大象传媒

Chapter Ten: Return to Service

After arriving at Morpeth time seemed to hang as there was so little to do, I didn鈥檛 know anyone and I wondered why I had been called so urgently. The staff went out of their way to keep us occupied by arranging outings and visits to various places of interest; on one occasion we went down a coalmine, I believe that it was Bedlington. It was most enlightening; I wasn鈥檛 really in the mood to take part in or enjoy anything very much at that time; I wished the days away and wanted the weekend to pass so that on Monday after seeing the Brigadier I would learn my Demob date and then would be in a position to let Hilda know when she could expect me home.
At the interview which didn鈥檛 last many minutes all my hopes and dreams for the future were dashed in that short time because the officer came immediately to the point and said 鈥淪ergeant Digby, we have another job for you鈥�. I was ordered to collect my pass and documents and to report to somewhere in Surrey, I forget exactly where; I was given no indication of the nature of the job or whatever it might entail.
At first I was most shocked and bitterly disappointed over that so sudden turn of fortune. But once those feelings had passed and I had time to consider what had happened I felt that maybe it wouldn鈥檛 be so bad after all, that perhaps the extra duty which I had been called on to perform would last no longer than a few weeks and would only amount to a short delay before being released and it was in that frame of mind that I wrote off to Hilda and my parents informing them of the changed situation.
I found the billet in Surrey to be a large country house where there were about thirty-five other NCOs all of them like myself downgraded men, which to all of us seemed rather strange that whatever the job was for which we had been detailed it required unfit men. What was the logic of it all? Especially as at the time there were A1 men, many with less service than ourselves, who were being released.
Among the group I found 鈥楬ammy鈥�, Sergeant Giles, Sergeant Forte and a few others who I thought had already been demobbed; between us our service had taken us from Dunkirk through the Desert Campaign, Italy, the jungles of Burma and yet were now called on once more for further service. After a few days, having attended several lectures, we were becoming aware that the duties which were demanded of us would us would take longer than just the week or two I had first contemplated.
The introductory course which we attended dealt with the workings of the Control Commission which was responsible for the disarming and rehabilitation of the defeated Germans and it was at about that point that we all realised that the work could not possibly be carried out at the Home Base in England and although no-one at any time had even hinted that we were to work abroad we were certain then that we were destined for Germany.
The truth finally dawned on us and we learned that we were to become members of the department for the demolition of enemy war equipment; I don鈥檛 know that I was furious, shocked, amazed or whatever, once my mind had absorbed the new situation, but as usual what had happened had to be accepted as inevitable.
That this sudden turn round in circumstances should occur at the very time when life seemed to have so much that was favourable and pleasant was to put it mildly, disappointing. We all had the sad and unenviable task of writing to tell our people at home and to explain the further downturn in the plans for our futures.
The letter which I wrote to Hilda was written with a very heavy heart knowing how much it would upset her, to learn that once more I was to go away again. Especially as only a week earlier we had both been so elated. She would of course, as all the women at home, accept the facts as they did in wartime, long-suffering and taking all the knocks, blows and disappointments that were theirs to endure. I was far from being alone in my forlorn feelings because those of my new-found mates were writing in a similar vein to their loved ones; we were with one accord generally bemoaning our lot and asked ourselves just how much does one have to contribute before someone decides 鈥榯hat鈥檚 enough鈥�. How many pounds of flesh had to be taken?
Our moaning about our present circumstances and the added curses directed against those unknown to us but who were responsible for our predicament was a way of relieving our feelings and even though we carried on doing so we knew that there was nothing at all that we could that would alter it. So we finally adopted those well-used maxims and mottoes of 鈥渂less 鈥榚m all鈥� and 鈥渄on鈥檛 let the buggers get you down鈥�.
The course lasted about ten days during which time we were made conversant with every part of the German tank because it was to be our duty to weigh, label and report every piece of equipment which was to be destroyed. We also learned just enough of the German language to enable us to get by as we were told that we would learn more in the course of our daily work.
Those in charge appeared to be in some considerable hurry to get us away to our base in Germany although we were not told where that would be and information was not forthcoming. We asked the questions; who would be our immediate bosses, where and how would we live, for instance? But everyone seemed reluctant to tell us anything. Whether they knew the answer themselves we were not too sure, it was as if our mission was of a secretive nature, which of course it was not.
