大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Edna Stafford and has been added to the site with her husband Bill Stafford's permission. Bill Stafford fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

"With the War at an end, the repatriation of prisoners was our chief concern. Everyday lorry loads of P.O.Ws. rolled over the bridge to the large camp about a mile or so away. They were of all nationalities and were cheered on their way wherever they were seen. One afternoon there appeared on the Notice Board an invitation from the Colonel commanding this camp, to all the girls at the Headquarters. It was really an appeal one could not resist.

In the early evening lorries arrived and we were driven to this camp. On entering it, some embarrassment was felt on both sides, as for most of these prisoners it was a matter of some 4 to 5 years since they had either seen or spoken to an English girl. Some did not even recognise our uniforms. Most of the men were lying on their bunks just gazing at us, but within minutes two or three of us were stopping at various bunks and were soon chatting freely. Now and again over the tannoy a request was made to the prisoners and to us not to talk about their escapes because there were still hundreds of prisoners behind barbed wire and the Germans would still want to know how these men had eluded them. Even so, some did talk, but of course, we respected their confidence, as it seemed to be a relief for them to converse with someone who could possibly understand. Everyone had a snapshot or photo of a loved one, and their questions were mostly about the position in England and whether the bombing had been as bad as the German propaganda had led them to believe. The answer to that question really depended on what part of England one came from - most of the major towns and cities had been bombed, but we tried to reassure them.

As Elsie and I walked around we noticed that some of the beds needed making and as we could not see the occupants, we quickly made them. However, being engrossed in what we were doing we failed to see the men standing behind us watching with some amusement. Although most of them were dressed in American uniforms, (due to the fact that the camp was in the American sector) there were some who had odd clothing. This was easily explained because they had simply picked up anything they could when escaping. Speaking generally, everyone spoke highly of the organisation and the way they had been received and treated. Anything was better than where they had been. As regards food, we learned that although eggs were served every day and there was plenty of them, they were not allowed to eat as much as they wanted or liked, because of the reaction which was likely to follow. Although perhaps feeling hungry, they would have made themselves ill had they eaten too much too soon. Two of the men for whom we had made the beds, were Australian officers, and the elder of the two told us that he was married with two young sons, aged 12 and 10. He showed us a photograph of them and said that it was hard for him to imagine them growing up, and he could only remember them as young boys, just going to school.

During the evening the Colonel had formed a band together and announced that if we liked to go down to the gymnasium, there would be an impromptu dance. Naturally the men felt awkward and so, to break down the reserved feeling, he requested that all the girls made their way to the centre of the hall, after which he divided the men into groups, each group representing a different part of England or other countries. As the dance began so we made our way to particular groups and from this it was easier to talk to someone who hailed from the same part of the world. The evening was a great success and everyone enjoyed themselves. The time came for us to depart, we wished our friends a very "Good Night" and hoped that they slept well. Elsie and I however, thought that it was lucky for us that we wouldn't be seeing them again just in case the beds weren't as comfortable after all.

How wrong we were, as the following afternoon at the office, one of my colleagues informed me that there was someone outside who wished to see me. I was quite surprised to see the two Australians standing there as usually the ex-prisoners only spent 48 hours at the camp before they were sent on their way home. It seemed that on this particular day the weather was bad for flying, and so they had found themselves with another day on their hands. Elsie and I arranged to go to an American Gang Show with them that evening, and afterwards we went backstage, as evidently the Gang Show had been to the camp that morning, and one of the Australians knew one of the troupe. Later that evening we went to a Night Club where we spent an exciting evening dancing on the stage between performances, with as much wine and champagne to our liking. As can be imagined, Elsie and I went to bed that night feeling on top of the world and thinking that life was grand. I'm sure that all who were there felt the same way.

There were also a fair number of Indian prisoners passing through this camp and being short-staffed, I offered to type the nominal rolls for the officer in charge. He was the Indian Liaison Officer who had been recalled from leave in England to interrogate the Indian ex-prisoners and we became quite friendly over the time spent together. As it was slack in the office my own officers didn't object to the lists I was typing. In fact one or two tried reading the names of the Indians to me so that I could type the lists more quickly, but in the end it was better to copy them for myself. Trying to fly the Indians home, or at least part of the way, proved quite a problem, as this was due to their beliefs and superstitions. Some I was told had to be forced physically into the planes. Even the more learned ones amongst them couldn't be convinced that all would be well if they just sat on their seats and alas on one occasion they panicked in mid-air causing the pilot to lose control, resulting in the death of them all. After this they were sent home by sea, a much longer journey, but perhaps a safer one."

Sadly Edna Stafford passed away on 22 February 2004. Her husband, Bill, has requested that no further messages are left in response to her stories.

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