大象传媒

The account that follows is written on behalf of my uncle, John (Jack) Turner, his wife Florence (Florie) and son John, all of whom are now dead. I am unclear on some details but the overall theme of the story is accurate.

During the war John (Jack) Turner was a miner at Hylton Colliery, Castletown, a village on the western edge of Sunderland. He lived there with his wife Florie (nee Wilcox) and their son John, who was born in 1939. Near the village was a prisoner of war camp for low threat prisoners; I believe it would have been attached to Usworth aerodrome (on which the Nissan car factory is now built). For reasons I do not now know, the prisoners were brought each week under guard to Castletown. John and Florie befriended a young German called Werner (surname lost) who came from Stuttgart. I was told that they used to give him fresh garden produce and eggs from the garden/allotment attached to their home. When the war ended Werner returned to Germany and contact with him was lost.

In 1966, when the World Cup Finals were held here, Werner returned to England for the first time since the end of the war. Some of the first round games were played at Roker Park, Sunderland (now superseded by the Stadium of Light). The ticket package he had intentionally selected brought him to Sunderland to see those games.

While staying in the area Werner came back to Castletown to try to find Jack Turner and his family. One Sunday evening he arrived in the village by service bus from Sunderland and started knocking on house doors asking if anyone knew Jack Turner. His English was not the best but his determination overcame any embarrassment he might have had. The Turner family had lived in the village since the early 1900s and so within a few enquiries his quest was realised and he was directed to my grandparent鈥檚 house where we having a traditional Sunday family tea. My recollection is that my uncle鈥檚 family immediately re-established their friendship with Werner from 20 years earlier. On a number of occasions John and Florie went to Stuttgart to stay with Werner鈥檚 family and they also all holidayed together in Europe.

I consider that it is worth recording this story, not because it is in any sense unique or remarkable, but rather to try to demonstrate that in war ordinary people can remain deeply honourable and true to the simple values in which they believe, and on which in the long term society depends.

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