大象传媒

Part four ( Final)

February 20th - Tuesday
MO gave us a lecture telling us to take hold of ourselves and pull ourselves together. He says we've got to try and raise our own very low morale. He stated that the whole party was weak and undernourished but that we would have to discipline ourselves or he said, he was afraid to think what would happen to us later when conditions would most likely get worse.

There is always a big possibility of us having to march again. He gave us a list of things we should do for our own well-being namely :- not lying down all day, shaking blankets, haircuts, washing even if without soap, washing clothes, hunting and killing lice (delousing is very difficult) combating the spreading of dysentry by folding up blankets to avoid having them trampled on, having windows open etc. etc.

He is very alarmed at the bad conditions in camp but he is powerless to do anything. Dysentry is widespread among our 鈥渂ods鈥� due, most likely, to the diet.

February 22nd - Thursday
At last I am up to date. Started this diary of life as a Kriegsgefangener (POW ) since arriving at Stalag IIIA. Sent a card to mother but don鈥檛 suppose it will ever arrive, the way Jerry transport is. Been getting up at 5.30. am. just lately to queue for 2 hours for a bit of soup (50-50 chance). None this morning. You can see how the food situation is when I have to do this to supplement it. How could I go for 2 eggs, fried ham, fried bread, chips, sausage and tomato all on one big plate. Now, mother, that鈥檚 the first meal I want you to cook for me, with a good helping of coffee, or Ovaltine very sweet and milky to help down golden brown toasted tea-cakes with honey. Yum, Yum, mum. Food is the thing foremost in our minds these days, I think about it, dream about it and talk about it.

February 23rd - Friday
Got up at 6.0 am. On the soup queue again with mediocre success. Great excitement on the camp - issue of 22 cigarettes from unclaimed parcels. Also very small fraction of Red Cross food from Danish parcels. I got 1/5 of a cheese, very tasty, very sweet, measuring 9 x 4 x 陆 cms. 20 parcels were divided among 1,500 men. Others got jam, chocolate, sugar, etc. A bar of chocolate was cut for 14 men ( out of 80) won 2 squares each; me ? unlucky. In addition each man received 录oz of tobacco. Morale soared after this issue and the atmosphere became smoky. German Red Cross representative visited the camp, admitted conditions were bad.,we were weak, under-nourished and not fit for further marching. He said he would try to get parcels, more food better accommodation etc. -I don't hold much hopes, but we will see.

February 24th - Saturday
Today I saved my soup until spuds came and then mixed them together and recooked. Was it good, hot and steaming!

February 25th - Sunday
Average length of 1/5 loaf 4陆 cms. Average height 9 cms. Average width 10陆 cms.
Went to church at night. Enjoyed the march down. Bread ration 录 loaf. Had luck with the 鈥渂uckshee鈥� soup but stupidly lost 陆 when the can slipped off my case.

February 27th - Tuesday
Bread down to 3/16 loaf -very slight cut. We got 25 grammes of sugar and marg. Spuds today 4 small ones. The combine ( 5 of us) had a bread and spud pudding -very good. The bread was crumbled and made into paste with water with the addition of a little sugar and marg. Then spuds mashed with a little salt. Bread and spuds then mixed and done in oven. Had my hair cut.

March 3rd - Saturday
Morale rocketed sky-high 录 of a parcel each. For tea we had a thick slice of bread with salmon, with chocolate, sweets and raisins as dessert. Supper- 2 biscuits, marg, cheese and a good cup of coffee - feeding well, eh?

March 4th - Sunday
Breakfast -thick slice and jam, spam, meat and beans. Mid morning coffee. Coffee and raisins extra for lunch. Tea:- 2 slices (录 inch thick) Spam and jam. Supper- cheese.

March 5th - Monday
Feeding continues along same lines, even a 录 parcel is marvellous now.

March 8th - Thursday
The sky is not the limit for our morale today -we received 1 No. 10 parcel each - first time I've had a complete one. 陆 lb. of chocolate all at once. -Coo! Whoofed one bar in the evening. Now feeling very well. A 100 cigs. plus 16 buckshee. Morale so high we had community singing lying in bed. Never thought things could become so good after the storm and all that. We were like excited kids at Xmas. "Every cloud has a silver lining" - and what a lining!

March 12th
Good meals again.

March 13th
Another No.10 issued. Whizzo! Made tray.

March 15th
Breakfast 鈥� CereaI and prunes and hot milk. Bread and coffee. Dinner - Fishcakes, coffee and biscuit. A bloke died today. Lovely day.

