大象传媒

This story was written by Sid Shorten and added to the site by Helen Hughes of the People's War team in Wales, with his permission.

LAGE-- IM鈥擫IPPE (Germany) camp 58
October 8 1945 to May 7 1946

Lage was a pleasant small town between Bielefeld and Detmold; the towns lay in a long valley in the hills of Hanover Province, a very scenic area. I joined the 76th. Company R.A.S.C. in the 52nd. Lowland Division. This was a Scottish Division trained in mountain warfare. They had been used in the capture of Walcheren Island. I was moved to various platoons at first; then on the 25th. February the 76th. Company was disbanded as the demobbing took effect and we were amalgamated with the 528th. Company RASC a supply company to other units in the area. I was in the same billet, a room in this large building, judging by the kitchen I think it must have been a hotel. The kitchen was fully equipped and there was a separate room for meat preparation, I took on the job of butcher and cook; after all the months of field cooking this was bliss; there was even a cold store for the meat this was just as well for I had not seen such a supply of meat since leaving the butchers job. On one occasion the duty officer came in unexpected and seeing the meat he suggested it would be a thoughtful gesture if their mess received a bonus issue to which the Corporal cook concurred. I was told the trucks going for rations at the main depot went in threes the middle one left the spare wheel behind and was then covered by the other two in case of a puncture. At the depot they were then able to fill the wheel space with extra supplies.
Bert Wall another cook and I got on well together and when I mentioned I could not drive he went to the company office and got the ok to take me out for lessons almost every day this was with a large 5 ton truck. When he felt sure I was competent he put me in for a test with the Sergeant Major. We took a small 15cwt. water truck but in the middle of the town I ran out of petrol the SM got out and said 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to you to get it back鈥� and off he went. I got my pass ticket the next day. One trip we did was to the Bielefeld viaduct which crossed the valley, it had been bombed near the end of the war with a 10000 lb. bomb the crater was huge.

On the 20th October I had another weekend pass to Brussels followed by a UK leave from the 28th. November until the 14th. December.

With civilians doing much of the cleaning work the cooking had become quite easy. For the Christmas dinner we had a ration strength of 196 plus 12 German helpers, we prepared enough for 260 and just scraped through, there was none for us cooks and for a driver who arrived back late. So he joined us for a meal later when we cooked what ever we fancied.

Another weekend leave came up on the 26th January with a choice of skiing in the mountains or going to Brussels; with the demob getting near I would not risk any injuries skiing so took the Brussels option.

I had applied for an education course and was offered a two year course at Gottingen with the rank of Corporal but after 6 years there was no way I would stay away from home longer. My final leave came on the 23rd. March until the 5th. April. On the 27th. March while at Prudhoe I got a telegram telling me that my Father had died so Jean and I left for Norwich next morning leaving Julia with her Grandmother.

On the 1st of May I had to go to Detmold for my release medical which was A1, and that left me ready for my last camp in Germany.

GEORGMARIENHUTTE (Germany) camp 59
May 7 to 19 1946

This was a small town with a huge steelworks; I remember well the baths in the steelworks which we could use any time, you ran cold water into the bath and then carefully opened a valve at the side which allowed super heated steam to flow through a pipe behind a grill, as soon as the water was hot enough you closed the valve or you cooked.

The billets were good in the town鈥檚 best hotel; I was no longer cooking as I was awaiting my release move back to England. The countryside was lovely all hills and valleys and we were about 6 miles from Osnabruck which was badly damaged at the very end of the war. It appears the garrison commander was asked to surrender the town or the air force would be called in to blast a way through, he refused and as a result a lot of unnecessary damage was done. I was told this by a local barber while having a haircut and shave. He lost his shop in the bombing but blamed the commander not the Allies.

I finally left on the 19th May stayed at Munster Barracks that night. Next day it was to Tournai and then Calais for the boat to Dover followed by the train to York. Arrived in York on the 22nd the next day I parted with my army gear and collected my demob clothes ready to catch a train to Newcastle and then on to Prudhoe.

I had 79 days release leave to the 10th of August. The release leave and being on the Z reserve meant we could be recalled at any time if an emergency arose. Some were recalled during the Korean War.
So after 6 years 2 months and 18 days I was back as an unemployed civilian with a Wife and Daughter to care for.

I believe I was very fortunate with my service years with the months at Prudhoe, meeting Jean, followed by the whole of 1942 so near to home with Jean.

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