James W. Weitkamp A.S.N. 19049791
8th credited mission, target - Leipzig, Germany - May 29, 1944
We were awakened early, went to the mess hail, had breakfast, and then attended the mission briefing. After briefing, we picked up our equipment - parachute, flak helmet, and escape kit. We were taken out to the plane, made our preflight checks of the plane, guns, bomb load, and made ready for takeoff. After takeoff, we joined our formation and headed across the Channel and tested our guns. We flew across France and into Germany without seeing flak or fighters. After we turned at the I.P., we were straggling behind the formation and I was sweeping the area with upper turret searching the sky. In the middle of a sweep from our right rear to right front, I heard a loud thump and felt an impact. Two FW 190 fighters, evidently having made their pass from above and forward of our plane, went past very close to us. I didn’t get a shot at them and, to my knowledge, no shots were fired at them from our plane. They made the one pass and kept going.
I turned the turret to the front and saw a large hole in the right wing between #3 and #4 engines and we were on fire. I went on the intercom and said we were on fire and then there was confusion. I left the turret, snapped on my chest pack parachute, went into the bomb bay and salvoed the bombs. I left the plane by stepping off of the catwalk to my left facing the rear of the plane and almost immediately pulled the ripcord. When I pulled the ripcord, I expected the parachute to deploy past my face. Instead, the chute went out of the pack past my feet. (Evidently, the slip stream hitting my legs had flipped me over and I was falling with my head toward the ground). Almost immediately, I felt a heavy shock as the chute opened and was again flipped and felt sharp pains in the groin area from the chute harness. What surprised me then was the complete silence. My ripcord was not in my hand, and my flak helmet was gone. I did not see the plane after I left it and I only saw one chute in the air and that was far below me. (I learned, after the war, that Lt. Kivett, the Co-pilot had made a delayed jump and that members of the formation, after returning to base, had reported seeing 10 parachutes leave the plane and that the plane blew up in the air).
I approached the ground in an area of open fields and saw four men running across the ground toward the area where I would land. Two were armed, one with a rifle and one with a pistol. One shot was fired at me with the rifle while I was still in the air. I approached the ground very fast and there was a slight breeze blowing and when I hit the ground I was toppled over backward by the pull of the chute. Another shot was fired at me and struck near me as I lay on the ground. I scrambled to my feet and raised my arms in the air. At that point, the men were about 20 yards from me.
None of the men were in uniform. An older man, about 60-65, carried a Luger which was pushed into my body a number of times. (As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t necessary, I was completely subdued, but I guess it made him feel better.) I could not speak German and my captors could not speak English, so there was no conversation and, although they maintained a threatening attitude, there was nothing done to physically harm me. I was searched for a weapon. I did not carry a gun.
In a very short time, an open bed truck arrived driven by a young man in a brown uniform, there was a young woman with him. He was not unfriendly, and took charge of my person. My leather jacket, flying coveralls and shirt were removed, as was my scarf which, strangely, was returned to me. I was placed in the front of the truck between the young man and the young woman. My hands were not tied. They were friendly and tried conversation which was not possible. Three of my captors climbed into the back of the truck. I did not know where they were taking me, but most of my fear had disappeared. I was wearing a silver ring, made from an Australian coin, which I removed and gave to the young woman. I gave my scarf to the driver.
I was taken a short distance, perhaps one or two miles, to a small town and taken into a small building and placed in a room. I was locked in this room which was very clean, contained a wood table and chair, was well lighted, but had no windows. The door was equipped with a small glass pane. I never saw my captors again. I was kept in this room for some period of time where I was the object of much curiosity. Many people came to the door to look at me through the glass pane. I was finally taken from the building to a truck, a typical military type vehicle with canvas cover. A large group of civilians was gathered outside and one very old woman started throwing rocks at me.
I was placed in the back of the truck with two other captured American airmen, both of whom appeared badly injured, and an older German guard in grey uniform armed with a rifle. I did not know the other American prisoners and was not allowed to talk to them. We were taken to what I assume was a Luftwaffe base or training facility and was placed in a cell containing two cots, a barred window high in the wall, and a barred window in the door. (I did not see the other two prisoners after arrival at this location). After a period of time, the cell door was opened and the radio operator from my crew, T/Sgt. D.R. Clarke, was brought into the cell and the door was again closed and locked. He was not injured. There was no restriction as to conversation and, of course, we were very glad to see each other. We did not know what had happened to the rest of the crew. We were given boiled potatoes to eat.
The following morning, we were separated when taken from the cell and I was left in a corridor with a group of young German soldiers in Luftwaffe uniform who appeared to be about my own age (22 years) or younger. They were friendly and tried to converse with me, but the language barrier presented a problem. After a short period of time, I was taken down a stairway to a lower level in the building and into a room where the contents of my “escape kit” were spread out on a table. I was asked a few questions about the contents (I don’t recall the questions) and then taken back up the stairway and through a doorway to the outside of the building.
