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John Ferrie was called into the army from his first job as an apprentice at Adams and Gibbons in St Thomas Street, Newcastle. He was sent to Elgin in North Scotland with the Royal Engineers where they built bridges, or pontoons, with wooden planks. After three months he was sent home on leave, then was posted to Egypt and joined the Desert Rats as they were nick named. Their job was to blow up bridges but within a short while he was posted 'missing'. Within about two months he was found in Italy and posted to Sulmona where the camp was between two mountains so there was no way to escape. The food was scarce and food parcels from the Red Cross did not get through to them. When the Red Cross did get to them with things like chocolate, tinned rice pudding and baked beans, John made forks and spoons with hand made tools from the empty tins.
When Italy capitulated, the Germans took over and sent all the men by boat to Germany. When the Germans found John was an engineer they put him into a factory with men from all different nationalities including Russian and French. His address changed to Stalag VIIIB, his army number was 1889809.
John's father sent him paints and paper through an organisation which meant the Germans made sure you could not enclose any thing that might help the men escape. John was allowed one letter a month to his parents but as they were checked by the Germans the letter was always the same-"I'll be home for Christmas". It was the same every month from 1941 until 1945.
By 1945 the Germans had invaded Russia which due to the bad weather meant thousands of men, women and children died. Eventually in January 1945 the Germans opened all the prison camps and began marching them through the country. This was called 'The Thousand Mile March'.
The prisoners were put into barns at night, wet and hungry; the only people to watch over them were elderly Home Guards. In April 1945 the Americans rescued them and John said he "ate seven eggs that lovely day." Aircraft was ordered to bring them home where the RAF and female staff met the planes and the men were cleaned up and fed.
Where John lived the people hung flags across the street with "Welcome Home" on. John went back to the army for a short while before he was 'demobbed'.
John's job was kept for him but after his experiences he could never settle at any job for more than a year. John married Mildred Ferrie, his fiancee from before the war, on the 23rd June 1945. They were married for 59 years until he died on the 9th January 2005.

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