大象传媒

This Story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Radio Bristol Action Desk at City of Bristol College.

The book written by Clifford Barnard Titled Two Weeks In May tells the whole story
Tuesay May 7th saw me in a small town of Sandbostel North Germany between Bremen and Bremerhaven
I was a member of No 2 Section F.A.U attatched to 205 Detatchment Military Government
We had moved to this area of remote moorland May 1st together with many other Units to a site where horrific scenes had been discovered
We had beenwarned of these scenes and we knew there was somethintg unusal as there were4 some 60 German Germans mainly women aged 18/30 . They had come from Delmonhurst a town West of Bremen thye had been conscripted .
On arrival at Sandbostel we were taken to Camp 1
this was a Prisioner of War Camp for mainly British , Canadian with a few French troops ,they had appeared to have been treated under the Covention Rules their departure out of this place was being arranged
Camp 2
some distance away this was fof Russians Prisioners here they were not treated under the convension , and it showed they were filthy and in rags and were starving
Camp 3
We were taken some distance away and from far off there was this terrible smell on reaching the Camp there were scenes beyond description , behind the wire were bodies laying around , mem more like skeletons were shuffling around. A single water tap was in the centre surrounded by stagnant water
We walked through a spray of DDT and went into the huts here were wooden tiers on which were bodies decomposed and many dying.
It was thought that some 600 a day died , it is not known how many inmates there were

The plan was to save those still breathing , all with Typhus/ diseases various
The GRERMAN CIVILINs WERE ORDERED TO TAKE THE BODIES TO THE PITS WHICH HAD BEEN DUG
FOR THE LIVING A HUMAN LAUNDRY WAS SET UP
The Germans civillians now with more local people brought in had to shave and scrub the inmates , they were then given a special diet
They were than transported to a mobile hospital it was a race against time , how many could be saved ??
This work went on for many days it was stated that some 300 were dying daily in spite of the best treatment
It was under these conditions that we were told that on May 7th there were two speaches on the Radio one by Winston Churchill and the other by trhe King stating that from Midnight the war was over
It was under these conditions thay May 8th dawned some bomfires were lit, and special food laid on for the Units and one or two speeches made
I believe an Ensa party gave a show
But with such tradgies celebration was limited
We moved on May 16th further North aand created a convelecent place for those who survived
The original Camp was destroyed
Thats where I was on May 8th 1945 aged 19m years old

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