大象传媒

CHAPTER TEN
THE NEW ARRIVALS
Shortly after that raid more prisoners began to arrive. Amongst the fresh influx of prisoners were a number of aircrews from both America and Britain. Amongst them were civilian scientists and engineers sent out on missions to test various new equipment that had been installed in the aircraft. To protect them should their plane be shot down they were dressed in RAF uniforms. Being taken away from a special way of life, they lacked Military training to adapt to our way of life so were unable to look after themselves as well. It was tough for them in those early days. They were certainly not used to prisoner of war life but we came to welcome their adaptability. One of them made a radio, in fact more than one. It seems they were able to manufacture valves from electric light bulbs? These tiny sets were secreted away in the most unusual places and only a small select group knew where they were. This small group would gather in a hut during a football match to listen to the latest evening news. This information was passed down by word of mouth to the rest of us. The Germans had a habit of secreting one of their own amongst new arrivals dressed in French or British uniforms but we were all tight lipped when a prisoner asked about the latest radio news, at least if he was a stranger to you. Eventually the Germans got wind of our source of information and there were regular searches for the radio. Forewarned they were allowed to find the odd radio and went away satisfied but they never discovered the main set. I recall standing lookout during one of our daily radio listening when I heard Churchill's speech that sent my senses racing. "The Russians are tearing the guts out of the German army" as he went on to praised the Russian successes in the East. Concerts were put on at the drop of a hat, something I was very much involved in regarding the organisation of these almost from my very first months of captivity in order to keep up the men's moral. It's amazing how much talent was available. I was always amazed at how prisoners adapted. Nothing was ever wasted. Put all this together with items we were able to scrounge from Jerry and we managed to put on some fine concerts. There were all types of trades amongst the POW's which were now put to good use.
It was also a means of discovering talents even they hadn't realised they had. These shows were set up in order to direct attention away from our radio listening group. One Prisoner in particular deserves a special mention. We knew him as shorty. Barely five foot nothing he was a cheeky cockney from Shorditch in East London. Always lively he shared a room with a peacetime police officer, nothing strange about that one would think? But Shorty was a professional burglar and he kept us entertained for hours with his stories. He had to be one of the greatest moral boosters ever. On my release after the war I went to London to see him. What a night that was. I didn't like to ask if he was still up to his old tricks. If any one deserved a medal for moral building he certainly did.

Even greater numbers of American fliers began to arrive at the camp. At first some were very brash at first but they were very down hearted and very home sick and found it very difficult to adapt to POW life, what we termed "From eggs and bacon to becoming a POW". It took us old timers having marched hundreds of miles and more used to this life to put them at their ease. It was always interesting asking them about events outside, how the war was going etc., it helped pass the time and also helped boost moral. It was how we learnt of the invasion of Italy. At last things were looking up. The biggest news we received was the D-Day landings in June 1944 and hearing that Rome had been taken. Things were moving very quickly but it did nothing for the moral of our German guards as the months passed. We continued to wonder at the hundreds of allied planes flying miles high deep into Germany and wondered how so many aircraft could leave England and get into formation. The affects of all this bombing all over Germany was affecting the guards very badly. They became jittery since like us, they were away from their loved ones and had no idea of the damage our planes were doing to their homes and their respective families.

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