A German Officer in a black uniform approached me and said, “Sprechen zie Deutsch?” and I answered “Nein”. He knocked me to the ground and walked away. I was not injured, but was very surprised. I had not been expecting his reaction. Clarke was brought out of the building and the two of us, along with two armed guards, were taken to a railroad station and placed on a train. We were not tied or physically restricted in any manner except that we were not allowed to speak or gesture to each other. The train was very crowded with some civilians and many soldiers in various uniforms. We did not know our destination. Although it was very obvious that we were prisoners under guard, we were not threatened or bothered by the other passengers. I was very surprised that so little attention was paid to us. As I recall, we arrived at our destination in the late afternoon, May 30, 1944. Frankfurt am Main. We were taken by the guards into the main building which was very crowded with people. The roof of the building was constructed with large sections of glass, much of which was missing or broken. My main concern was the crowd of civilians who recognized us as airmen prisoners and who began to threaten us verbally and with gestures. The two guards, together with other German soldiers already in the building, kept the civilians away from us and walked us through the building to the outside. We still didn’t know where we were being taken and were very apprehensive.
After reaching the outside of the building, we and the guards were taken by public transportation (either a trolley car or a small motor bus) through portions of the city to a large enclosed and guarded area containing buildings of various sizes. I was still not allowed to talk to anyone. I was taken, by a different guard, into one of the buildings which contained many small rooms separated by a long corridore I was taken to a room, told to remove my shoes which were placed on the floor of the corridor, and then locked in the room. The room contained a small metal cot with a thin padded covering and one thin blanket, a single electric light in the ceiling which was left lighted at all times, and a small viewing square of glass in the upper middle of the door. Quite often, someone would look through the viewing panel from the corridor. (I do not specifically remember being given food or water or what toilet facilities were in the same room. My only recollection of the time in that room was a feeling of strong apprehension, trying to sleep, and that the interior was at times very cold and at times very hot, although I could not locate where heat or cold entered the room). I was kept in that room for three nights and two days.
I did not know I was at the “Interrogation Center” until the following day when I was taken from the room to another location and was interrogated by a German officer. His manner was friendly, and he certainly knew that an enlisted man had no military knowledge of great value to him. The interrogation was brief. He asked for my name, rank, serial number, my place and date of birth, my mother’s maiden name, the names and locations of my training bases in the United States, what base I had flown from in England, the Bomb Group and Squadron to which I was assigned, the target on the date I was shot down, had I been shot down by flak or fighters, and had I been captured by civilians or military personnel. I gave him my name, rank, and serial number, my place and date of birth, my mother’s maiden name, and told him I had been shot down by fighters and captured by civilians. I was returned to the cell by a guard.
The next day, I was again taken before the same officer. I was again asked the questions I had not answered the previous day and then asked when the B_29 Bombers were due to arrive in England. I told him I did not know when the B-29s would arrive. At that time, he told me that he knew I had been assigned to the 388th Bomb Group 562nd Squadron. He then dismissed me and I was returned to the cell by a guard. The following day, I was taken from the cell into an open area between buildings where I saw, and was able to talk to, other members of my crew. At this time, none of us knew what had happened to three members of the crew, co-pilot, bombardier, and one of the waist gunners.
We were taken into a building and we were given our German POW identification tags. (It was a metal tag stamped KGF LGR 4 DLW and the number 1963 was stamped on my tag). We were then released into an open compound with many other prisoners, both American and English, and I do remember being given some soup at this time.
That afternoon, we were taken to a staging area, I was told it was near the town of Oberursel. We were given some food and a card board case provided by the Red Cross, it contained a sewing kit and toilet articles. We were also allowed to address and add a few words on a small post card. I filled one out to be sent to my parents, June 3, 1944.
In the early evening, the German guards held a roll call. After roll call we were placed in closed railroad box cars. It was very crowded and the car I was in became even more crowded when two German guards took over about one half of the car forcing the prisoners into the remaining space. A rope was placed across the interior of the car to keep the prisoners in their designated area. (There was one advantage to having the guards in the car. During portions of the journey, during the day, the door in the car was opened which allowed some air circulation. I am quite sure guards were not placed in every car and, although extremely crowded I considered myself fortunate. We were locked in the car for a long period of time before the guards entered and the train started to move. Conditions were not good and, although we knew we were being taken to a prison camp, we did not know where the camp was located or how long we would be kept in the cars. We were told that no conversation between prisoners would be allowed. However, that restriction did not last very long. The guards were older men and appeared to wish that the entire situation did not exist.
Conditions got worse as the journey continued and we lost track of time. The packed living bodies and the smell, along with the inability to see anything but each other and the inside of the car, did nothing to improve the mental or physical condition. One bucket was provided for toilet needs. At one point in time, the guards told us that the invasion had started in France. At another point in time, the train was stopped and we were allowed, a few at a time, to get out of the car and walk around. There were many German soldiers in the vicinity of our train. I asked one of the guards where we were located and he told me we were at Frankfurt on The Oder River. We climbed back into the box cars and the journey continues. Eventually we arrived at Grosstychow, climbed out of the cars, were formed into a column, counted, and then marched a mile or two to the prison camp, Stalag Luft 4. (Officially designated “KRIEGSGEFANGENEN LAGER NO. 4 DER LUFTWAFFE”)
The prison camp was located in Pomerania south of the Baltic Sea between Stettin and Danzig (about 75 miles northeast of Stettin and 19 km southeast of Belgard near the small village of Kiefheide. I arrived at the prison camp June 8, 1944.
