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"This story was submitted to the site by the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Peoples War Team in the East Midlands with Kathleen Wibberleys permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

During the war labour was very short, most of the young men were in the forces or worked in the mines. It was difficult at busy harvest times to get help, but then a prisoner of war cap was built at Clay Cross and you could hire the POW’s to work on the farms. You had to let the camp head know how many and when you wanted them and they arrived with a warden in an army lorry. They brought with them tin bowls of potatoes and turnips and chunks of dry bread — this was their dinner. After the war when their movements weren’t so restricted two of them used to come to the farm on Sundays for a bit of tea. They were very friendly boys and grateful for the hospitality. I remember two of their names Hienz Vahlenkamp an Ernst ? They carved me toys and boxes to show their gratitude.

There is a very nice sequel to this story. Last week, Wednesday June 30th 2005, sixty years after the war finished a car drove into the farm yard (I still live at the same farm) and a gentleman got out. Are you Kathleen he said in not very fluent English. I knew straight away who it was — you’re Hienz Vahlenkamp I said. He couldn’t believe that I recognised him and remembered his name. He was amazed, he had brought his grandson with him and he’s now 81 years old. He told me he was 24 when he returned to Germany in 1948. He walked round the buildings and could remember the fields he worked and talked about Bob my father as if it were yesterday. He remembered the house and the black lead cooking range which happily no longer exists. He was so very excited and told his grandson who’s 19 years old about his memories. It was sad really when he left that he said that he would not be seeing England again.

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