大象传媒

This is a letter from George Wesson to his mother explaining what he saw in twelve hours, whilst watching the Red Army going through the streets of Nachod. This is his story of one of the days he experienced:

Wednesday 9th May

Woke up about six o鈥檆lock, and had a German woman told us that a General Armistice had been concluded and the war was over. We did not take much notice of that as had heard it several times during the last week or so and found the rumour to be untrue when our news came through. When we went down into the road we saw Germans streaming down on wagons, Lorries, bikes, horses and foot, and for the first time they were without riffles, so we knew it was over. We were in a forest district so the best thing to do was make our way once again by lorry. We started off about eight o鈥檆lock and as soon as we reached the main road we saw an even greater stream of soldiers and refugees. One jumped on our trailer and kept saying 鈥淚ch bin froh 鈥� I am glad鈥� he was a Bavarian and had been on the front for four years. They were all trying to get home as quickly as possible. Riffles, assassination, nailed fists, tommy guns and packs were lying all along the side of the road.

About four o鈥檆lock we saw some civilians with white armbands and 鈥淧OL鈥� on them also carried they also carried the czechish colour on their coats, so we got off the trailer and asked where Englishmen were to go.

They told us that we were now in the Protectorate and were to report to the council house of Nachod and we would be given food and billets. About five minutes later the town started (to have activity) All the czechs were on the main street, they were carrying their flag and eighty per cent of them were also carrying red flags. All shop windows had czech flags, and Red flags. We were given a good welcome by everybody, quite a lot came up to us and spoke in English. But mostly we had to speak in German to be understood.

We reached the Town Council House, on one side of the Main Square and were given our soup tickets and a slice of bread and jam. We were sitting down eating and suddenly some czechs came in running and saying 鈥淪.S.鈥�

We heard a few shots and looking out of the windows saw the square filled with armed 鈥淪.S.鈥� and their tanks. We went to the factory canteen and had our soup. Suddenly there was a blasting noise and the breaking of windows. Everybody was ordered into air raid shelters. From time to time we heard machine gun fire. It was a stone floor and I slept badly.

We were told that the S.S. had all been rounded up with a lox of thirty Czechs and we were to go to the school where we would be given billets.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Rachel Wesson and has been added to the site with her permission. Rachel Wesson fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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