大象传媒

In the summer of 1944 we heard whispers of an invasion and we used to pull the Germans legs by telling them - next week and tomorrow. We had a little joke on the German airman by singing 鈥淩oll out the Barrel鈥� while they were singing 鈥淥H E I Oh鈥�. This marching was a little quicker than usual and we put them out of step. I would always salute and give 鈥淓yes right - left鈥� the German company would return the salute.

One morning things were not quite so easy. The German Lieutenant got very angry with his men and gave them full arms bend and more or less field service punishment. We soon found out the reason for his behaviour. We were close to a factory and the works people were glued to their wireless sets. A full scale broadcast was being given of the landings in France. We could hear the sound of shells and bombs. We all, Germans as well, had a fellow feeling for the lads who were going through it. It was obvious to us all, Germans included after the first day, that it was coming to an end, for which we all gave hearty thanks.

On 4th July the air raid siren went and we had to run to some cellars. We could hear aircraft overhead and I managed to look through a light. The sky was full of bombers going eastwards. About 30 minutes later we heard terrific explosions. Every day from then on between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. the sky was full of American aeroplanes on bombing missions to the east. The guards got so used to them that in the end we didn鈥檛 even take cover. One day during a raid I watched a bomb leave an aircraft. I stood transfixed, I couldn鈥檛 move and thought fancy coming all this way to die now. It turned out to be an extra petrol tank and only made a hole in the field about 20 feet from me.

Because of the raids the various departments were split up and our carpenters shop went to a large mansion nearby. We had a group of about 15 working at the house and the guard, who escorted us used to call at a farm where there was a small shop. We would steal whatever we could and I saw an open barn where there were a lot of hens. I went in, took a dozen eggs and slid them down the inside lining of my overcoat sleeves, which made a good supper. George Bradley from Bradford and I forced the lock on a grill and slid in through a vent and used to steal eggs and food from under the noses of the Germans.

While working in the carpenters shop we would slip into the machine shop for a smoke. This of course, owing to the amount of wood shavings, was forbidden. There was a whet stone in the shop and if anyone came in we would drop the cigarette in the water. One day having a quiet drag the door opened and there stood the Oberst, the officer in charge of the German airforce camp. With a mouth full of smoke I tried frantically to reach the whet stone, but someone had moved it. He said 鈥淏este de Raushon鈥�, I could not do it. I threw him a salute and said 鈥淵ah mein herr鈥� at which a puff of smoke came out of my mouth. He called for the guard, who put one up the spout and looked as if he were going to shoot me. The officer stopped him and came to examine my D.G.S. Medal ribbon. He asked me what it was. I told him 鈥渇or service in India鈥�. He asked me about my service. I told him and also about my police career. He shook me by the hand and told me that any man who served his country for a career could be proud of himself. He gave me 20 cigarettes and told me to smoke in the loo next time and 10 marks to spend. He then said 鈥淵ou are a good soldier and you have admitted the offence; 7 days bunker鈥� I was marched to the civilian jail at Grottkau where I was interviewed by a police inspector. I showed him a photograph I had of myself in uniform. He invited all his colleagues to meet me and we discussed police work in both countries. I was given a parcel apartment in the prison and the prison warder went to a local working party and got me two Red Cross parcels, which I shared with him and his family. I did not want to leave there. When I returned to my working party, Under Officer Schultz asked how I had been treated and not to let the prison warder down I told him what a terrible time I had had, by this time he also knew I was a police officer and regular soldier. He gave me an extra Red Cross parcel and where previously he had really been a pig, we became reasonably friendly. He, it appeared, was a career soldier and like all German soldiers service to his country came first.

We had spare time and to fill in I got some Pitmans Training Manuals through the Red Cross. I had a Pitmans Certificate when at Murree in India pre-war. I also had Moriaty鈥檚 Police Law. I formed a class and we read Moriaty from cover to cover. The reader was a man who had a number of convictions for theft. This also stood me in good stead later as I passed my promotion exam on my return to the police force at first attempt.

Early in January 1945 dozens of J.U. 87s came to the camp over night and the drome changed from training to active. A couple of days later we heard a rumble in the distance like prolonged thunder. It turned out to be Russian guns.

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