March 16th - Friday
Chest ex-rayed. Another grand day -wish I could take Celia a walk. Bread to 1/6th

March 18th - Sunday
Stomach upset. Sick during night. Off the food - poor show.
March 19th
Eating better. Bread down to 1/7th. Found bloody lice on me again - the horrible things! Under these living conditions it's unavoidable - straw on the floor for 6 weeks.

March 22nd
Really nice day. Games (Gambling ) out in the open, reminds one of peace-time fairs. Felt on top of' the world but wished I was home to really enjoy the weather. Won't be long now though -
still give the war no longer than May 31st as I did in August.

March 23rd
Weather even better. Dance band music in the open - "Oh to be in England" .Paul's birthday -day of feast .

March 30th - Friday Good Friday
My thoughts were of Home and Celia.

April 2nd
Missed roll call and had Easter Monday breakfast in bed. Wished it had been at home.

April 3rd
The Germans required 45 men to move from our barrack and we had a "game" , as names were taken. We herded together like sheep - very funny. Hair grown to a fair length. Bought 8 coal blocks from "Ruscies鈥� at a cigarette a time for the 鈥渂lower鈥�. Bread still 1/8th 3 cms. thick. Deadly. No spuds, double soup ration.

April 4th
Porridge. Certainly go for porridge. Plenty of it when I get home. Parcels up to one day late. 2 choc bars which went in a few hours. Bread 1/10 th. Gash cigs 20.

April 5th
Paul got a civvy loaf for 60 fags.

April 10th - Parcel day
Rumours around about us moving.

April 11th - Wednesday
Inoculated against Typhus (TAB) Concert in the open-air. Lovely day. Party moving tomorrow. Split up parcels - now in combine with Paul.

April 12th
400 bods left.

April 13th
400 bods have returned.

April 14th
2 blokes attempted escape last night, one was killed and the other died of his wounds. A real firework display by the RAF over Berlin at night. The barrack was shaking.

April 20th
Excitement in the air. Joe and the Yanks seem to be near. Visions of home and my loved ones. An impatient craving to see dear mother, father and Celia.

April 21st
Liberation seems even closer. Many Germans have gone, leaving a skeleton guard. Feel restless. The desire to be home is almost overpowering. Roll on Joe, Oh faster, faster. The weather is wet, but who cares about the rain -it's England, home and my loved ones. Russians reported very close. Afternoon :- remaining guards now POW's and in the cooler.

RAF take over and we are in the service again. What eventful happenings! White flags all around the camp- service personnel on guard duty -encirclement. Good tea in celebration:- brew of tea, 陆 tin cheese, 陆 tin spam, 鈪� tin jam, bread and syrup, cereal pudding and bread pudding with syrup cream. Coffee, a crust with thick marg. -a whole Jerry ration. All the bread we had was 2 slices ,陆 crust and a civvy slice, 陆 tin of cheese to a civvy slice鈥� lusho.

Night :- SS take over and are to search for arms, any found threatens the death of 100 POW's. Also a threat to shell the camp with anti-tank guns. The S.S. are in woods close by. Aircraft flew over, strafing too close to be comfortable, did my heart thump! Gash cigs :- 41

April 22nd - Sunday
THE DAY, a great day, liberation day. The Russians have arrived in the camp. Half a packet of cereal for breakfast. Finally got to sleep last night and slept very well. Wakened this morning by cheering 鈥淭he Ruskies are here". About 10.0 am. tanks and infantry arrived in the camp - they were given a rousing reception. They soon left with Russian POW 's. Did a spot of guard duty.

Quarter parcel issued - had it for tea all except a little marg, Klim and coffee and peanut butter -good tea, good milky brews.
鈥淲inco" said we were to stay here until the Russian and Yanks link up and then go home West instead of via Russia. Incessant gun fire and air of activity all day. No brot!

April 23rd - Monday
Field of battle now seems to have moved away. Waiting now for the link-up between the Yanks and Russians and then we can start on our way home. This waiting is very hard. 1/10 brot, marg., spuds, good pea soup.

April 24th - Tuesday
Discovered Ron Pottinger is a prisoner in the Oflag over the road. A German aircraft strafed the camp with cannon last night, grim eh? 1/8th brot! 录 Canadian parcel.

April 25th - Wednesday
Very good soup. 1/5th bread, Marg., Sugar, good ration of spuds. Food much better now. Got organised on a bed. Funeral of 8 Russians who had been starved to death by the Hun. A colossal number have died. Apple for breakfast .

