大象传媒

I enlisted at Portsmouth in May 1934 to the Royal Artillery as a volunteer. I developed my Army training at Woolwich London. Then after 3 months training I was sent to Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, which was lucky because I could bike from there (16 miles) to Romsey to see Florence. In May 1937 I transferred to the Army Reserves.

In 1938 there was a war scare and I had to go from my job, but was sent back again. We married in March 1939, but in June 1939 was called out for Army Service and was sent to Exeter for 2 months training. I had 2 weeks back home for a holiday with Florence and then recalled to Topsham Barracks, Exeter and was there on the Sunday when war broke. There was no time to go home to see the family.

Went from Exeter to Charmouth the following week and stayed at an Inn there, sleeping in the skittle alley. Then to Falmouth with all the vehicles as I was on the transport side as a Driver. We landed in France 1 October 1939 at Brest. I went to France with the B.E.F 23rd Division and transferred to the 51st Highland Division. I鈥檇 been a Driver but later a Bombardier. Then we made our way up to Northern France taking about a week moving by convoy to Seclin where we were billeted at different farmhouses for 5-6 months. But also out and about on manoeuvres.

We had a day trip to Lens to see the Canadian War Memorial (WW1 of course). On another occasion we all got a night out to an army concert at Lille. Later 鈥� destination unknown - we moved to Metz then towards villages and woods up to the Maginot Line. But it didn鈥檛 take the Germans鈥� long to break through. As they advanced we retreated back, and back, and back towards St Valery鈥擡n-Caux. We were pushed back to the sea. Dunkirk was over by then. It was hoped we somehow would meet up with the British or perhaps get a boat back to England.

On reaching the sea, I saw what I thought was a light on one of our boats 鈥� a gun boat. I swam out to it and found it was something burning on board. Everyone was dead except for one fellow who seemed to have had broken legs. He kept calling for water. But there wasn鈥檛 any. Two Frenchmen were also on board, but they weren鈥檛 interested in helping him.

The next day the Germans were on the shore. They started shelling us from the cliffs but eventually they came out in a small boat and that was when I got captured. There were Germans everywhere. They crowded round me. 鈥淔or you Tommy the war is finished.鈥� they said. I was given biscuits from a tin. I had no clothes so they went round the beach and got me a full set of French army clothes and some pinching boots which I had to walk miles and miles in.

The fellow with the broken legs and myself were put in a truck and taken away. When it stopped and was opened the other fellow was taken off. I saw lines of English soldiers dead, but still wearing their gas masks. I was taken further to a big field and when I got to the gate and went in a big cheer went up. A lot of my own captured regiment was there! From there we marched and marched and marched to Holland. Then by barge on into the Rhine and then put in train cattle box wagons. Terrible, terrible conditions. People being sick, no sanitation.

After 3 days we came to Torun in Poland. I arrived at Stalag XXA in July 1940. The camp was in some old forts built in the Prussian days. Some of it was underground. I was in Fort 7. We were allocated to working parties. I鈥檇 had some experience as an Engine Fitter and so choose to be in mechanics. Those 30 chosen had to march up to the German Barracks. Lots of commandeered vehicles were brought in for the boys in the paint shop. Lovely Mercedes Benz and Opels were brought in. All had to be spayed a sandy colour for the desert or white for Russia. But then I was given a motorbike all in bits to mend, which was beyond me. We had to march up every day over the bridge of the River Vistula, - much like the Thames. One Sunday when marching across a women came up to me and pushed a little sandwich into my hand and whispered, 鈥淩ussia鈥檚 in the war.鈥� That was the first we had heard of it.

Luckily my camp was not far from the main camp. Gradually we got regular Red Cross parcels. The Polish kids used to get over the fence and I couldn鈥檛 stop myself giving them chocolate from the parcel. We were good to the Pols and they were good to us. Life was difficult for us all.

A lot of men volunteered for farm work. But then they asked 鈥淎ny gardeners?鈥� I couldn鈥檛 get my hand up quick enough, seeing as I had my own allotment at home. Two others joined me. We did alright in the garden, never starved and had some fun. Our guard鈥檚 only worry was concern for himself thinking he might be called up to go to Russia.

On one occasion men in my hut managed to get a box of pears. We ate the lot. The German guards came round ready to shoot us all if caught stealing. We were lined up and standing to attention when a friend next to me tried to convey I had a piece of pear still on my lip. I managed to lick it off. A funny story now. But not then.

Eventually Florence was able to send parcels and letters through the Red Cross. She was very good. One day a big British Red Cross parcel came with all my football gear - and a brand new pair of football boots! I was the only one with boots. We played outside on the pitch and inside. Everyone cheered when I took my first kick in those new boots.

