- Contributed by听
- 大象传媒 Southern Counties Radio
- People in story:听
- Dr T J H Bishop
- Location of story:听
- Germany
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A4430035
- Contributed on:听
- 11 July 2005
This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Jas from Global Information Centre Eastbourne and has been added to the website on behalf of Dr Bishop with his permission and he fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions
My Father's prison camp, Oflag VII B in southern Bavaria, was relieved in May 1945 by an American armoured unit.
Amid the jubilation, the American colonel took the British senior officer aside and said earnestly: "I want you, sir, to tell me if you've had any particular trouble with any of these men, pointing to the terrified guards, huddled against the wire.
The Brit thought that this was the beginning of the War Crimes enquiry, which they had heard of on their illegal wireless sets.
"Well, yes" he said, pointing, "That one used the but of his rifle on chaps lining up for the canteen. That one there stuck a bayonet into someone who was slow getting out of his hut in an air raid." Altogether he pointed out about a dozen camp guards.
"Right" said the American colonel, and, immediately, the dozen camp guards were taken round the corner of a hut and shot.
The British were horrified and, in the case of my father he was still horrified at the time of his death, 35 years later. He had always been a passionate enthusiast for all things American.
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