We were marched through the German area of the camp, through the main gate, and then through another gate, to the left, into Lager ‘A’ where we were each given two slices of bread and a small amount of sausage which was eaten immediately although it did little to satisfy the hunger. The area was enclosed by a high fence topped with barbed wire and guard towers, equipped with machine guns and search lights were located around the entire perimeter of the camp. (The camp was comprised of forsin Lagers, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’. Each Lager separated from the other by the high barbed wire fences.)
Lager ‘A’, the first section of the camp, completed in early May 1944, was not filled at the time of my arrival. It contained ten barracks, two latrines, two wash houses, a cement lined pool filled with water to be used in case of fire, and a building containing a room for cookling bulk foods and a room called the “Red Cross Room”. Facing into the Lager from the entrance gate, the barracked were located on the left and right sides of the Lager, 5 barracks on each side, with the entrance to the barracks facing a large central open area.
I was assigned to a room in Barracks No. 2, the second barracks on the left. The entrace to the barracks led into a corridor which ran the length of the building with rooms located on either side of the corridor. I was assigned to the last room on the elft at the rear of the barracks. At the extreme rear of the barracks was a small latrine and a small wash room for night use.
The room was entered through a door from the corridor and contained eight wood double decked bunks, each equipped with six wood slats and a large paper sack filled with wood shavings for a mattress. Each man was given two thin blankets. Also in the room was a small round stove with a flat iron tap which was used for heating or individual cooking when fuel was available, a wood table, and a few wood stools. A large window was located in the center of the exterior wall and the bottom of the window was about two feet above floor level. The window could be opened during the day but was closed at night, covered by large wood shutters and locked from the outside.
The camps rules were read to us at the first evening roll call (body count). Particular emphasis was placed on the “Warning Wire”, which circled the interior of the lager approximately 50 feet inside the exterior fence, and use of the windows to enter or leave the rooms. Touching or crossing the warning wire or use of the windows to enter or leave the rooms would result in being shot by a guard.
During daylight hours a few unarmed German soldiers, older men, walked through the Lager and the barracks. Their job was to check for anything that looked suspicious. They tried to give the impression that they could not understand or speak English, but we knew that was not ture. (One of the soldiers gained the name of “Grumpy” because with his sad face and his long gray overcoat he looked like the “Grumpy” of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.
Quarters for the German personnel were located outside the fence on the left side of Lager ‘A’ behind barracks 1 through 5.
Food was the main concern. Although no one died of starvation, also no one maintained their original weight while in the camp. The food consisted of German rations and American, Canadian, and English Red Cross food parcels. German rations consisted of bread, usually one loaf for six or seven men, ersatz coffee, hot water for the instant coffee from the food parcels, potatoes and dehydrated vegetables cooked as a soup or occasionally as a stew with minimum amounts of horsemeat. Very seldom, we were also given small amounts of German ersatz jant and margarine. The food parcels contained such items as corned beef, spam, powdered milk, cheese, cigarettes, instant coffee, and margarine which was almost inedible because it smelled like linseed oil used in the mixture of paint and tasted just like it smelled. The food parcels were issued by the Germans on the basis of one food parcel per “x” number of men and, prior to issue, the food parcels were opened and holes were punched in all of the cans containing food items. (The holes in the cans satisfied the German requirement that food could not be stockpiled for an attempted escape and the perishable items would have to be eaten almost immediately).
Since the parcels were distributed on the basis of one parcel for “x” number of men, this also meant that each item had to be divided by the spoonful or chunk method and, as a result, it was not possible to get much satisfaction from, for example, two bites of corned beef and two small bites of cheese. Believe me, each man was there when the food was divided up to make sure he got his fair share. Because the bread and food parcels were not distributed on a daily basis, each man had to ration his own share or go without for a period of days and it was very difficult for a hungry man to ration his food on a daily basis.
To my knowledge, there was no food stolen in our barracks, although there were rumors of food being stolen from other barracks.
Cigarettes were used as money and the non-smokers used their cigarettes to trade for food from the heavy smokers. More hunger for the heavy smokers. It was also possible at times to exchange cigarettes for other items from some of the guards. This had to be done very secretly and out of sight of the guard towers. One particular item I traded some of my cigarettes for was a packaged compressed block of a substance that became a pea soup when mixed with hot water.
The normal daily routine started with the morning count of the prisoners from each of the barracks. All of the prisoners had to line up in the large central area in groups representing each of the barracks and then the guards would begin their count. (If, on any particular day, the prisoners were feeling frisky, they did their best to mix up the count. Two or three wrong counts would drive the Germans into a frenzy and would result in much screaming and running around until a correct count was reached). After a correct count was reached the German officer would have a few words to say, mainly threats concerning the warning wire, the barracks windows, and anything else he wanted to scream about at that time.
