大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of Walter Hobson, and has been added to the site with the his permission. Mr. Hobson fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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This story tells in graphic detail, of the incarceration within the many P.O.W. camps that the contributor of this story was forced into, during WW2. It also describes the squalid, degrading and sub-human conditions that he was compelled to endure, not only within the camps, but whilst 鈥榦n the run鈥� from them. The deaths of and devastating injuries to his colleagues, whilst actually in his presence, are also described鈥︹�︹�ill Ross - 大象传媒 People's War Story Editor.
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MY SERVICE IN THE FORCES
By
WALTER HOBSON

Parts 2 - 8 can be found at:

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It was the summer of 1938, and all the talk those days was of whether Germany would try to grab extra land to help create a super race of pure Germans. In order to do this would they go to war? Some leaders said no; others said yes. The Minister of Defence was "Leslie Hore-Belisher" who upset Neville Chamberlain when he decided to introduce conscription. In order to do this, he decided to call up all males between the ages of 20 and 21 years. This was called Hore-Belisher's Army, later nicknamed "Hore-Belisher鈥檚 Rabble".

As I was approaching 20, I knew I would be called up but it was supposedly only for six months. In the mean time, I met a lovely girl from Broomhill. Her name was Lily Bickerdike. We were very close and on 3rd of September of that year, we were married at St Mary's Church in Wombwell. Everything went well for us as we went to live with her father. Her mother had died when she was only 9 years old, so she had it rough. At the age of 14, she was left to look after her father and brother and she did very well in the circumstances.

The following March we had a baby daughter whom we called Maureen, and then I was called to the St George's Hall in Barnsley for a medical. There were seven doctors who were doing the examining and the chairman was my own doctor from Wath-upon-Dearne, Dr. Johnson. He knew my medical history so I was passed Al. After that, we went to the recruiting officer who asked us what we would like to join. As I was a bricklayer I said the Royal Engineers. He said I would have trouble getting into this unit, but in July 1939, the first batch was called up and their uniform was gray flannels, light blue shirt and a black beret.

In the meantime, Germany decided to move. They began invading Europe. Our Prime Minister was Neville Chamberlain and he went over to Germany to try to talk peace with Adolph Hitler. He came away waving a piece of paper saying, 'Peace in our time'. After that Hitler invaded Poland and as the Germans were going down the Danzig Corridor, our government decided enough was enough and on the 3rd of September 1939, declared war on Germany.

In the meantime all our reserves were called up including the Territorials, and so the inevitable happened. I was called to appear at Fulford Infantry Barracks in York on 16 October 1939. There was a railway warrant and we were met at York Railway Station by soldiers and an officer. He called our names and we got on to lorries which were to take us to our various camps around York. I had left a wife and baby daughter, 7 months old, and I had no idea how long for; certainly not the six months as we had thought when called upon. It turned out to be 6 years and 115 days which included two and a half years as a P.O.W. The regiment I joined was the West Yorkshire Regiment, The Prince of Wales鈥� Own 14th afoot. My pay was 2s (10p) a day of which I had 1s a day to pay for my wife's allowance. My training was completed by Christmas 1939 and my first posting was at a Military Station in New Walton, near Grimsby, where I was on guard. It was a big admiralty station. We had a few incidents there: there were some big radio transmitter pylons and they were the only ones with which the fleet in the Far East could be contacted, so they were vulnerable. There was a fence all round and each guard went patrolling from one pylon to the other, met the other guard; if all was Ok, back again to the other guard and checked all was Ok there. On this particular night, on the other side of the fence, there was a figure. I challenged him. There was no answer. We were supposed to challenge three times. By the third challenge, I shoved one in the spout (started to load the gun) and I was just about to let bang, when suddenly: 鈥渆eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.鈥� It was a horse! Well, you know, we鈥檇 gotten a bit scared because of somebody taking a pot shot at us from out of the woods.

About a week later, I was on the main gate. To get into this camp, people had to have a password, one that used to change every week. It was broad daylight on this particular day, and a big chap came to me and said, 鈥淚鈥檒l need to go into your camp.鈥� I said, 鈥淒o you know the password?鈥� 鈥淥h, the password doesn鈥檛 worry me, I鈥檓 in charge of a big naval unit.鈥� I said, 鈥淟isten, do you know the password?鈥� 鈥淣o,鈥� he replied, 鈥渃an鈥檛 you let me in?鈥� I said, 鈥淣o, you can鈥檛 go in unless you know the password.鈥�

He was determined he was going in and I was determined he wasn鈥檛. So I thought, 鈥淥h blow this.鈥� I鈥檇 my bayonet fixed and I was ready. I shouted to the guard commander, a corporal. He said, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 all the fuss about?鈥� So I explained to him, and he said to the man, 鈥淩ight, you鈥檙e coming with me.鈥� So he took him to the guardroom. Apparently, it was a test; we didn鈥檛 know that. He was a naval man, but he was in civvies and he came to see if we were on our toes. I was glad in a way; we were only there about three weeks actually.