Our first move took us over the channel to a chateau in a very picturesque wooded area of Belgium; we never learned just where it was as we were never able to leave the building except to walk in the grounds. More instruction was given and further language tuition, the same applied when we made the next move which was to a house on the outskirts of Antwerp; the exception there was that while being there for almost three weeks we were allowed out, in fact we visited Brussels and the seaside resort of Blankenburg, travelling by train. It was noticeable how frequent the service was, also how fast and clean, which I thought was quite creditable considering the railway鈥檚 commitments during the war with movement of both Allied and the German occupying forces and their machinery, their country only being free of war for about a year.
Then we moved on again, it seemed to us that we were being shunted around Belgium as if we were unwanted after all. The actual reason was, of course, that there was a great shortage of transport due mainly to the vast number of drivers who were being demobbed. On we went again, staying nowhere for little longer than a week. The next stop being Westende a few miles along the coast from Ostend, there I recall the Navy engaged in blowing up the minefields.
One other notable thing which happened there was that we received our Voting Forms for the first postwar General Election which became known as the 鈥楽oldiers鈥� Election鈥�. There was very little doubt as to which way we used our vote. It seemed that we with few exceptions among the rank-and-file ensured that Major Clement Attlee and the Labour Party secured an overwhelming victory in 1945.
A further move took us to the old town of Bruges where we along with hundreds of other troops also awaiting transport were stationed in the ancient barracks which appeared to be a holding centre for various destinations within Germany. While there we took part in route marches which were quite pleasant being usually along the canalside; the weather then being late June was warm and the Belgian countryside scented and colourful; we swam in the old baths in the town and at long last transport was made available and we were finally on our way.
As we moved on into Germany, even after the eight months鈥� end of hostilities we witnessed at first hand from the backs of our trucks the sheer and complete destruction of towns and villages as we passed through them. The damage created by the bombing and shelling of the Allied armies as they advanced, where once stood houses, shops, municipal buildings and all other types of building, had reduced them to heaps of brick, masonry and piles of powdered dwellings from under which people could be seen emerging, and going and coming about their daily affairs; that at the time was the manner of their existence. Quite a lot of aid was being made available in an attempt to alleviate some of these hardships and sufferings through the Allied Control Commission.
Our travels ended in the courtyard before a large building of what seemed to have been the offices and centre of administration; we were to learn later that we were in the Hanover area, the nearest town was Celle and what was to be our home and workplace there was at the village of Hanigsen. After putting down our kits each of us was allotted a room to ourselves which was comfortable and spacious, a very welcome meal was set before us; the cooks and all other workers were Germans.
It wasn鈥檛 until after the meal when we walked around the surroundings to take a brief look at where we were to work that we saw the mineshaft and we quickly realised that the complex into which we had settled was a salt mine. It came as a great shock to discover that we were likely to end our Army careers working down a salt mine. No-one at any time, not at Morpeth or anywhere since had mentioned or even intimated that we would carry out our duties in such a place.
Once again every one of us felt very much let down and believed that we had good cause for a curse and swear, the Army and top brass went through it all. The German woman who seemed to be in charge and the men who carried our kits to our rooms heard our angry outbursts and no doubt understood our reasons because our grumbles were directed at the Germans and Germany as a nation who we said were responsible for the situation. When the first shock had been well absorbed we cooled down and realised that once again there was nothing to be done except to just 鈥榞rin and bear it鈥� and to 鈥榮oldier on鈥�, then ponder on what the light of a new morning might show.
Intending to make the best of the situation wasn鈥檛 so very difficult because we found that the amenities and facilities provided for us couldn鈥檛 be faulted. There was a separate Mess for us sergeants and one for the drivers. The food was first rate and German staff were quite co-operative.
Our first morning parade after arrival was at 08.00 hrs when we were introduced to our duties by a Staff Sergeant of the Ordnance Corps under whose authority we would be engaged. We toured the site and went down the mine and acquainted ourselves with the areas there where the tank parts were stored. The whole of the mine sparkled and glistened from the lights reflected from the salt face.