After we were dismissed, we usually returned to the barracks where we ate some bread (and margarine if we could stand the taste) and had a cup of coffee, ersatz or instant for those lucky enough to have some. Then, it we were inclined, we would take a walk around the perimeter of the Lager. (A gathering of prisoners, other than at German initiated formations, caused the tower guards to get excited so, for the most part, the prisoners would not walk in groups of more than two or three). The days were very boring because there was nothing to do. Fortunately, one of the men in our room had managed to arrive at the prison camp with a deck of cards and a few of us used the cards to pass the time. Then, in the afternoon, another walk around the Lager or playing cards took up the time. There were many, however, that just spent their time in their bunks. During the warm weather, it was possible to wash yourself and your clothes, one set, in the wash house, but it had to be a good sunny day so the clothes would dry before the night. There was no hot water for bathing or washing clothes and the well water was extremely cold. Toward the end of the day, we had our evening meal which usually consisted of boiled potatoes and whatever we had left from the food parcels. Then, another body count. At dusk, we were locked in the barracks, the wooden shutters were placed over the windows and lights were turned on in the barracks, a single light bulb in each room and two or three in the corridor, and then the bright search lights were turned on and began to sweep across the empty Lager. At this time, guard dogs were released to roam the inside of the Lager until removed by the guards the following morning. (The floor of the barracks was above ground level and stamping on the floor could produce a lot of barking dogs and screaming guards). The interior lights were turned off after dark.
As time went on, more and more prisoners began to arrive at the camp and those of us who were already at the camp always gathered as close to the fence as possible to see if we knew any of the newcomers. When Lager “A” was filled, the new arrivals were put in Lager “B” and German construction continued on Lagers “C” and “D”. In July 1944, a column of new prisoners from Stalag Luft VI approached the camp and, in sight of the prisoners in Lager “A” the guards made them start running, then turned the dogs on them, and used their bayonets to hurry them along. Many of them were injured in this unnecessary act. This was known as the “Run up the road.”
With the help of the Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. some supplies trickled in -footballs, baseballs, musical instruments, and books. Football games were arranged to help break up the boredom and resulted in some very rough games which seemed to intrigue the guards. They seemed to think we were trying to kill each other. I read every book I could lay my hands on.
Through a "talkative guard", we learned of the unsuccesful attempt to assasinate Hitler. At one point in time, a German soldier-electrician was working on a power pole, located between Lager “A” and Lager “D”, got crossed up with the wires, and was killed. Some very stupid prisoners started cheering and two or three tower guards opened up with their machine guns and sprayed the area. No one was hit, but it could have been a disaster. On another occasion, a German fighter plane came in low across the camp and, for some unknown reason, crashed into the forest and exploded.
In early August, a group of new prisoners approached the camp and I spotted a man I had grown up with and had enlisted in the Army Air Corps with in October 1940. It was Jack Scherr. After completing a tour, fifty one missions out of Italy, he had returned to the United States and after a short time, had volunteered for another tour and had been shot down over Normandy in July. I had not seen him since 1941. It was a strange way to meet an old friend after a period of three years. Another coincidence - there were four of us, all from the same hometown, Highland Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, who were prisoners at Stalag Luft IV - all of German descent - Froelich, Ritter, Scherr, and Weitkamp.
Summer passed and when the cold weather began to arrive, the Germans started rationing compressed coal dust bricks, similar to charcoal to be used for heating in the rooms. The bricks were brought into the Lager by horse drawn wagons and dumped in a huge pile near the cook house building and then one man from each room was given a few bricks which were supposed to last until the next supply was brought into the Lager. There was never enough and it got to the point that bed slats were burned and, when possible lumber was ripped out of the area above the ceilings in the barracks. As a result, the weight of snow caused the roofs of at least two barracks to sag. At this time, a shipment of shoes and U.S. Army overcoats arrived at the camp. Each prisoner received an overcoat, but there were not enough shoes to go around. The shoes I had been wearing when shot down were still on my feet when I was liberated.
As time went on, it became apparent that there was a radio in the camp. In each barrack, each evening, we began to get reports of the progress of the war. We learned of the “Battle of The Bulge” and the initial success of the German Army. We then learned of the Russian advances to the East of us. At times, German newspapers also found their way into the camp, but the war news was distorted for civilian consumption.
When Christmas 1944 arrived, we were given an extra food ration for the day. Christmas Eve was particularly nostalgic. The barracks I was in was adjacent to the German quarters and on that evening, the German soldiers were pouring down the Schnapps and singing their Christmas songs.
In January 1945, the news became more and more encouraging to we prisoners and less and less encouraging for the Germans. As the month progressed, a hectic activity began to develop in the German area and we began to experience more and more surprise inspections by the Germans in the Lager. The inspected rooms were left in a mess with food, clothing, and other belongings dumped together in the middle of the floor. Rumors began to circulate concerning the evacuation of the camp because of the Russian advances. Some of the guards became much more talkative and friendly, while others would holler and scream for no apparent reason.