After that, we went back to Fulford Barracks and a couple of days later, they said, 鈥淪ELBY!鈥� So, we went to a place called Barlow. Well, we鈥檇 never been there before; it was a big ammunition dump. 鈥淵our job鈥檚 to guard this,鈥� we were told. Again, there was a fence all around the place. We were told, 鈥淣obody鈥檚 allowed anywhere near.鈥�

I was on duty one day, and there was this man who came walking up. I said, 鈥淓xcuse me, what are you doing here?鈥� He said, 鈥淚鈥檓 the farmer, I own all this land so I can go where I like.鈥� I said, 鈥淥h no, you can鈥檛.鈥� He said, 鈥淥h, I can.鈥� I said, 鈥淵ou go only where I tell ya.鈥� He said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 nowt you can do about it.鈥� I said, 鈥淟isten, I鈥檝e got a rifle here, so you walk down there to the main gate, or else!鈥� 鈥淥r else what?鈥� he asked. 鈥淥r else I鈥檓 goina shoot ya, that鈥檚 what!鈥� 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 dare,鈥� he retorted. 鈥淭ry me,鈥� I said. Anyway, I took him to the end and handed him over to the guards who were on the main gate. They took him into the guardhouse. I never heard any more about that incident.

Shortly after, I received a letter from home, from my wife who鈥檇 had a baby. The baby had been taken ill, so I went to the C.O. and asked, 鈥淢ay I have compassionate leave?鈥� He said, 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, all leave is cancelled, what do you want leave for?鈥� I said, 鈥淢y child鈥檚 very ill at home and I want to go and see her.鈥� He said, 鈥淚鈥檒l see what I can do.鈥� After a couple of days, he said, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檓 sorry, you can鈥檛 go.鈥� I was determined that I was going; I got my kit together and I set off, and I was going through a wood. But I didn鈥檛 know that the Military Police had got wind of this, and they were waiting for me. They took me back and I explained the situation to them, so they said, 鈥淟ook, we鈥檒l let you off this time, but don鈥檛 let it occur again.鈥�

I thought, 鈥淲ell, my child鈥檚 ill, I鈥檝e got to see her.鈥� So, I tried again, and they caught me again and took me to the old man. He said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e determined to go home and we鈥檝e told you that you can鈥檛 go; all leave鈥檚 cancelled.鈥� This was at the beginning of 1940 when all the trouble started. So he said, 鈥淚f it was possible, I would let you go.鈥�

A few days later, we went back to York and I got leave from there. Actually, I overstayed my leave. I鈥檇 only got a week, but my daughter was improving. She鈥檇 had rheumatic fever. Whilst I was at home, I received a letter saying I had to go back, but I also had a letter from my doctor saying I was sick. It was a bit of a fib, provided by Dr. Johnson at Wath-upon-Dearne. He said, 鈥淲hat do you want a letter for?鈥� I said, 鈥淢y daughter鈥檚 ill and I鈥檝e overstayed my leave, but I鈥檝e been told to go back.鈥�

When this letter came, it said that I鈥檇 to report to Pontefract Barracks for a medical inspection, so I, like a clown, went to Pontefract, into the barracks and asked to see the C.O. who sent me to the Medical Officer. I went in to see the Medical Officer, who said, 鈥淲here鈥檚 your unit?鈥� I said, 鈥淲ell, they鈥檝e moved me from York, up to Scotland.鈥� He said, 鈥淐an you get back tonight?鈥� I said, 鈥淟ook, I thought I was here for a medical inspection.鈥� He said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e having one now. If you鈥檙e fit to travel from Wombwell to Pontefract, you鈥檙e fit to travel to your unit. So, first thing tomorrow morning!鈥�

I鈥檇 no choice, so when I got back, I explained to them what had happened, why I鈥檇 overstayed my leave. They accepted it, luckily. After that, they brought us back to York where we started learning firefighting. I had to go on a course, to Catterick, so I went on the course which lasted a fortnight. Back at the barracks, they said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a job for ya. On the low moor, there are 7,000 A.T.S. and your job is to train them for firefighting.鈥� 鈥淥oh,鈥� I said, 鈥渟even thousand?鈥� They said, 鈥淵es, you鈥檒l be all right.鈥� So I said, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the alternative?鈥� He said, 鈥淲ell, there鈥檚 another job at Morecambe, Lancaster K.O.R.R.鈥檚. You go there as a tradesman.鈥� I said, 鈥淲hat trade?鈥� He said, 鈥淲ell, you鈥檙e a bricklayer aren鈥檛 ya?鈥� I said, 鈥淵eah.鈥� He said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going as a bricklayer.鈥� So I said, 鈥淩ight, I鈥檒l take that.鈥�

