大象传媒

For the first month we were strafed and bombed by the Russian Air Force. After a month of quiet, we came under the eyes of the allied forces in the west, who also bombed us, thinking no doubt that we were re-treating Germans. As the march continued further into Germany the Royal Air Force. It was then that I realised that the mastery of the air was in the hands of the Royal Air Force; this gave me the will and encouragement to go on. I clapped and cheered every time I saw the results of bombing raids I passed through towns and villages. I firmly believe that it was the results of the RAF鈥檚 activity that was the incentive for me to carry on marching.
The march ended with me finding myself a prisoner in Stalag 11B, which was situated in Hanover 40 miles from Belsen concentration camp. I mention Belsen because this was our destination. The Germans intended to leave us there we would have probably faced death.
It was there that I met Regimental Sergeant Major, John Lord, of the paratroopers. He was accompanied by a doctor, who cordially asked me to stand up and then ordered me to lie down, which infuriated me but it was an order.
Later, I found out that this order was considered as a medical examination, to see if I was fit enough to lye in a bed of straw in marquee or in a barrack room, previously occupied by John Lord鈥檚 paratroopers. These paratroopers had been asked to volunteer the dry barrack rooms to accommodate the sick and wounded survivors of the march.
The next day I bumped in to RSM John Lord, he enquired when I had been taken as a POW. I explained that I was captured in 1940 at the Dunkirk perimeter. He then swiftly ordered me to go and sit on an upturned Tea Chest, which was nearby. To my delight a squad of four men each armed with hose in hand; put the nozzle of each hose up each of my arms and legs. They then started a machine, which released a thick white powder. I later found that this powder was DDT. The powder was administered to kill off the lice and bugs, which had lived off me for four and half years. I was then ordered onto a truck, which sped me away out of the camp. After a short time I was taken to a marquee along with a couple of hundred other POW. To the horror of the medical officer we were invited to a huge dinner. The medical officer immediately ordered the removal of all food and each prisoner was given a morsel of mincemeat and potato. We then continued the journey to an airfield where I embarked on to a Hastings or Shackleton Bomber. On the way over the radio operator offered me an earphone. I crossed the channel listening to Bing Crosby, 鈥淪inging in The Blue of the Night.鈥� The pilot invited me jump out as the plane was going over Slough. On landing I realised my impossible dream had come true. I was home.

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