Always in the prison camp we had to work hard to keep ourselves alive. Then near the end of the war, the Russians came. We were in the front line again. But this time fired at by both the opposing forces. All the Germans left the P.O.W. camp and we were on our own!

When the Russians invaded in 1945, I in the confusion was put in the civilian prison in Torn with about 36 others. I was the only Englishman. I was there for awhile. Fortunately, as some of the Polish were let out, they told 2 English friends about me. They came to the goal and I was immediately released.

Then I went to live with a Polish family. It was the Sunday before Easter 鈥� which I think was in mid March in Poland in 1945 when the 3 of us went to the Station. We got on a goods wagon then hitched a lift on an old chap鈥檚 horse and cart stopping off at Praga a district near Warsaw. First night we slept in a big hall with many Polish families. We got taking to a Polish fellow and his wife. He took us to Warsaw the next day and showed us Warsaw blown up by the Germans, street by street. Not many English had seen it like that. He showed us the Russian built bridge across the river Vistula.. It was a marvellous bridge made of wood

I鈥檒l never forget the Poles. They are a marvellous people and I have the greatest possible admiration for them and the way in which they helped us.

Eventually we got put on a train with some Yankee airmen (brought down behind Russia鈥檚 lines and some sent back without their planes!), French and other displaced people in goods wagons by train to Odessa. It took about 3 or 4 days? We were then looked after by the Red Cross. We were under escort all the time in Odessa. But one night taken to an opera at Odessa Opera House. I ran up the steps and looked right over the Black Sea.

Leaving Odessa we marched down to the docks and interrogated by the Russians to make sure only Englishmen were getting on the ship, The Duchess of Richmond. From there we went to Istanbul in 24 hours. Many of the men stayed down below, smoking and playing cards. But I thought I shall never see most of these sights again so I stayed on deck as much as possible. Coming out of Istanbul away to the left were the graveyards at Gallipoli. Then out into the Aegean and Mediterranean up to Naples. We didn鈥檛 know we were going to Naples, but when we arrived we had to get to shore by jumping over the hulls of many large upturned boats. We spent 3 or 4 weeks in Naples, being checked over and recuperating at a large property with extensive grounds. Whilst we were there the war ended. I thought, 鈥淭hank goodness for that.鈥�

We went sightseeing to Pompeii and I vowed I would bring my wife here one day, which I did. We also went to Monte Cassino. I didn鈥檛 go up to the devastated monastery. We鈥檇 been issued with plenty of cigarettes, but as I didn鈥檛 smoke I swapped them for beer from the Italians who鈥檇 set up stalls at the bottom of the hill. But it seems I drank too much. When I came too I was back at Naples!! After all, I saw no sense in walking round Cassino. It was all mined. You had to be very careful - and I鈥檇 got this far!

We left Italy on the Bergen Fiord whose Norwegian Captain was also going home to see family. Being P.O.W s we had got used to saving up food. Some of the boys had a sack full. They had to throw it overboard!

Then we moved on up to Gibraltar. We came up through the Bay of Biscay up to the Clyde in Scotland for 2/3 days to drop off some of the 51st Highland Division and then to Glasgow and train to Haywards Heath Army Depot Sussex. There we collected our new clothes and I got on a train to Romsey. I was still carrying my kit bag and walking down the road towards home when someone grabbed me into the pub I was passing and put a pint in my hand. I got it down as quick as I could. When I got home and knocked the door I heard barking and scampering of feet. It was Florence鈥檚 dog 鈥� her wartime companion 鈥� I hadn鈥檛 known about him.

Settling down to routine again was difficult. To me, being at home was all I needed. I was free. It was like a holiday. For a long time I didn鈥檛 want to go anywhere else.

FOOTNOTE

It wasn鈥檛 until later life Dad was able to speak much of his war years. I gleaned much of the above interview in 1994. He never talked about the fighting leading to his capture on 12th June 1940 or the deaths, exhaustion, deprivation and starvation which he certainly must have witnessed and endured on the long march to Holland. (Something I have only very recently understood.) He was always a fit sportsman and that must have been a very great asset to him. Prison camp events were usually treated light heartedly. 鈥淏ut it wasn鈥檛 all fun.鈥� was all he鈥檇 say. He hardly ever mentioned the cold in Poland. And we鈥檇 sometimes joke with him for never leaving a morsel of food on his plate at meal times. Then he鈥檇 remark philosophically, 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I leant in the war.鈥�

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