By the first of February 1945, we knew that the Russians were swiftly advancing and that many German troops were retreating from the East. More and more air traffic, going in both East and West directions, began to appear in the sky slightly north of the camp. Most of this traffic was JU 52 tri-motor aircraft. I do not know whether they were being used to try to reinforce the eastern area or to evacuate personnel. During the nights, we began to hear the sounds of marching men and very much increased activity in the German area. Some of the Germans began to talk of evacuation and even came into our room in the barracks to talk. Their main point of talk was to remind us of how well we had been treated by our captors. Most were very scared of the future. My personal feelings at this time were one of very increased morale because of the way the war was going, but also one of strong apprehension. I, along with the Germans, did not know what the future would be.
On the evening of February 5, 1945, we were told that we would be evacuated the following day and that we would walk out ahead of the Russian advance. We could hear gun fire to the East of us. Activity in the camp became frantic. Although we had few possessions, we had to prepare to carry what we had. I managed to get into the “Red Cross Room” and found some small pieces of rope which I used to make a roll of my blankets so they could be carried across my shoulder. I also got some books, small ones of the paperback variety, which I knew would be valuable as toilet paper.
Prior to February 6, 1945, I was out of the confines of Lager “A” on two occasions. The first time out, I was taken to the German quarters where a German dentist used some cotton to plug a couple of cavities which had exposed the nerve. He explained that he had no other material to use. On the second trip outside, I volunteered as part of a burial detail for a prisoner who had been shot and killed by a guard because he was sitting in the window of one of the barracks. I did not know the man and never learned his name. We took his body out into the forest, dug the grave, and buried him between two large rocks. To my knowledge, there were no escapees from this camp. February 6, 1945 - In the morning, we were marched out of the Lager into the Vonlager where we each got two Red Cross parcels which contained canned food and cigarettes. Now came the first problem: How to march in a column, carrying two relatively heavy boxes even though they contained what was necessary for survival. We were not allowed to stop walking. Some tried to use their blankets to hold their boxes on their backs with pieces of the blanket over each shoulder, or the boxes clutched in their hands in front of their bodies. This didn’t work well. I started ripping a box open and started putting the contents into pockets in my pants and overcoat. Then I dropped cans inside my shirt to be held there by my belt. I even tied pieces of rope around my pants legs at the ankle and dropped cans into the inside of the pants legs. None of this worked well and soon became extremely painful. I finally said the hell with it and dropped out of the straggling column and rolled as many cans inside my blanket as I could and tied the roll with the pieces of rope so it could be carried over my shoulder. The first things thrown away were the two cans of margarine. Having dropped out of the moving group, I naturally ended up much father back in the column than when I had started. I never again saw any of the men that I had been with in the room at Stalag Luft IV. The roads we traveled were more like cow paths than roads, unpaved icy mud, and the walking was not easy. The area began to look like the route of a full retreat. All kinds of items, including cans of food and clothing, littered the area. The first day on the road was very hectic. It began to appear that whoever was directing the column did not really know where we were going. We did not travel in any one direction For any length of time, but did travel in a generaAt other times, we were halted while the guards looked at a map. At the end of the day, after dark, we were locked into barns. One of the guards told me we had walked about fifteen kilometers. I do not know where we were at this time and do not recall having gone through any village. We had been in forests for most of the day. Food was from the Red Cross parcels.
February 7, 1945 - Hot water in the morning for coffee from the Red Cross parcels and then walked twenty five KM to a barn in the vicinity of Stolzenburg.
(Throughout this march, we were usually able to get hot water in the morning for coffee. Usually, at the night stops, at barns, we were given some boiled potatoes. The food situation became drastic when the Red Cross food ran out. We also received a small German ration of bread each three or four days, but it never lasted for the time intended. The distance traveled each day was, at times, taken from posted road signs, but usually I was able to ask a guard how far we had traveled. Since most of the guards were older men or those not fit for front line duty, the walking was not easy for them either. Guards with guard dogs on a leash also traveled with the column and those, on many occasions made life miserable for the walking prisoners by walking the dogs close enough to the prisoners so as to bump their legs as they walked).
February 8, 1945 - Walked 20 KM to vicinity of village of Roman.
February 9, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
February 10, 1945 - Walked 20 KM through Griefenberg to Zirkwitz.
February 11, 1945 - Walked 20 KM to Schwirsen.
February 12, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
February 13, 1945 - Walked 20 KM through Wollin to Pritter.
February 14, 1945 - On this day, things began to get very bad. We walked 40 KM.
It was snowing, the roads were slippery and icy, and the guards were trying to hurry us along. It was extremely cold with the wind blowing. Blankets were used, draped over our heads, to help shield us from the wind and the snow. Late at night, we were bedded down in what must have been a pasture. No food this night and sleep was almost impossible because of the snow on the ground, wet clothing, wet blankets, and the cold. Many were sick.
February 15, 1945 - No hot water or food this morning. We were taken across a body of water on a ferry to Swinemunde and then walked in a southwesterly direction. We walked 20 KM on this date. Location of stop unknown.
