大象传媒

After many such adventures I was sent to labour camp about 20 miles from Konigsburg, which was possibly the heaviest allied prisoner of war working camp nearest the Russian front. In my time as a prisoner of war I was issued with a pair of Dutch wooden clogs and a pair of pantoffles and four squares of flannel, which we used as socks. Strange as it may sound I would wear my clogs and pantoffles regularly to conserve my military boots.
Whenever I was called out on roll call I would place my treasured belongings along with bits of food under my tunic and go out leaving my military boots and other clothing that I thought would be safe from theft, behind.

Just before Christmas 1944, we were woken up very early one morning and ordered out for roll call. As usual I got out my treasured possessions under my tunic. I considered my most treasured possession to be my Chessboard. I had no reason to believe that this roll call would be any different so I wore my clogs, thinking I鈥檇 soon be back inside.
To my dismay, as I entered the court yard we were surrounded by what appeared to be front line German soldiers, who forced us to evacuate the camp immediately.
That was the start of a march, which was to end 1000 miles and 3 months later: in temperatures of 25-30 below freezing. A march in which many fell by the wayside never to rise again.

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