大象传媒

CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE SECOND MARCH
December/January 44/45 was one of the coldest winters I had ever experienced in my whole life. The camp was a buzz with news of a great German attack through the Ardennes. By late January it was all over, the German armies were beaten back. It was to be their final attempt to stave off the strong allied thrust into Germany.

The Russians were sweeping into Poland North of us and there was a great deal of activity going on around us regarding our German guards. Christmas 1944 was really terrible for both Jerry and us. Food became scarce for both sides. Working parties managed to smuggle in small supplies of potatoes, Swedes and turnips to keep us going but it was not enough for a great many in order to keep them alive. We knew the Allies were drawing ever closer and the Russians were getting even closer still to the German boarders from the east. Red Cross parcels became non-existent and general rations became very scant indeed. We began to worry that we might get caught between two lines of fire, which must have crossed the German's minds as well? We began to hear gunfire in the distance, faint but with each passing day it seemed closer. In March 1945 the Germans really panicked. They informing us that the camp was to be evacuated. I was pleased, as were many others, realising it would be safer on the road than stuck here. We were given a short time to get together our things and our motley group was once more on the move. Back on the road again we seemed to march forever taking short breaks to rest then urgently almost in panic moved on again by our very nervous German guards. More large groups of prisoners joined our ragged column during a period of days until within a very short time we numbered thousands all ambling slowly onwards not knowing where we would end up. There were no rations at all other than the little we brought with us, which didn鈥檛 last very long and there were many in our number really not fit enough to march at all. Those that died on the march were missed by friends but un noticed by the continually growing numbers joining us along the way. We seemed to be going deeper and deeper into Germany but always it seemed westwards as far as we could tell? Many of us began to suffer from fatigue and the affects of hunger but that was just the beginning of our problems.

Small flights of low flying allied aircraft began to appear a far cry from those early days in 1940; the air seemed to be alive with the buzz of aircraft. Seeing these aircraft with their black and white painted wings was stirring but we were always diving under cover when they came close to us. Our guards had become particularly nervous when aircraft were about for fear they would mistake us for a German relief troop column. I think they were more worried about their own safety than ours? A few days later Red Cross parcels caught up with us delivered in trucks. They were distributed one parcel between two men, no problems with that, they were more than welcome since we hadn't eaten for days. We had no means of heating anything but then we were so ravenous and I fear a little careless. Sheltering under a tree lined road we did the best we could tearing open the packets and enjoying the moment.
But the transports that had delivered the parcels and now stationery at the side of the road must have attracted the attention of a flight of low flying aircraft for without any warning they swooped down on us machine gunning and dropping bombs. We all scattered. I and those closest to me dived for a large fallen tree trunk but some ran out into the near by fields waving their arms crazily. At first I thought possibly they were intent on escape? But this was just what the pilots were waiting for. Two abreast and at tree top height they sprayed both sides of the road killing some of our guards and a great many of our own men, men who had spent a full 5 years as prisoners of war. The noise was deafening. A small group of RAF prisoners bravely ran out into the open waving their arms as the planes turned for another attack. I never discovered how, but they must have given a signal to the planes or maybe they recognised their uniforms? The leading plane suddenly wriggled its wings and pulled sharply away followed by the rest of the flight. After that attack we looked for any waste scraps to enable us to spell out the words POW on the ground whenever we rested and wear anything white. One or two days later, due to my deteriorating medical condition I lost track of how long we had been on the road every step was now mechanical through habit rather than under brain control. Eventually we discovered a very large barn type building close to a derelict farm where we intended resting. We hadn't been there very long when someone shouted "Tanks". Immediately your brain snaps into gear and those of us able to rushed out to see the line of tanks moving slowly down a road partly hidden by a roadside hedge a short distance away. Suddenly they stopped. Gun turrets turned in our direction and I held my breath. We knew from the tank's outline that they were not German. They couldn't help but see we were prisoners but the presence of our German guards standing before us had put them on their guard and it flashed into my mind that they might not recognise us as prisoners after all? I shouted out "For Christ sake stand still and wave your arms. Don't attempt to run down to them, they might think we are Germans" remembering there were still German guards amongst us. After a few minutes, which seemed like forever, the leading tank turned towards us and began to move slowly towards us followed by the rest of the column. We continued to wave as they drew closer, then suddenly heads began to appear in turrets, we had been recognised. They were an armoured spearhead of the US 12th Army. The German Officer in charge of our column saluted the Officer in the lead tank who instructed him and the German guards to disarm and move down to the road where they would be fed. They were only too eager to comply. To this day I have no idea where we were or how we managed to march through the German lines but here we were chatting to Americans. We were instructed to remain where we were until receiving further orders.
The tanks moved off leaving us elated but a little concerned. Supposing the Germans counter attacked? I decided we had to leave so we made our way in the direction from which the tanks had come. We were more or less free now; it was a wonderful feeling. We were all suffering from a variety of ills, some worse than others, in particular from hunger mainly and exhaustion. After a long walk we came across a compound full of German soldiers. Seeing them behind barbed wire gave us that extra lift, now it was their turn to experience being a POW. They looked heavy eyed, dishevelled and ragged, much as we must have looked to them when we were first captured but at least we were almost free? Further on we came across a mobile field kitchen. The strong smell of cooking assailed us and sent our spirits soaring. We were soon handed mess tins full of steaming hot stew, which was to be the undoing of so many of us.

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