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Memories of a Prisoner of War Camp

by dreamscorpio

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Contributed by听: dreamscorpio
People in story:听: Harry Tapley
Location of story:听: Stalag XXA
Background to story:听: Army
Article ID:听: A3495152
Contributed on:听: 08 January 2005

Harry Tapley

I find it hard just to explain
As I travel back down memory lane
Of the strength of mind, and stale black bread
And cattle trucks, and frozen dead

The companionship, when might was right
The petty thieving in the night,
The lice, the rags, the hunger pains
The barbed wire fence, the stink of drains

The sudden blackouts when you stand
A raging torrent of commands,
Sleeping in snow in open spaces
Guards death frozen in their places

Sharing out each little mite
Eating potatoes black with blight
Clogs and foot cloths hurting feet
While topping miles of sugar beet

Dreaming of bellies being filled
While just another prisoner's killed,
The eager listening to all news
The lies, the rumours, the different views

The escapes we made through the fence
The movements of freedom, sweet and tense,
The beatings up, the bread and water
That followed on our capture later

Notes of love for everyone
Dear John letters by the score,
Deep despair then face to wall
One prisoner less at morning call

The seething square at roll-calls roar
Forty short or twenty more,
Long hours standing in the rain
A mighty effort keeping sane

The long, long trek to the west
Man's endurance put to the test,
Exhausted stragglers at roadside lie
Mingling with the hoards that die

Burning buildings all around
Aircraft rockets smash the ground,
Your chosen tree it is your fate
Machine gun bullets sing their hate

Fifteen thousand when the march began
But only six when all was done,
Each face still stands out bright and clear
The friends and comrades of yesteryear

Remembering always makes me sad
A blazing world that had gone mad,
Tempering out tolerance of fellow being
Peculiarities were passed unseeing

Perhaps it is not good to dwell
On times when life was simply hell,
God grant we never do repeat
Treating people just like meat

Written by Harry Tapley, 4th Btn Gordon Highlanders
PoW No. 5532
Kriegsgfangener Lager Stalag XXB, XVIIIB, XXA

Published in Community News, The Magazine of the Goldsworth Park Community Association, Issue 18, September 2003.

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Message 1 - A3495152 - Memories of a Prisoner of War Camp

Posted on: 09 January 2005 by robert beesley

Hello

I have read your poem and I must say that I found it to be very good.
I was also in Stalag XXB. My Prisoner-of-War Number was 5353.
I wonder if you can remember Company Sergeant Major Savage of the Seaforth Highlanders, he was the liason officer for the Prisoners.
I do recall those luxury dishes of food which were brought, the mouldy bread, the rotten potatoes. The pea soup and how we were murderers, killing all of the lice on ourselves.
Do you recall, the men that had died because of the lack of medical attention? Also do you recall, whenever a Company of German soldiers and the Hitler YOuth, marched past, singing their War Songs and while the Prisoners-of-War were sitting on the grass, killing lice and they would then sing back, the same song, mocking the Germans.
My first work job were a mixture of Scottish, Welsh and English Prisoners-of-War.
We travelled to some place in Poland and were billetted at a vacant Nunnery, we were building a road, which the Poles had said would not work. We had to smash a Jewish Cemetary, under protest.
I met one of your crowd, name of Cruicshanks, a very tall, dark headed fellow. There was a man, by the name of Pollock, that had come from Glasgow. The road washed out as the Poles had predicted, when our working party was returned, we arrived at Marianberg, where the French and Serb Prisoners-of-War were.
Do you recall hearing of the French Prisoners-of-War, that was so depressed that they hung themselves. They called it the toilet, but it was a cesspit.
I alwys remember those glorious years, the line of march, when we were starved to death and the crap given, which they called food, it was not fit for a pig to eat. We were treated worse than cattle.
I was in the 2/6 East Surrey Regiment and we fought alongside of you in France. It does not matter how one tries, you never forget those years and now, the Historians say that it never happened. After Dunkirk, there was no more British Expeditionary Forces in France. On reading Field Marshall Allenbrooke's diaries 1939 to 1943, it states that when he returned to France in June, to take over the new B.E.F. that those of us , Officers and other ranks were not to be evacuated. The Government and Ministry of Defence had written a lot of us off, after Dunkirk.
Good luck to you and good writing.

Ashes of Yesteryear.