Apparently apart from the storage of parts the large benches and conveyor belt system were used during the war for the making of detonators for shells. There was still at that time much synthetic silk-like material which was used in their manufacture. It was pretty clear from what we had seen that we were going to be kept very busy, so busy in fact it would leave little time for grumbles of any sort or any self-pity.
Not many days had passed before we all found that we had settled into a sort of routine working as a team but each having responsibility for one particular task. My own was to record the weight of each wagon-load of parts which was despatched by train, to describe the parts, types and label each load before it left the mine. It was not often necessary for me to work down the mine as my work began after each load was brought up to the surface. The actual moving and loading of the parts was carried out by prisoners of war who were brought in daily for the purpose.
There were twelve of us 鈥榯ankies鈥� who found that our overseers of the Ordnance Corps to whom we were responsible were very easy to work with. At the beginning we had sat down with an officer and a Staff Sergeant and planned the most practical way in which to approach the task; there were also parts in one of the large warehouses which needed to be attended to.
Not all that was brought up was despatched immediately as some would be required to be put to one side until they were checked by an officer from the Control Commission and any special instruments would be sent to England. Although the bulk of materials would go for smelting down there was quite a lot which was burnt in the adjoining fields.
There was a German civilian in charge of the workforce, Herr Lockner, who had his own office. I found him sullen and most unco-operative which made him suspect. We knew that we could not expect to be popular with everyone, it was understandable that not every German wished to see or to assist in the destruction of part of what was their great armoured force and there were some no doubt who would do their best to subvert our efforts. If we came across anything or anyone who appeared to be suspicious it had to be reported and a special watch would be kept on them.
There was an interpreter, I believe he was Belgian, who although he was a member of the Mess and had his meals with us he had little to do with us, but was known to have German friends so we kept an eye on him. There was also a building which upstairs had a darkroom such as photographers use and on more than one occasion I had seen several men using that room. It seemed strange to me that the work we were doing should require photography, it went into my report but whether anything came of it I was not aware.
There too was a doctor who, it was said, was responsible for the mine and ammunition workers during the war, who still had what appeared to be a surgery which always seemed to be crowded; it was then of course still early days in the working of the Commission and as time went on it is possible that these persons and their positions were sorted out.
Our Mess room in the evening was comfortable for reading and writing or card-playing, there was not a great deal more to occupy us. We did have a bar which was very welcome. In my letters to Hilda I told her of my work, that I was in good spirit, content with my position, and not to worry as I was bound to be coming home when my group was called, and anything else that I thought might cheer her up.
There were seven mines in the area and ours was the headquarters. Each weekend the personnel from the other mines came in for a conference and stayed over so it made quite a party weekend. There were different types of war equipment at each of those mines but ours was the only one holding tank parts. There was a warehouse which had housed medical equipment and another which was then still filled with anti-gas equipment both for humans and for horses; there was though little left that could be salvaged from either building because the local Germans who worked in the clearing of them told us that the Russians, when they passed through, had ransacked and carried off anything which they thought would be of use to them.
Those Germans were so in fear they would say something like 鈥淩ussky not come back, Tommy stay, Russky no good鈥�, when they attempted to tell of what the Russians did while there we told them that 鈥渋t served them right鈥�, and that they got what they deserved. Often we would hint that the Russians might come back again to impress on them that the Russians were our Allies and the Germans were responsible for the war anyway.
At one of the other mines were vehicle parts and motorcycles, there the lads each rode around the camp on one. Another place contained naval stores and among them were large-type binoculars such as were used by the German naval commanders and most of us before we came home became the lucky owner of a pair. I believe they were manufactured by Zeiss. From another mine I was presented with a harmonica made by Hohner.
It was said that the railway line which served our mine was a branch of the nearby mainline which in wartime carried those victims destined for the notorious death camp at Belsen and on seeing the headlines one morning on Herr Lockner鈥檚 newspaper referring to those camps, we asked about it, but he simply refused to talk of it and when we asked others if they knew about it they either suddenly went deaf or muttered 鈥淚ch kann sie nicht versten鈥�. They understood alright, they must have known of the gas chambers, would have known of the smell and have known when seeing those train-loads of unfortunate human beings that were being transported there.

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