & rain wasn’t very far away. Anyway, we walked along the bank a little way & came upon an AA gun guarded by three GI boys
who’d lit a fire to warm themselves a bit. So we stopped & talked about everything in general & nothing in particular & when 12.00 came they invited us in to eat at their ‘apartment’. So we did – in fact we stayed overnight – came back here for a couple of hours the next day & back again leaving Charlie behind in case anything turned up. Which it did – or rather didn’t, for he came up before breakfast to tell us 100 planes were expected in & we naturally had to return.
But of course nothing has happened. 40 or so planes (Yankee) were in but, I understand, went out empty for some reason.
I don’t know, the rumour is that the war is over & yet here we sit & wait as though we were still P.O.W.s – one dare not walk far away in case something happens & one lets the section down.
Everyone’s getting very browned off now – sitting here I’m practically as browned off as I was a couple of weeks back, 8 K from here.
Another man has been added to the Klimontow death roll – he picked up a box in a derelict railway wagon & it happened to contain one of the Italian “Red Devils” which blew both his hands off, opened up his stomach & severely damaged his eyes. He died, I hear, today. R.I.P. … another 5 year man.
Today the weather has at last decided in favour of summer than winter. It’s been very hot & now it’s a lovely golden evening & I should be rejoicing that I can go if I wish for a walk into the sun – but I’m not. I want a bath & clean clothes, I want to see my Bun, I want, oh I do want, some place to settle down!

Friday April 11 [error, should be May]

This entry will just about close an incident I think for last night I landed in England … I give the Yankees & RAF full marks for efficiency & smoothness of organisation in getting us over here & on the whole until coming into this place which appears to be suffering from shortness both of rations & staff we’ve done pretty well. Regensburg was bad of course – especially hanging around waiting for a plane – but the place beside Rheims where the RAF landed us was lovely. I shan’t forget it ... […] we were only there overnight, more’s the pity, then went by lorry to an aerodrome 15 miles the other side of Rheims. After waiting there a few hours Lancasters flown by Canadians took us over to Wescott. Inside half an hour we’d been checked up, deloused, given fags & chocolate & were sitting down to an English tea attended by heaps of WAJS, WAAFs & nurses. We were made to feel welcome there but the most touching was a 40 mile lorry ride afterwards to the reception camp besides Slough … all along the route people waved their arms, flags & shouted greetings; tears came very near the surface.
And this is being written in the NAAFI here – £5 have been paid out to all – it’s full of people!

POSTSCRIPT 1985

Later 1985

I have been reading this diary for the first time in many years and I am struck by the constant preoccupation over food & how on earth I managed to write it at all given the conditions ..
The reception camp was at Chalfont St Giles & I remember Charlie Glasgow & I were kitted & had a little trip to Windsor stirring up some interest in the process.
Then the train!
It was astounding, amazing & altogether fabulous: a great long passenger train pointed north.
We piled in regardless – old friends reunited in many cases – after a while the engines hooted – it was double headed – & we were heading home.
Then the fun began!
Realise, as I do know, that we were the first P.O.W.s to come back to England in bulk & were treated accordingly by the brass.
Various officers NCOs & officials toured the train dispensing advice & sorting out who wanted to go where.
The train would pull up in the middle of nowhere & a couple of chaps would swing down& hare over the fields & then off we’d chuff again.
Consequently we travelled in fits & starts & night became early morning as landmarks appeared anticipation grew & when the magic carpet stopped for ages on the high level bridge over the Tyne – dirty as ever – the language honed over years of captivity nearly set the carriages on fire.
Then we moved & pulled in at 5.00 am to a welcome I would not have believed!

The whole of the Central Station was packed with a shouting cheering mass of people – it was fantastic inspiring & altogether a tear giving experience.
I walked with the throng down the slope from the bridge & scanning the crowd & there she was, little bright face under a little brown beret! What a time that was …
And as I write this 40 years later after my Bun’s death & look back at all that has happened in that strange exciting, happy period of time with two fine sons & two grandchildren I’m glad it all happened just the way it did.
I did my best to make a life, I could have probably done better, I don’t know, but I could most certainly have done worse.
And that’s not a bad epitaph.