They sent us off to Morcambe, where the site was a holiday camp that鈥檇 been taken over by the Military. There were two bricklayers, a painter and decorator and a clerk. While there, we built a magazine, for the ammunition. There was a tower, which we reinforced. We went into the officers鈥� mess where there was a stone floor, and they鈥檇 caught rats. They said, 鈥淲e wanna get rid of the rats.鈥� So I said, 鈥淭ake the floor up, and get as much broken glass as you can, spread it all over, then put the concrete back.鈥� 鈥淒o ya think that鈥檒l cure it?鈥� said one of the officers. I said, 鈥淩ats don鈥檛 like glass.鈥� We tried it out, and we did it.

There were two of us brickies, and a Platoon Sergeant Major (P.S.M.). We used to get 20 to 30 local lads and they were our labourers. Everything we wanted, we had to just take it; we used to go down to the holiday camps that were deserted, and we took railway sleepers, lines, sand from off the shore and pebbles for making concrete. We made a big concrete car park for the lorries, and when we were finished, we were attached to the King鈥檚 Own Royal Regiment (K.O.R.R.鈥檚). Their headquarters were in Lancaster. When all the work was done, they said, 鈥淩ight, you can stay with this unit and become K.O.R.R.鈥檚, or you can be R.T.U.鈥檚 which means, Return To Unit.鈥� I said, 鈥淚s that back to York? Well, yes, I鈥檒l go back to York then.鈥� So this other bloke, Slingsby, said, 鈥淵es, I鈥檒l go with you.鈥�

A painter and decorator, whose name, funnily enough, was A.J. Cronin, was a brilliant pianist; he could play with or without music. He used to keep us entertained in the NAAFI after we鈥檇 finished work. There was a concert party that came, and the leading lady of this concert party, decided to make use of our open-air swimming pool. Somebody came running into the NAAFI and announced: 鈥淐鈥檓on, Lady Veronica is in the pool and she鈥檚 hardly got oat on.鈥� So we all ran to the pool and crowded round. She鈥檇 gone into the pool but she didn鈥檛 have a swimming costume, she wore only her bra and panties which, as soon as she went into the water, became transparent. Obviously, she was afraid to come out of the water, so someone from the concert party stood with a big cloak at the top of the steps and she climbed into it. That was at Middleton Towers, just outside Morcambe. All the little huts that had been part of the holiday camp were now our billets. That place was built from the remnants of a ship that sank just before the First World War. When one stood on the sea shore and looked back, it actually looked like a big ship whose funnel came out of our cookhouse. The Japanese had built it.

After this, we went back to our unit at York; I was on the 2nd Fifth West Yorks., the first Fifth were on a draft for Norway. What they did, because they hadn鈥檛 quite enough men in the First Fifth, they took some of our lads and I was one of them. They said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e wanting volunteers for Tank Hunting.鈥� I thought, 鈥淭ank hunting? I鈥檒l put my name down for that. This meant learning to drive Bren Carriers. Now, when we got back into barracks, they found out there were too many of us, so they said, 鈥淵ou six, back to your unit or鈥︹�︹��,鈥� they always gave us an alternative, 鈥溾�︹�ou can stay behind in the M.T. and learn driving. So I said, 鈥淩ight, I鈥檒l stay behind and learn driving.鈥� They took us between Wetherby and York, and we were driving up and down there; it was a civvies car, a baby Austin actually. After that, we moved to Wetherby where we were stationed at the Race Course. There were no proper billets; we used a tote hut that had no water supply. What they did was, they got a big tarpaulin sheet, placed it on the ground, put the stakes up to about a yard high, and they filled it with water for the fire brigade to use. It was also for us to drink, bath and shave etc. It was the only water we had.

One day, they said, 鈥淩ight! Full kit, gas masks on!鈥� And they gave us a verbal message with which we had to run round the course, then give the message over to the next man, and so on until it had been passed to all of the men who had to run round the course before passing it on. The message was: 鈥淪end reinforcements, the enemy鈥檚 advanced.鈥� We were not to take our masks off, so we had to shout as loud as we could. By the time we鈥檇 all gone round, the message became, 鈥淪end three and four pence (16.5p), we鈥檙e going to a dance.鈥�

They then moved us off the race course and into the village. In that time, we were put on a craft for France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), but about a week later, we were told that we were not going to France, 鈥溾�hey are coming to us.鈥� So they sent me and another lad from Leeds, Walter Wilson, to a garage, Webster鈥檚 Garage, where there were about 20 beds. Our job was to look after those beds for when the men from France came and we were to make sure they had a bunk each. .......>

Proof Read-Bill Ross

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