大象传媒

Chapter 19

We arrived at Moosburg in the early hours of 14th September 1943, in the dark but were not detrained until after daylight. After we had detrained to make certain that everyone was out, hand grenades were thrown into the empty trucks. We had to carry our baggage but thank goodness it was only a short distance, it was surprising however the amount of baggage that was dumped, simply because people were not strong enough to carry it, I just about managed it and that was all. The camp was a transit one we did not expect to be too comfortable, neither was we. We marched up to the camp and once again I was behind the wire, not a strange feeling but a strange country. At first the officials would not believe that we were officers, this rather put them off, but eventually were convinced. We were kept queued up all morning before anything was done regarding searches etc. But they did give us a piece of paper on which to send a message to our next-of-kin, whether Kit ever got it I do not know. I tried to get a wash under a tap but it was stopped, with 25 others I went to the lavatory accompanied by a big Alsatian dog and a sentry, if one did not keep in the ranks, this bloody great dog flew at you. The place we had to use was disgusting there was no water flush of any description, the pans were full up, however bad it was I did my stuff, maybe it was the thoughts of the Alsatian that made it so easy, but I very soon got outside. Mick, Phil and I eventually got through the search at about 3 o'clock, I had my Advance of Pay Book taken away and the searcher pinched a tablet of soap that I had, it was no use complaining it only slowed things up.

We were then marched off to a bungalow, a hell of a way off, it was the biggest camp that I have yet come across, there were 30,000 prisoners held in the camp who consisted of 22 nationalities, and miles and miles of barbed wire. The bungalows came as a shock, 200 of us were in one, the beds were made of wood and 3 tiers high, and so if you had a restless sleeper above you were unlucky. To sleep upon we had bags of hay and we were issued with one damp blanket, 4 French prisoners were in charge of each bungalow and seemed to have made themselves quite comfortable, the latrines were the same as previously described. For exercise there was a bit of a compound, in the next compound to us were Serbians on one side and Russians on the other and eventually British troops on the last. Tables were in each bungalow but only sufficient for about 50 to eat off; so what food we got we used to eat on the grass outside. Shortly after we arrived in the bungalow we were issued with the rations that were put on the train at Innsbrucke, never have I enjoyed anything so much, it was a good chunk of German bread and a piece of pork fat, but how good it was, lots of people could not eat it but I did, theirs as well. Later in the evening we got German tea and potatoes, quite a good amount and how we enjoyed them. Next day we got potatoes and beetroot that was also very good. It was the conditions under which we were living that were difficult, there were no plates, knives, forks or spoons, and on the whole we liked the German rations much better than the Italians. We got margarine, sausage, sugar and bread issued, but the potato stew we got was the pits, cabbage and potatoes were just pushed in together and what a slush it made. We received German tea to drink that was not to my taste, but as we had our Red Cross parcel tea we got over it. We all considered the German bread ration was bigger and better than the Italian, I enjoyed it and used to scoop up anybodies that did not require it, with the aid of the parcels we lived quite well, there was always the thought that shortly we should move again and what would the next camp be like. The washing facilities were very bad here; we had to wash under a pump, one pumped while the other washed. During the whole of this time I managed to keep Sticky with me and how very good he was too, never shall I be able to repay him. He was forever willing, would do anything for me, give me anything and was always in good spirits, you may bet, Kit, that it took some doing to keep cheerful with me. The day after we arrived a train load of officers also came, among them were Ernie Cox who was with us at Padula and John Stanton, a regular of the 2nd Bn but when captured was adjutant of the 5th, I was forever in his company after that asking him questions. I had never met him before as he was commissioned just prior to the war but he knew all the people that I knew, he was able to tell me about Jock McCully, Bob Whistler and a hundred and one things. Sticky then
brought me in the news that there were 3 of our lads captured in Tunis in camp, L/Cpl Kealy and two others, one I managed to wangle him into our compound and had a good talk with him about the Battalion and how they got on after I was put in the bag. Shortly after this some more other ranks arrived from Italy, including some who were collared at the same time as I was, but I never saw Chalky White or Lawrence or any of those I wanted to.

Next to our compound were the Russians, they were most amusing and just did not give damn for anyone, and they used to get out of their compound as easy as winking and right under the eyes of the sentries. Between each compound was two fences about 10 feet high and 10 feet apart, in between there was just masses of loose barbed wire, but it made no difference to them as soon as a sentry turned his back they were up one fence, jumped into the middle up the next fence and into our compound before you could say "Jack Robinson". They were almost starved, we gave them whatever we could, and they took all our leavings. Not only did they take our leavings but also anything they could lay their hands on, one had to keep a very sharp eye on ones kit. We had to start a system of sentries on every two windows as they used to hop in during the night, but you couldn't blame them they were hungry and I had every sympathy. One night after lock up, we saw a movement in some old blankets that we were not allowed to use, on investigation we found one hiding under them, we gave him some food and sent him out. Food for us was short enough but they were kept even shorter, rations used to be issued out according to the bungalow strength, on one occasion one of them died, his comrades buried him under the floor of their bungalow and continued to draw his rations until the smell gave them away. On another occasion, owing to hunger they refused to go out to work, so the dogs were sent in to turf them out, the Russians killed the dogs and threw the bones back. Their working parties used to make me laugh, they were adept at making jobs last out and just obeying orders and generally annoying the sentries, for instance, there was a party digging near our compound and we watched them. The German sentry told them to stop work and fall in, when fell in he noticed that they hadn't got their shovels and had to send them back for them, next they left their picks and lastly the wheelbarrow. Eventually he got them altogether with their tools, he then said 'Quick March' on looking back he saw his wheelbarrow left behind. And so it went on they did it all so solemnly, but with a sly look at us, we just had to laugh and give them a cigarette each much to the annoyance of the German sentry.

There was much glee in camp when we saw the Italian Military Commission from Berlin arrive, they told us that the Germans would not last another 6 months, they were very wrong. All the Italians were sick and sorry for themselves and thought they were hard done by, some even tried to get us to exchange Red Cross parcels, we might have helped any other nationality but not Italians, we considered them the lowest of the low. After a few days they started sorting us out into two parties, one to go to the Senior Officers Camp (known as the old mans camp) and the rest of us to go elsewhere. I could have gone to the SO Camp had I so desired owing to my age, but it meant separating from Mick and Phil. Arthur Woods, Bert Hyde, Fred Hearn and Titch Yeates, all QMs, went and I have not heard of them since. There was a lot of wangling to get on this party because it was considered that the camp would be much more comfortable. I had my doubts and preferred to remain with the gang, I thought that I would be far happier with the people I know, although a change is as good as a rest.

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