大象传媒

My friend Billy Wright lived on the outskirts of Ipswich, near Dale Hall. We operated either on foot or on our bikes all round the area, especially when there was military activity. At 10 or 11 it was all very exciting.

I think it was 1943 when a group of POWs were sent to lift sugar beet at Dale Hall Farm - so we homed in! We had never seen Germans before.

They were a pretty sorry sight in the remains of their uniforms and pulling beet and hurling into a tumbril was hard work. The guards were not over attentive and when they had a break we talked to one older POW who had excellent English (a surprise to us). He said he was a farmer and how he missed his home and family. He wore thick-framed horn-rimmed spectacles which had broken at the bridge. He had drilled small holes in the frames and tied them with string; a pretty dodgy arrangement. We suggested wire but he explained he was not allowed such things.

When they went back to work Bill and I wondered whether we could supply him but that would obviously have serious security implications. We decided he was a decent 'Jerry' (another new discovery) and no one need know anyway that we were helping him to see properly. We produced a foot or so of suitable copper wire and when they next had a break we passed it over. He was clearly delighted. We never saw him again. We certainly hope it helped.

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