麻豆官网首页入口

During those bleak and boring days back in camp, it was all too easy to think that we were completely forgotten, and strange to relate, an air raid would somehow help to relieve the monotony, despite the obvious danger. Strange to relate, when on the other side of the fence, so to speak, as long as we noticed German markings on a 'plane we would say 'Its OK, its one of ours'

Following an air raid during the night it was a sorry sight to see elderly people, doubled up with their possessions upon their backs saying in German 'Dear God, when is this war coming to an end?'

However, what used to enrage us greatly was to hear the Hitler youth marching past the camp, singing 'We're marching against England'. Pure propaganda, of course

Part of our Lagerfuhrer's 'Play ball with you policy', was undoubtedly the fact that he thought it was not right for men to be held for so long without being able to visit a brothel. So some were able to obtain civilian clothes and the guards would allow them to get over the wire by turning a blind eye. The price demanded by the ladies would vary from a tin of sardines, a bar of soap or whatever else took their fancy.

On other occasions, we were let out to attend a propaganda film locally,when Germany was undoubtedly winning the war hands down. Unknown to them we had already had some 麻豆官网首页入口 news filtered into the camp which told the completely opposite side of the story. Whenever this was relayed to us someone would have to stand outside the door in order to warn of any German approaching.

The camp air-raid shelters were completely covered with deep earth, in which unknown to them, some maps were buried! On Christmas Day of all days, in the early afternoon, a raid occurred during which some bombs fell on our branch Camp IVc, just along the road. Some seven men who had not taken to the shelter were very unfortunately killed.

To this day, I still send a Christmas card to a lady in Wolverhampton whose father was one of those killed on 25th December, 1944.
She was then only three years of age. Both she and her husband send my wife and I a card in return. They have since been to the Maltheuren area (near Brux) on several occasions, but it cannot be as we knew it, having become much more built-up since then.

I could not believe that when war ended we would be left free to wander around, rather that they might line us up and turn their machine-guns upon us, or force us down the pits and flood them out. The end of this story will prove that I was not far of the mark! It was the bottom line!

It really did used to make us furious to hear from letters from the home country, how very well German POWs were being cared for - having the best of food and being transported to and from work!

As a result of the regularity of those Monday morning air-raids the Germans became very suspicious and one day one of them noticed some cables trailing below a trap door at the base of the false chimney. It was said that some seventeen works officials were executed as a result.

In February, 1945 we lost our former Lagerfuhrer, who had possibly been more lenient towards us owing to the fact that he owned accommodation in the lovely Rhineland district of Germany,to which many British people used to come for their holidays. He was so highly thought of by us all, that it was suggested he was deserving of special mention to the British Red Cross after the war. He was replaced by a real snorter, who reminded us that we had got away with it lightly and now we were going to make up for it!

The bombing of Dresden over the Erzgebirge Mountains (Iron Ore Mountains) was thunderous to say the least.At the same time what was believed to have been a thousand bomber raid finally made the Herrman Goering Works caput! On this occasion things were changing. Not only were we able to use the pit shelters that night, but we were beginning to gain some respect from the hun. Whereas we had always been addressed as an 'Englisches Schwein-Hunds'(Dirty fellow or Cad)(literally 'English pigdog' - but we were now becoming 'English Gentlemen'!!!!

Those who ventured outside of that shelter said that the whole area appeared to be lit up with chandeliers, but those bombs , like an express train, were getting nearer and nearer

There was a pit right opposite the camp, but did not seem to have been active. This was torched and what a grand sight that was. Someone had poured inflammable liquid around it.

On the 7th May we wer al marched towards the mountains to a village a mile or so away called Johnsdorf. There we had to clamber aboard some flat open-sided railway wagons and we were very concerned as to what on earth they were proposing to do with us. After a period of waiting and wondering we were quickly off-loaded and had to make haste back to camp! Reference to this mystery will be made at the end of this story.

Some 'planes had fired cannon shells all along the road skirting the camp, which appeared to have come from miles away. It was all action.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.