大象传媒

Bellasize Camp Nr 264. (Records show Camp 264 as Welton House, Welton, Brough.)
Arriving [at] our new camp first of all we had to assemble, we were counted to be sure nobody [had] got lost. After that had taken place we took possession of our huts. [It was the] First time I got the sight of a bed since 1944. Everybody of us was happy and surprised at the comfortable accommodation we were fond of. We felt like being in heaven. Commandant of this camp was a sergeant. A further two soldiers [were] in [the] charge of him and [we also had] the German camp leader. I was housed in hut 9. Again we were ready to work on farms; some of us were busy in the sugar factory at Selby. They had a good job there. With another two of us I had to do different farm work. [The] Farmers name [was] Atkinson. We were supplied with Sandwiches, boiled eggs and tea, I thought I was dreaming in view of the food. Of course we worked very hard for him to let him know we were very grateful. To my regret I went sick at a sudden and never saw him again. God bless him. [The] Distance to his farm from our camp [was] about 1.5 to 2 miles. At the 3lst of January, 73 of us had to leave Bellasize camp and left [the] likeable British soldiers behind. About 180 [of our group] were lucky to stay.

Leeds-Tingley Camp Nr 812 Post Hill Camp, Farnley, Leeds
It was not a camp really, on the contrary, [more of] a building containing several rooms . I guess it must have been a former school. The floors were covered with palliasses [sic] to sleep on, still very comfortable. [We had] Electric light and even a radio. It had been a pleasure to listen English evergreens. During my stay I worked in a quarry not far away.

Goole Camp Nr 244 (Later 53)(Records show this to be Sandbeds Camp, Brayton, Selby.)

This camp was well-situated in the middle of the town. We were housed in huts again after we were shared up to the single ones. Here I met a well-known PoW, his name Karl Gundlach. He lived at the same place where I come from. He had been taken prisoner in Africa and was member of the German Lagerpolizei (Police of the camp composed by inmates. They were often hated by the other inmates.) at that time in Goole camp. First of all we had a chat about the news of our hometown. In the following time again and again I was designated to help various farmers in the area besides draining fields. In these cases they gave us Wellington [boots] to be prepared for this kind of a job, a sort of a change anyhow. The camp was not fenced in with barbed wire and [there was] even no English guard. I am rather sure nobody of us prisoners intended to escape. We were paid with one Shilling a day. I remember on a weekend I bought a whole NAFI cake for 5 Shilling and eat all of it at once, hardly to believe but it is true.

At night and on weekends we were watching the people passing our camp, persons out for a walk or shopping or having a pint of beer in one of the pubs. I could not remember even the taste of beer and there was none to buy in our canteen, never mind, but cigarettes called FIFTEENS, they tasted like straw comparing with WILD WOODBINE or PLAYERS.

North Cave Nr 2443
The aucenticity of this camp number cannot be guarenteed.

I did not know the reason why I was punished with 14 days detention I was told a farmer was complaining [that] I did not work hard enough, and that was it. Well, [it was claimed that] I was supposed to be lazy, I am sure there was something fishy about it.

South Cave Nr 2445

Containing about 10 huts, drying room and showers, a shop and a recreation room. First time I met a paper written in German called LAGERPOST (which literally translates as 鈥榃arehouse postal service鈥�). I was very interested in that paper. I guess it appeared once or twice a month with news from other PoW camps and [news of] what was going on in Germany and some more [stories].

The camp itself was peacefully situated alike a park with wonderful big old trees. In the very early morning blackbirds were singing, by the way a remarkable peacefully calmness. From the second of April I was ordered to work in HULL building streets in a certain place of the town where bungalows had been [undergoing re-]building at the same time roughly. I was planned to control a concrete-mixer. Sometimes cement bags had to be carried out of a tent [which was] protecting the cement in case of rain. That was a heavy job taking two of the bags at one time to the mixer. You had to bend over backwards all day long. Sometimes I thought I'd never hold out [with all of] this hard work I just was not strong enough. Every morning the lorries took us from our camp into Hull, along the Anlaby Road, to the building site. I could see all the damage caused by German bombs in the city of Hull. There was no doubt about [it,] we had to help rebuilding certain places - there was nothing wrong about it [, the reason] we were put to work for my opinion.

About 25th of April we all were pleased to see an old German film called 鈥淒ie Geierwalli鈥� and another one at the 18th of May called 鈥淢ann mit Grundsutzen鈥�, a very nice change for all of us. I was sorry to leave that camp at the 11th of June.

North Cave Nr 244

I do not remind those 4 days being in this camp once more again.

THIRKLEBY - THIRSK Nr 108

Transported by lorries, we arrived Ripon at the 1st of July 1946 on a bright day. First of all I tried to count all the barracks, I noticed the water tower, the River Ure below the camp and Ripon itself, shadowy, very near, [the] remarkable steeple of the church in the middle of the town. It seemed to be a nice place as far as I could assess. And I was right. A few days later we went through Ripon by lorry on the way to the farmers. Lovely ancient houses and shops and everything seemed to be very busy. I did like Ripon at that very first moment we passed, I was very sorry I could not walk along the streets regarding the exhibits in the shop windows.

Another day I was commanded to weeding a field of potatoes and when I looked down the bank I was lucky to see the rest of Fountains Abbey, according to the information of the farmer. Indeed a very exciting moment for me seeing a very famous place [that] I had read about in my English lesson books some years ago.

No-one ever tried to escape from Ripon Camp; why should he? The barracks were in very good condition, food was sufficient, no barbed wire to see. I did not feel to be fenced in. There was a shop to spend our camp money, [a] shilling1 5p in today鈥檚 coinage. for five days work. There was a barber, tailor, joiner and what else. It was forbidden to have English money nevertheless we had no chance to spend it. Specialists among us PoW鈥檚 produced slippers made out of ropes and a lot more, even tools for children [which were] sold outside the camp for real English money [with which the] farm workers bought English cigarettes for the PoW鈥檚, that had to be kept very secret!!

On a Sunday afternoon I watched a boxing fight between PoWS鈥檚 of our camp and an English team of the camp guard. I do not remember who won the match.

One of our fellows, about 40 years of age made suicide. His homeland was occupied by Russian troops and [he] never had [any] mail from his family. He was buried on the graveyard in Ripon. I joined the funeral [party] together with twenty to thirty of our men. Maybe he later on has been transferred to Cannock Chase where he will lie in peace.

Goole Camp Nr 53

No comment, see [ North Cave] above.

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