大象传媒

This story was added to the People's War Site by Joan Smith for Three Counties Action on behalf of Robert Vass, a visitor to Dunstable at War on 13th August 2005, and has been added to the site with the author's permission. Mr Vass fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I was first called up into the army two weeks before the war started. After training we went over to France, and I was at Abbeville before we began to move back towards Dunkirk. I was lucky and was picked up by an old cross-channel ferry. We got two weeks leave and then we were off again. I was in Malta right throughout the siege, and got a medal for surviving. We got used to the bombs, but we never got much sleep. Once when we went to dinner our tent was bombed and burnt out when we got back to it.
From Malta we went to Egypt, then to the Dodecanese Islands, part of Greece. On one particular day German soldiers were parachuted in, and ten of our men were sent to try to get them out of some blockhouses they were holding. I was a stretcher bearer, and when I got there all ten were dead -shot in the head. On that occasion reinforcements did get the Germans out, but later we weren't so lucky. We were holding a position on top of the hill, but the Brigadier told us that it had been decided that we wouldn't be able to stay there, so in order to prevent further loss of life it had been decided thaat we would capitulate. We were prisoners of war, and were takem to Athens, where thousands of us were held in an old factory. From there we were taken to Munich - a journey in cattle trucks which lasted ten days.
When we arrived it was Christmas, and we were put into an old cavalry barracks - where in spite of the war there was a big Christmas tree all lit up. After that we were taken to a place near Magdeberg, about 60 miles southwest of Berlin. There we had to dig reservoirs and air-raid shelters. Some of the men had to go to work down a salt mine. After some incident when a German accidentally was shot we were all made to work in the salt mine. It was scary at first but we got used to it.
It was 400 metres down, and there were big caves, as big as cinemas with tunnels linking them We had to chip away at the salt. The Germans were making aircraft parts in theses caverns. Russian women were working there in terrible conditions.

We used to sneak off for a crafty smoke in the tunnels, and once a German who caught me threatened to kill me, shouting 'Du arbeit!' Near the end of the war a Spitfire flew over us, and we were overjoyed. We were moved to a large old barn, and were put in with some political prisoners who were in a terrible condition. Eventually the Yanks released us and we came home for six weeks leave.

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