大象传媒

This is a copy of my diary, written by me, R Ruffle, 6912361, The Rifle Brigade.

To 'The Gang', I dedicate this diary, written under some trying conditions.

The Gang;
Bunny Humphries, Rifle Brigade
Harry 'Shoe' Smith, Rifle Brigade
Frank Talbot, Queen Victoria Rifles
Terrance 'Lofty' Whitney, Royal Navy
and myself, Bert R Ruffle, Rifle Brigade

January 25th., 1945.
Refugees have been passing through all night. A lot of bodies have been taken from trains and put on railway platforms not three hundred yards from E398. We can hear the sound of guns. The first bomb was dropped last night, which means that the Russians are getting nearer. Much heavy transport is on the move by rail.

January 26th.
At eleven o'clock, the guard told us to pack up as we were moving out. He also told us to take everything we could carry, and that we would return as soon as things had quietened down. We arrived in Bauerwitz (Baborow) and waited for about three hours to join up with the other P0Ws. As we waited a column of Russians passed us by, and they looked in a terrible state. Also, a small group of Italians stopped in front of us and I could not help but feel sorry for them. We moved off at about three o'clock. About a mile out of the village, on either side of the road, we saw dead Russians who had been shot out of hand. There were about 100 of them. Later, the group of Italians where shot in a small meadow. We stopped the night at Sauerwitz (Zubrzyce), sleeping in barns.

January 27th.
We moved off at about nine o'clock, heading for a place called Zietenbusch (Pietrowice). The lads have decided to split up, as it is no use trying to keep together. Lofty, Bunny, Frank, Harry, and myself, have agreed to stick together come what may. It's night, the weather is very cold, and we have not had any grub. Stayed the in a small factory. It's bleeding freezing and too cold to sleep. We have marched up hill and down again, all day. Legs ache like hell.

January 28th.
Bit of luck today. We have had an issue of Red Cross parcels. Where the Germans got them from, God only knows. I managed to scrounge a few spuds. Lit a small fire and had our first warm meal. The news is very misleading.

January 29th.
We have been told that we will stop here for another day. Rumours are that we are encircled. Heavy fighting around Ratibor (Raciborz). There is even talk of going back to Bauerwitz. What a load of codswallop! A German tank pulled up in the village, and the Jerry in charge of the tank asked us if we had any grub to spare! We told him in no uncertain terms where to go. The guards have told us that we are not moving so went round the village to do a bit of bargaining. There ain't much food here. Can hear the sound of guns, cannot be too far away.

January 31st.
We are still here. From the tales we are hearing, it seems that Jerry doesn't know where to go with us. Heard that the Russian POWs are going to get some rations but we did not get any today. Stopped another night; the floor is lovely and soft! It is solid concrete, wet and cold, and it is bloody cold.

February 1st.
We have been issued with a load of peas and about one pound of meat between twenty men. The meat is a mystery. Fighting in J盲gersdorf (Lada). Some say that the Germans have pushed back the Russians. Heavy fighting around Kattowitz (Katowice). Joe is nearly in Berlin. I am browned off. I ain't got any kit other than what I stand up in. I don't care to hell about Hitler, Joe, Churchill and anybody else who has anything to do with this war. I've had enough!

February 2nd.
We are still here and don't know when we will be on the move again. Had some more pea soup today and three little spuds. Life is grand, just we ain't had any bread for a week.

February 4th.
This morning we went to get our rations, peas and two spuds per man. The news is that are moving to the Sudetenland and we are going by train. And say what you like, some of the blokes believe it!

February 5th.
We left Zietenbusch, marched about 25 km, and then retraced our steps! Did we moan! It was about two in the morning before we laid our poor bodies to rest, and the snow was falling fast. It was as we tried to get to sleep that the guard told us to get moving. It was only five o'clock. We had had three hours rest. What the blokes told the guard is nobody's business. As if we minded, the guard was just as tired as we were. Still snowing, and no peas today.

February 6th.
Niederwildgrub (Doln铆 V谩clavov). We rejoined the column about two hours later. It was as dawn was just about to break that we moved off. It was heavy going from the start. The snow was thick and slippery and we were going up hill and down dale, just plodding along, non-stop, all day. We arrived at Janovice where about 50 of us were packed into a small building. The floor is wet, the walls covered with a fine layer of ice.
The men just dropped on the floor, exhausted. I felt the same. We got no grub, we were all crowded together, and a lot of cursing and swearing went on with blokes trying to take up all the space. But us five had grabbed a nice spot by the wall. Harry is complaining about how is legs are feeling weak and shaky. He ain't the only one.

February 7th.
Rudelsdorf (Rudoltice). Started off at 7.30 am. It was a steady climb up hill then down dale. It was a hard slog all the way, and as I tried to find interest, I looked at the countryside. It was lovely to see the sun glistening on the tree tops as they were covered in ice and frozen snow. We did about 35 km today and it was dark when we arrived. We were given pea soup and two spuds. The soup is only the water that the peas were boiled in.

February 8th.
Set off for Blauda (Bludov), about 25 km away, where we were put in an old picture-house. No rations. Asked the guards if we could go out and see if we could see the civvies and do a bit of bargaining for some soap. Not on your Nelly! They just locked us up until morning.

February 10th.
Grulich (Kr谩l铆ky). Turned out at 6.30 pm. Very foggy and a fine mist - wet and cold. The men are very weary and miserable. It was a mountainous road, hard going and this made the men bad tempered. Received a small piece of dry bread, nothing else.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Genevieve Tudor of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mark Ruffle and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

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