大象传媒

Towards the end of the war there were new arrivals in Trowbridge and the surrounding towns. Prisoners-of-War. The first were from Italy and the men could be seen helping with labouring jobs. Demolition of houses behind Union Street had been commenced before the war, and now from our windows we would watch them clearing the site for further building. A garage/engineering works were soon to occupy this site and is still there to this day. The Italians were, however, soon followed by the Germans, housed in a camp near Westbury. As the war ended they were allowed more freedom and would be seen around Trowbridge. Again they helped with various jobs and one day we had two helping to dig up our side path for emergency repairs to the gas pipe. At this time my mum and dad invited two of the prisoners into our home, and it could have been the men who had been working outside. They would often come to us on Saturdays. One was I would say from memory in his forties; the other late teens or twenties. My parents considered the older one a 'hardliner' and eventually he stopped coming. Not before however he did one kind act. I was very keen on mecanno and for my birthday or Chistmas had a steam engine. This would not however work and our friend took it back to the camp and the next week brought it back - well and truly soldered! I don't think it ever really drove my models even then but it was a nice gesture. Khurt Johnmann (I hope that's spelt correctly) became a family friend, often spending Saturday afternoons and evenings with us. On Sundays other friends from the chapel would also entertain him and he came along to our evening sevices. We both shared a common interest - we liked draughts. Many an 'international' between England and Germany was played in our living room. Khurt was certainly the better player and Germany won the series very convincingly. In fact I cannot recall England winning a single match - but it was good fun and we remained pals. Eventually Khurt returned home. At first he kept in touch and I remember his first letter which told how he had found his city - I think it was Hamburg completely devastated. As he lost his grasp of English so the letters stopped and we lost touch. Some years back I wrote to Germany hoping I might again make contact but this was unsuccessful. Perhaps this website might achieve this - you never know!

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