大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Sam Thom of 大象传媒 Scotland, on behalf of John Borland and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was a private in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, stormed the beaches on 10th July, 1940, at St Valery, and then was captured by the Germans on the 11th July. I was a POW for 5 years. I was held in East Prussia, then marched to Poland in the Death March. I had a 1/2 litre of soup and some bread everyday. We marched 20 miles a day through winter into Spring. I finally escaped - 2 months before the end of the war. I was starving, with no food, no name, and within 24 hours managed to get through to American lines on the 8th April, 1945. The Americans gave me the first good meal in 5 years and I still remember it: soup, stew, potatoes, fruit, rice and coffee. I always thought, if I ever got home safely I would spend money on two things: good food and a good holiday. And I also decided I would serve the Lord - there was a guardian angle looking over me on that day in 1940 that I survived the beach assault at St Valery, Normandy.

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