大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of Walter Hobson, and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr. Hobson fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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This story tells in graphic detail, of the incarceration within the many P.O.W. camps that the contributor of this story was forced into, during WW2. It also describes the squalid, degrading and sub-human conditions that he was compelled to endure, not only within the camps, but whilst 鈥榦n the run鈥� from them. The deaths of and devastating injuries to his colleagues, whilst actually in his presence, are also described鈥︹�︹�ill Ross - 大象传媒 People's War Story Editor.
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Other parts to this story can be found at:
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We were marching down a road, when all of a sudden, we stopped, and the Jerries stated to mumble among themselves. There were some tanks coming along, all Yankees. They threw us some cigs and they said, 鈥淲e鈥檒l be back.鈥� So, what happened was, we took over, so the guards that had been guarding us, we were guarding them now. We took their rifles and everything off of them, now they were our prisoners. The Yanks did come back about half an hour later, and they said, 鈥淭ake 鈥榚m down that road there, and you鈥檒l find a lot more.鈥� There was a big field full of Jerries. One of the Yanks said, 鈥淚f there鈥檚 any o鈥� these that鈥檚 ill treat yer, any that have done anything to yer, now yer can get yer own back.鈥� But they were all old soldiers and what have ya? They took us into a village and they got whoever was the Lord Mayor, I鈥檝e forgotten what they called him, and they said, 鈥淩ight, all these lads have got to be billeted.鈥� There were families all saying, 鈥淐ome to my house, come to our house.鈥� There was a little lad, about eight years old, and he got hold of my hand and said, 鈥淐ome.鈥� Anyway, we went to his house, and they (the boy and his mum) kept us, just us two, and, apparently, her husband was out fighting the English. We were with them for about five or six days. Then they took us through to a big camp that was full of Yankees, and there were a lot of women-Yankee army women. They were like our A.T.S.
They were feeding us. The only snag was that their urinals were ditches and we鈥檇 to crouch down on the ditches. We were exposed to the world, but that didn鈥檛 matter. Anyway, we spent about a week there, then they said, 鈥淩ight, you鈥檙e lining up for documentation, ready to go back home.鈥� We were queuing up all day. There was only one table at the end, so they said, 鈥淩ight, that鈥檚 enough, you can all come back tomorrow.鈥� One of the lads said, 鈥淚鈥檓 going, I鈥檝e found a way to get to the front.鈥� So he got to the front all right; he was from the Sherwood Foresters, and he got away a day before us. But what we learned later was that the plane he went on, crashed and they were all killed. So in a way, I was lucky.

We got through, to an aerodrome, and eventually, we were back home. We landed back home in Buckinghamshire, High Wycombe I think it was. When we got off the plane there, the Women鈥檚 Voluntary Service were waiting for us. They took us, two to each lad, to a big hangar where we were deloused. They shoved a hosepipe up our trousers leg, down our breeches, up our jacket sleeve, and there was a white powder. We needed it 鈥榗os we were well loused. Then they took us to a camp. At half past one in the morning, I was having a shower in this camp. Next morning, when we went for our meal, who should be in charge of the camp? An old school mate o鈥� mine, Sid Hurst. He sez, 鈥淓yop, there鈥檚 hundreds passed through me and you鈥檙e the only one I鈥檝e known.鈥� So he said, 鈥淚鈥檒l tell ya what, I know you鈥檝e not had a lot to eat, but you can have as much as you want here, but take a tip from me. Only have a bit.鈥� He said, 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been gorging themselves, then they鈥檝e been sliding under the tables and passing out. They couldn鈥檛 take it.鈥� Our stomachs were only as big as a golf ball. He said, 鈥淚f thuz owt tha wants to tek back wi鈥� thi鈥�, I鈥檒l fill thi pack. (If there鈥檚 anything you want to take back with you, I鈥檒l fill your pack).鈥� But all I was bothered about was getting back home. In three days there, we had two pay parades, no, it was less, it was a day and a half. We got all the documentation and took a train, and we set off back home.
We got to Sheffield station; we鈥檇 to make our own way from there. I managed to get to Wombwell station, then I got the 70 bus outside the station. Who should be on it? Some girls from the munitions. One in particular, instead of stopping and helping me carry my kit, went flying home. She said, 鈥淵our Walt鈥檚 comin鈥� dahn t鈥檒ane.鈥� My daughter then was six years old, and there鈥檚 her and about six or seven mates, all came flying up the road, and she was saying, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not me dad.鈥� I said, 鈥淎h, but I am old love.鈥� I picked her up, and all the kids carried my kit. When I got home, there was a big thing over the door, 鈥淲elcome home Walt,鈥� and all that. It was something I鈥檒l never forget for as long as I live. After that, I think I got about 28 days leave, and then we鈥檇 to go back, to Gosforth, in Newcastle. All different units were there, and we had a bit of training. I had to go in front of the Medical Officer and I was declared unfit. They said, 鈥淵ou can have your release,鈥� but I said, 鈥淵eah, but I don鈥檛 want it.鈥� 鈥淲hy?鈥� I said, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檝e been in touch with the man I used to work for, and he鈥檚 assured me I can get out of the army on Class B to do my regular work, bricklaying.鈥� He said, 鈥淥h, fair enough then, we鈥檒l let you have that.鈥�

In the meantime, what they did, they sent us to Ilkley on what they called a C.R.U., a Civil Resettlement Unit. We could wear civvies or uniform. They鈥檇 take us round all different places of work in England, northern England, Yorkshire etc., We went to Johnson and Johnson, we went to the Labour Exchange, painters and decorators, allsorts. If we saw a job we liked, they鈥檇 try and get it for us. The kid I was going around with then was, Bernard Crossley-Dent from Leeds, and he was a painter and decorator; they got him a job. I said 鈥淚 have got a job to go back to,鈥� which I had, back to the old firm where I鈥檇 worked as a brickie. I think we did seven weeks there, at Ilkley. The A.T.S. were looking after us. It was back to Civvy Street then, and that鈥檚 about it.
I know, when I look back, I didn鈥檛 know how lucky I was. I was very very lucky.......>

Pr-BR

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