Bob Beesley

听

Message 2 - A3495152 - Memories of a Prisoner of War Camp

Posted on: 11 February 2005 by dreamscorpio

Hello Bob

I wish I could take credit for the poem but it was written by a Mr Harry Tapley who lives locally to me and I only discovered it when it was published in a local free magazine. How fortunate for me.

I have printed out your response and posted it to Harry. He has no access to a PC. I am sure he will be happy to hear from you.

Please do contact me through my site (www.wwiimemories.com) if you would like to get in touch with Harry or, indeed, post your own memories to it. I do not publish email addresses here for fear of spam!

Kind regards to you and thank you again for writing.

Krista

Message 1 - POW Camps

Posted on: 09 January 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Harry Tapley

This is one of the better poems of life in a stalag and it brings home some of the horror of war,thankfully many of us did not experience those days but even so we knew somehow that it was not good.

His plea that we may have learned something of his experience continues to fall on deaf ears as there are now more wars and confrontations than ever before, which is the tragedy which will bring us more and more tragedy.

I read a bumper sticker on a car to-day it read, with a reference to the political programme of registering all guns - " We should register all Politicians as they are more dangerous than guns". I do believe the writer has a valid point !

听

Message 2 - POW Camps

Posted on: 11 February 2005 by dreamscorpio

Thank you for your comments which I have duly passed to Mr Harry Tapley. I am sure he will be pleased to hear that his poem was appreciated.

Kind regards
Krista

听

Message 3 - POW Camps

Posted on: 12 February 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Krista - thank you for your kind comments and please send my best regards to Mr Tapley.
I note from your Personal page that you are half Austrian... I spent many very pleasant months in that beautiful country immediately after the war and have written about my experiences in the "Yalta Aftermath"
"Woodchoppers" the "Vienna Tattoo" and three articles on "Strassburg" -
which you might find of some interest !
regards
tom canning

听

Message 4 - POW Camps

Posted on: 24 February 2005 by dreamscorpio

Hi Tom
Thanks for this information. I'll have a look.
Trying to trace genaelogy now but the Austrian part is hard work!
Kind regards
Krista

听

Message 5 - POW Camps

Posted on: 25 February 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Krista -
which part of Austria did your Mother originate... I am assuming your Mother was the Austrian as many of the lads married them after the war - and jolly lucky they were too!
I am still in contact with a couple of friends who have been in Austria for many years and they know the ropes etc,they might be able to help ?
Ragrds
tomcan

听

Message 6 - POW Camps

Posted on: 18 April 2005 by dreamscorpio

Hi Tom

That sounds great. My mother was born in Birkfield, near Graz, Austria.

Would love to hear anything you can help me with.

My mother's page on my website is at ^{About links}.

Kind regards
Krista

听

Message 7 - POW Camps

Posted on: 18 April 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Krista -
I know that many Austrians had difficult lives from 1938 onwards until the Russians finally departed in 1955, but it would appear that your Mother had an exceptionally unfortunate life in the U.K. with three marriages etc.
All I ever hear of are the girls who married British soldiers - in Austria when they were finally allowed to do so - they all seemed to settle down and had happy lives as this appeared to me to be a natural condition of living in Austria - a most happy people.
I suppose you have been in touch with the Graz District Office to trace your ancestors etc. I never got there as we were stationed - in the main at Knittlefold - Friesach- Tribach - Strassburg and Althoven, whereas the 46th Inf. Div were in the Graz and border areas with Yugoslavia.
I am sure though that the bureaucrats will be helpful or if it gets too difficult - I may be able to call on my friends - who live in Vienna to advise.

Cheers
tomcan

听

Message 8 - POW Camps

Posted on: 03 August 2005 by dreamscorpio

Hi again

No joy with tracing anything else about my mother's side of the family in Austria. Unfortunately my Uncle and Aunt who are still living out there, do not really want to discuss the War in any way. Bit of a shame for me but understandable.

If you can advise how I can get any other help, I would be most grateful. I am not in a position to travel to Austria myself to look for records or information.

I hope this reply finds you well.

Kind regards
Krista

听

Message 9 - POW Camps

Posted on: 03 August 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Krista -
sorry about your relatives'inability to assist you in your quest, so one organisation which is exceptional in tracing people is the Simon Weisenthal Centre of Vienna. While they are more concerned with tracing victims of the Holocaust, they might be in a position to refer you to another organisation which may help. It's worth a try so send them all the details you have...you never know !
Cheers
tomcan

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