大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Sandra Beckett on behalf of Richard H J Rowe DFM, the author, and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and condition.
On April 5th, 1945, camp leader Dixie Deans announced that we were all to move out the following day. Turning to two companions 鈥� Jack Fletcher from Dunson and Ken Singleton from Birmingham I said 鈥淚f we got to go, we鈥檝e got to go 鈥� lets prepare and get up to the exit gate early鈥�. The agreed, I鈥檝e no idea why I suggested that we left early, but it turned out to be the magic words, we missed the long walk and hardships endured by most of the prisoners.
We were at the gate early with our meagre belongings and joined the queue that had started to form. The three of us were issued with 3 loaves of break, about 3lb of margarine, 4lb of rye meal and 4lb sugar. We had brought along a can of cold tea. We hung about all that day and actually left the camp at 6pm.
We expected a long walk but to our surprise only went as far as the nearby station and were ushered into the usual box cars (40 tonnes 8 cheveaux). I had earlier decided that these box cars, or cattle trucks, had been stolen from the French.
The train actually left the following day, the 7th at 11am. We were on the terrain for four days with a lot of stopping and starting, apparently wandering aimlessly. We passed through Soltau, Buckvit, Janitz, MIENDORFT, Ludwigslust, Grabow, Willenberge, Salzwedel and Schnege finally permanently stopping in open country near the hamlet of Leiston, which I believe was in their Hanover postal area.
The journey started with German officers on the train but they soon disappeared leaving the guards in charge.
During our journey the train appeared to have spent more time stopped than travelling, the Feldwebel allowing us out during the day time at most stops, the guards not bothering us, we making the most of it, lighting little fires, boiling potatoes, making hot drinks and occasionally bartering with locals using cigarettes for currency.
When first allowed out of our box cars, I was astonished to discover that there were only about 200 of us, I had no idea what was happening to the rest of the POW left behind, and I had assumed that it would have been a full train load. We had been eating well, maybe because according to one of our chaps, the training was carrying rations for the rest of our chaps we had left behind.
When the train finally stopped, for some reason unknown to us, the Feldwebel walked about one kilometre to the hamlet of Leistobn and arranged for a bar to be cleared out in preparation for us.
The first night in the barn was a bit chaotic, a log of chaps, having eaten much more than they had been accustomed, were suffering from stomach trouble and had to make hurried exits during the night, stepping on a few faces whilst doing so 鈥� I was lucky, having no stomach trouble and had selected a good place in the bar, clear of traffic.
The following morning the Feldwebel gathered us together and said that in our present circumstance it was quite pointless for him and his chaps to try to guard us, but advised us to stay with him where he considered we would be safe, and warning us that if we cleared off and came into contact with the SS we would regret it.
Jack and Ken started a fire to make a brew and suggested that I knew more of the language than they did and that I had a wander around to try my luck.
I entered a farmyard and met a Yugoslav POW farm worker, but could not chat much because of language difficulties, he did however ask me if I had any money and when I said no, gave me a 20-mark note. He then pointed to a back door of a house and said 鈥測our comrades are in there鈥�.
I opened the door and looked in and saw 4 of our chaps at a sink washing their hands and tidying themselves. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 on?鈥� I asked 鈥� 鈥渋t looks like breakfast鈥� one replied.
A lady looked out from a dining room, counted us and invited us to follow. We sat down to a marvellous breakfast which I won鈥檛 detail.
The family were named Sasse, there was a father and mother aged maybe 50, a son in his 20鈥檚, who had been wounded in Russia and now out of the army and glad to be so. A daughter about 30 whose husband was somewhere in Prussia and a young lady maybe in her 20鈥檚 who was an evacuee from Hamburg.
During the following week when talking to this young woman she complained that she had lost her collection of gramophone records during the air raids, I thought it politic not to mention that I had helped to set Hamburg alight.
I continued talking to the family after the other RAF chaps had left and was given some food, including eggs to take back to Jack and Ken, having lied to the family saying my two friends were not well back in the barn. I was invited to return.

鈥淲here have you been鈥� enquired Jack and Ken when I returned. Their faces were a picture when I replied 鈥淗aving breakfast鈥�! They cheeked up however when I produced the eggs from my battledress.
鈥淲e鈥檒l poach them鈥� he said. It was a laugh when he fried to break them 鈥� Frau Sasse had hardboiled them.
The Sasse family fed me all the week that I was in Leiston, it seemed they had what we would call a smallholding. I helped them to plant some potatoes and did a bit of gardening. The weather was good and I was thoroughly enjoying myself and quite content to wait for our forces to turn up sometime.
Although the way the war was progressing may have had some effect in the way they treated me, no way could I see that was so, I judged them to be just a nice pleasant family.
During my short stay, I did once wander off contrary to the Feldwebels wishes. I spotted a young lad about 10 or 11 with a shopping basket. When I asked him if he was going shopping, he replied that he was going to the bakers. Apparently the bakers shop was about one kilometre away from Leiston. Showing him my newly acquired 20 make note, I asked if I could accompany him and maybe buy some bread. He agreed that I could come but doubted if I could get bread without coupons.
That lad amazed me, the German newspapers described us as terrorfliers, murderers etc. yet that lad was not at all perturbed walking along that lonely road with one of the enemy. We chatted a bit but not as much as I would have liked, my German was not good enough and he knew no English.
The bakery was close to a minor crossroads and whilst the lad entered the bakery I retired and watched a German soldier at the crossroads directing some military traffic. I did not stay long watching 鈥� it could have been dangerous. On entering the bakery there were five fellows, apparently bakery workers standing chatting, the lad had left, presumably now on his way home. The bakers seemed to know that I had come from Leiston and were not unfriendly. I enquired about buying some break, the answer being no. They had baked nothing that day, having no electricity. They produced some glasses and a bottle of Schnapps and gave me a glass. I proposed a toast to the end of the war, which went down very well.
Starting to make my way back I was passing a house and heard a hissing noise. It was a fellow peering around the corner of the house beckoning me. I walked over to him and invited into the house where a family had congregated. These people also seemed to be aware that I was a RAF POW from LEISTON. It seemed that they were worried about a son who was a POW in Canada and wanted my opinion on how he would be treated. I now became an expert on Canadian POW camps. I assured them that they need not have any worries about him, Canada being a peaceful country with no unpleasantness as we were enduring in Germany. The Canadians being kindly people and there was no shortage of food. I did however say that the son might like Canada and not wish to return to Germany.
They seemed pleased with my report, packed me a small parcel of food which I tucked into my battledress jacket and made my way back to Leiston 鈥� not seeing another soul on the road.
CONTINUED 鈥�. See Part II

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