February 16, 1945 - By this time, the walking was just a case of plodding along in pure misery. We walked 30 KM. Location of stop unknown.
February 17, 1945 - We walked 20 KM on this date. At one point, we stopped on a paved road east of the city of Anklam where we warmed some water for coffee and four of us split a small can of cheese. We could see the city and there was a lot of air activity over the city, but we could hear no firing or determine the type of aircraft. We stopped near a village named Medow.
February 18, 1945 - Walked 25 KM to Gultz.
February 19, 1945 - Walked 8 KM to Tutzpatz.
February 20, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
February 21, 1945 - Walked 17 KM to an unknown location.
February 22, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
February 23, 1945 - The guards very confused this morning.
After a long delay in the morning, we walked 7 KM and stopped. After much running around, the guards walked us back in the direction we caine, to the same location from which we had started. We walked 14 KM this date.
February 24 through March 1, 1945 - Stayed at the same location.
March 2, 1945 - Walked 20 KM to Schwnstorf.
March 3, 1945 - Walked 30 KM through Waren to an unknown location.
March 4, 1945 - Walked 30 KM through Malchow to Monch Busch.
March 5, 1945 - Walked 15 KM through Karow to Weisin.
March 6, 1945 - Walked 15 KM to Beckendorf.
March 7, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
March 8, 1945 - Walked 15 KM to an unknown location.
March 9, 1945 - Walked 15 KM to Stralendorf.
March 10, 1945 - Walked 10 KM past Parchim to Zieslubbe.
Heavy snow falling and at one point a column of Russian prisoners appeared out of the snow going in the opposite direction. I thought I had it bad, but they were in much worse condition than I was. They were being forced at a half run, had no shoes and no coats, just pants and shirts with rags on their feet. Some were wearing caps. I passed two cigarettes to one of them as they went past.
March 11, 1945 - Stayed at Zieslubbe the same as yesterday.
March 12, 1945 - A German doctor arrived in a car while we were walking and the column was stopped for a check of those having trouble walking. My left ankle was giving me pain and there was an audible cracking in the joint. I, along with about six others, was told to get into a horse drawn wagon and taken about 7KM to a farm near Dambeck where we were quartered in a barn. I have no idea how far I traveled or walked on this date.
March 13 through March 18, 1945 - Stayed at the same location in the barn. Food was fair during this period, but the best meal was boiled potatoes covered with a gravy that we were told was made from the spleen of a horse.
March 19, 1945 - Joined a column of prisoners from Stalag Luft IV and walked 15 KM to Grabow.
March 20, 1945 - Walked 18 KM through Eldena to an unknown location.
March 21, 1945 - Walked 20 KM through Heiddorf, Domitz, and across the Elbe River (E to W) to Damnatz.
March 22, 1945 - Walked 20 KM through Dannenberg to Metzingen.
March 23, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
March 24, 1945 - Walked 20 KM to Himbergen.
March 25, 1945 - Walked 15 KM through Bevenson to Barum.
March 26, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
March 27, 1945 - Stayed at same location.
March 28, 1945 - Guards very nervous. In the late afternoon, we started walking South. After dark we could see a glow in the sky to the West and could hear occasional rumbles of gun fire. Many German troops were on the road. We walked 12 KM to Uelzen where we were locked in boxcars. The train pulled out during the night. We were in the boxcars until the morning of March 30, 1945. During that time the train passed through Salzwedel, Stendal, Wolmirstedt, and crossed the Elbe River (W to E).
(Prior to this date, I was only able to keep track of dates, locations and distances on small scraps of paper and it was impossible to keep any kind of comprehensive record as to what happened on a day to day basis. Memories of those days can only be summed up as continual walking, snow, extreme tiredness, hunger and despair. After this date, I was able to keep a more comprehensive record after having acquired a German ledger book).
Arrived at Altengrabow in a boxcar on the morning of March 30, 1945. We had been on the road fifty one days and finally reached a camp, Stalag 11 A. When we climbed out of the boxcar, we were optimistic and expecting to get some food, a delousing, and maybe a change of clothes. We were marched from the train into the camp which appeared to be a tank repair works and a prison camp combine. Marching through the camp, we could see American, English, French, Russian, Polish, and Indian prisoners and it looked as though the camp was being used as a center point for a mass prisoner evacuation. We marched through the camp to a large enclosure. The place looked full, but they lined us up for a search and started sending us into the enclosure. I had been traveling with men from “C” Lager for a while and our rations had been pretty poor. We received one third loaf of bread and seven and a half pounds of butter for fifty two men on March 28th. Abar and I had eaten ours right away and had been without food since then. When we lined up at the enclosure, some of the men from “D” Lager, who had received food parcels, were eating like mad. Abar and I went around scraping cans and bumming what food we could. We managed to each bum a pack of cigarettes. When we got inside the enclosure, we had to wait while two large tents were put up. Abar and I finally got a spot in the second tent which was later designated as Area 1. We traded a pack of cigarettes to an Indian soldier for a small piece of chocolate. (The Indians had stocks of canned spam which they wouldn’t eat because it was made with pork, but they wouldn’t let anyone else eat it either). We finally got an announcement about rations. The Luftwaffe, who had been guarding us, turned us over to the Wehrmacht and told them we had received rations to last until April 2nd, so it looked like it would be bad for a few more days. The next morning, we were walked out of the enclosure to an area that was loaded with tanks in various stages of repair and were told to gather grass and weeds to be used to make a softer place in the tent. We spent the rest of the day trying to get some food. Very little luck.