April 26th - Thursday
Working all morning sawing down bed boards and making a table -getting my hand in for the old job. Good cup of char for breakfast, with porridge, pancake and jam. Slice brot and jam.Met Walton of 222 Squadron. 录 loaf 1/10th tin meat, sugar. Had a chat with Pottinger.

April 27th - Friday
Link-up broadcast on wireless. Let's get home, cheesed off with this waiting. 124 Gash cigs, a little chocolate and a few sweets. 1/6th Brot, custard powder and a few spuds.

April 29th 鈥� Sunday
Been liberated a week and still here. Bags of pea soup. Looks as though we are to be here some time. I want to see my mother. Convoy of' 50 Russian food lorries.

April 30th
Shell landed in the camp.

May 2nd
On 24 hour guard from 1.0 pm.

May 3rd - Thursday
American War Correspondent arrived from the Elbe. Told us why we had not moved. The Luckenwalds area was still a battle zone and the Americans didn't know we had been liberated. He was going to return with a nominal roll and all the gen.

May 4th - Friday
9th Army jeep arrived in camp. We are to start moving tomorrow. Bags of bods have already gone on their own. We are in the 3rd convoy (70 trucks). On the 大象传媒 Luf't 7 and Stalag IlIA liberated.

May 5th - Saturday
Few trucks arrive with some rations but we still remain waiting all day to move. This waiting gets really hard.

May 6th - Sunday
On standby to move all day - let's get to hell out of here! Some Yanks have gone. Been holdups. Kit to be reduced to one Red Cross box, bags of slinging away - lousy underclothes and all that. Announced that we are not likely to go till tomorrow -hell!

May 7th - Monday
Russians won't let us go until we've all been registered so registered this morning.
Later :- Now they won't let us go - say they've not got the authority to make the order. Jeep went
to Sagan to Marshall Koniev's H.Q. It's ridiculous we are virtually Russian prisoners. Enough trucks to evacuate the whole camp as well.
Rations little better then Jerry. Churchill to speak tomorrow.

THE WAR IS OVER.

Lot of trouble over this evacuation - almost a war. The Russians liberated us but I'm still far from pro-Russian.

At night we had a wopping bonfire. As I gazed into the fire ( a piano, wireless, bed, poles, etc. -more ambitious than can be possible in England ) listening at 11.30. to Tchaikovsky Serenade on Strings, I thought intensely of those at home. Could have been at home on VE Day if it wasn't for Russian finger trouble. Wonder what they are doing at home.

May 8th - Tuesday VE DAY
Got up early and went to the trucks. The jeep is back with a negative reply. Piled into a truck and moved off without any authority to do so (only way of getting away it seems).

Soon after we left the Russians stopped this unofficial buzzing off and sent the trucks back empty. We just made it, thank goodness. Then it took 4 or 5 hours to get Russian permission to cross the Elbe, finally doing it by climbing across a blown up bridge to Magdeburg - what a hazardous task. Now we are on the American side.
Sigh of relief to get away from the Russians. Arrived POW Receiving Centre, Schonebeck, about 7.0 pm.

May 9th - Wednesday
Receiving Centre situated in a Junkers Aircraft factory. Saw an open air flic. Does this white bread taste good! Yum, yum.

May 10th - Thursday
Paul went off, free lance, with Jimmy and Sammy, this morning. Chicken for dinner. Went to Schonebeck.

May 11th - Friday
Left for Heldesheim in lorries. Arrived there at approx. 1.30pm. Had a shower and clothes sprayed with delousing powder. 陆 Ib. choco, 50 tabs, razor etc. from British Red Cross.

May 12th - Saturday
Hanging around waiting for Dakotas but no luck. Lovely flying weather as well.

May 13th - Sunday
Left Heldesheim in Dakota in the morning and arrived at Brussels at dinner time. Deloused and fresh clothes. Away again to Brussels railway station about 10.0 pm.

May 14th - Monday
Arrived at Lille airport about dawn after a terrible rail journey in a Jerry coach - hard seats, windows out etc. Left by Lancaster for England. Coincidence:- passed over Merville airfield -the base from which I was operating when shot down. Arrived at Abingham at 12.30. Given rousing reception by the 鈥渆rks鈥� - free beer and cigs. etc. 2.30 pm: On to Oakley aerodrome by coach. Evening:- to RAF station Bicester.

May 15th
Left Bicester for Cosford at 1.30pm.

May 16th
Re-kitted, medical and so on leave. Arrived home about 7.15. for 28 days. Thus the day I've been dreaming of and thinking of for so many months has become a reality and this diary comes to an end.

Kenneth Roy Brant.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.