On April 1st, we were given two #10 Red Cross food parcels for eleven men. Not much, but it helped. On April 2nd, we received 3/4 of a quart of soup. On April 3rd, we started receiving German rations consisting of 1/6 loaf of bread, 1/13 pound of margarine, one can of soup, and one can of German coffee per man per day. Also, on April 3rd, we received one #10 food parcel per man. The German ration continued until April 12th when we started another camp evacuation. We had heard guns for two days and lots of air activity day and night. Rumor had it that the Americans had taken Magdeburg and were headed our way. They were supposed to be thirty five to forty kilometers west of us.
April 12, 1945 - This morning, at about 8:30 A.M., we were told to pack and prepare to evacuate the camp. Robert L. Abar and I are traveling together and combining our food supplies. The food situation at this time looks good. We received a German ration of 1/6 loaf of bread, 1/25 pound of margarine and 1/20 pound of cheese and a can full of barley soup. We received two Red Cross #10 food parcels for five men and some Argentine and British Red Cross bulk food. The Germans also issued a ration of one loaf of bread and 3/4 pound of margarine which is supposed to last us a minimum of four days. We were still dirty, full of lice, and wearing the same clothes.
We walked out the gate about 3:00 p• M., but were held up there for about an hour. We walked to the northeast for about an hour and then turned southeast. We walked 11 KM to Gorzke and through the town. We then walked 7 KM to Benkin, German troops and equipment were on all of the roads. We bedded down in an open plowed field about 9:00 P.M.
April 13, 1945 - We got up about 6:30 A.M., heated water for coffee and started walking about 8:00 A.M. We walked 4 KM to Lubnitz and 6 KM to Belzig. Belzig was in quite an uproar with German troops and Volkstrum all over the place. Autobahn #102 runs through Beizig and a sign showed 75 KM to Magdeburg. The front is east of Magdeburg and a Polish girl told us that the front was 28 KM west of us. German civilians told us that President Roosevelt had died. We walked 8 KM from Beizig to Dahnsdorf and were bedded down in barns. Benny, Ed, and Frank are with us. Benny had a good pile of raw potatoes for us.
April 14, 1945 - Abar and I got up this morning, ate some food and had a can of coffee. The two of us were slow in getting started and our group had left, so we left without guards and walked at a fast clip for about 2 KM until we caught up with Benny, Ed, and Frank. After we caught up, the whole group stood around until about 9:00 A.M. We walked 5 KM from Dahnsdorf to Niemegk and then 6 KM to Zeuden. During a break, we boiled a can full of potatoes that we had peeled while walking. Then we walked 4 KM to Marzahna, 5 KM to Schonefeld. Our group was put in a barn belonging to the local Burgomeister. We had plenty of hot water and managed to get 275 pounds of potatoes from the owner for 210 men. This afternoon, I got rid of as many lice as I could. This was a good day for walking and I wasn’t too tired at the end of the day.
April 15, 1945 - Started walking about 8:00 A.M. and walked 2 KM to Kurslipsdorf, had a ten minute break, and walked 3 KM to Blonsdorf. We are walking in a S/E direction. (When we come to these villages, the civilians are usually indoors, but I guess the sight of prisoners walking through is supposed to be good for their morale). We walked 1 KM to Seehausen and then 5 KM to Mellnitz. We walked about half way to the next village and stopped. As soon as we stopped, we got a fire going and boiled some potatoes. The next town was Seyda which is 4 KM from Mellnitz. Then we walked 3 KM to Littchenseyda and 1 KM to Gentha. We were supposed to stop at Gentha, but there was no room for us, so we were told we would have to walk 4KM to Ruhlsdorf. When we got there, it was the same thing and we walked 1 KM to Rehain. We arrived about 5:00 P.M. and were broken up into small groups. Ed, Benny, Frank, Abar, and I went with a group of 130 men. When we got to a barn, Ed was the only one to act as interpreter and general food getter. Since we are quartered at private barns, we haven’t been issued any German rations and have to bargain with the civilians for whatever food we can get. Abar and Benny went to work in the kitchen heating water. The barn was stocked with potatoes, but the Germans knew we would steal them, so a guard was posted on the potato pile. We fixed up a place to sleep in the barn and went out to see what we could find. I started a conversation with a Polish boy (broken English and sign language) and he gave me some salt, two pieces of bread, a hard boiled egg, and a small piece of meat. Abar’s eyes just about popped out when he saw the egg. WE cut it in half and divided the bread and meat. Ed talked the owner out of 175 pounds of potatoes for 6 bars of soap and 25 cigarettes. We had plenty of hot water and the potatoes were boiled in large outside vats. We found a trailer behind the barn which was full of grain and Frank and I each got 4 cans of wheat or whatever it was. Ed talked the lady of the house out of 2 hats full of onions and gave one to Abar and myself.
April 16, 1945 - Abar, Benny, and Ed got up early to get hot water ready for the gang. Frank and I got up about 6:30 A.M. and got all of the packs ready and then had some coffee and potatoes. We lined up in the village and were given some German rations. We had just started to walk out of the village when we heard aircraft and firing. A P47 went very low and tipped his wings as he went over-the column. An ME11O went over at about the same time and we all hit the ground in a ditch alongside the road. A German guard ended up on top of me and whether he was trying to cover me, I am not sure. There were a lot of P47s and P38s in the air. We all thought they were going to straff the town, but they didn’t although, there was a lot of straffing going on. After the straffing stopped, we walked 2 KM to Jessen and could see straffing and dive bombing going on in the distance. Front Jessen, we walked toward Annaburg which was 9 KM away. On the outskirts of Annaburg, we stopped for a break and boiled some grain. After the break, we started to move on, but P47s came over and started hitting a target behind us. The guards held the column where it was and got us off the road. The target, whatever it was, blew up and we could hear some heavy guns to the east. We walked into the center of Annaburg and the column was stopped in place. The town is really in an uproar and a lot of troops are on the move. The fact that the Germans are on the run can be seen by their equipment and the troops themselves. Trucks and other motorized equipment are scarce and most of the troops are traveling on foot or on bicycles. Most of the troops appear to be of the age of 13 to 17 or 40 to 60. A bunch of Frenchman are being evacuated from the town. We expected to walk out of Annaburg, but they turned us around and put us in a building that had been a pottery works where china was made. The five of us got a place on the second floor, but are very crowded. We had some coffee and went to sleep.
April 17, 1945 - Got up about 6:00 A.M. and had coffee. We had a body count about 8:00 A.M. and went back inside. Everybody is tearing things down and making racks and this place really looks like a factory now. We moved to a spot on the ground floor where we had a little more space. We were told to stay out of the pottery area, but we all pilfered the place and are eating out of bowls and drinking out of cups instead of tin cans. The guards don’t mind and even cooperate. Guards lend their bayonets so we can break up wood for a fire. There is a lot of air activity and a lot of straffing going on. The rumors are thick that we could be liberated soon. After dark, we could see gun flashes to the North and East. Had plenty of food today.
April 18, 1945 - We had a body count outside about 8:00 A.M. and the P47s are already out. The P47s straf fed a railroad station about a quarter mile away from us and we understand a lot of the kid soldiers were killed. The rumors are really strong today. They say that Leipzig is encircled and they are even stronger that we are encircled. We got a full Red Cross issue this afternoon and had fried spam with onions as a main dish. Abar and I have plenty of food on hand now.
April 19, 1945 - We are still at the pottery factory and optimism is very high. We can hear artillery fire now. Had a news session tonight and it seems that we are surrounded except for a 50 KM gap to the Southeast. American lines are supposed to be only twenty miles away. We didn’t get a bread ration today, but did get some boiled potatoes. About half of the group got a ration of soup. Morale is high and air activity is intense.
April 20, 1945 - We had a heavy bombing raid this morning on a target about two and a half blocks away. After the bombing, we got orders that we were going to be moved, but probably would not move out until tomorrow. The Russians are on the move and the Germans are really worried. Tonight, one of the guards said he wanted to surrender to the Americans. He said it was his only hope to get home to his wife and children. The rumor tonight is that they will turn us over to the Americans before the Russians can get to us.
April 21, 1945 - This morning we were told we would evacuate Annaburg Today. We received a German ration of 1/7 loaf of bread, 1/5 pound of butter, and 1/15 can of corned beef per man. We left Annaburg about noon and started walking south. Before we left the factory, I got into the German stores and got bayonets and leather belts for the five of us. The town had been evacuated during the night and we were the only ones in the town. It started to rain when we left and I didn’t get the names of villages or the distance between locations. We did pass through Lebrun and Donimitzsch and we crossed the Elbe River (E to W) on a bridge. Before we crossed the bridge, I saw a sign which said Elbefahre. The bridge was mined. When we started out this morning, I felt sure that we were heading for the American lines, but as we continued south, I began to feel they were trying to get us through the rumored 50 KM gap. We walked about 6 KM out of Dommitzsch to Dahlenberg and then about 1 KM to a bivoac in the woods. We are mixed with Indian, French, and English prisoners. When we stopped, the five of us cooked up a soup and a can of coffee and went to sleep. We walked about 23 KM today.
April 22, 1945 - We got up about 6:00 A. M., cooked up some soup and coffee and then moved out. We walked through Dahlenberg to Trossin and about 1 KM beyond to a barn. It started raining and the wind started to blow. The rain turned to hail and it really got cold. We are now split off from the Indian, French, and English prisoners. Rumor has it that we will be kept in the barn until the war is over. when we got into the barn, we found it was stocked with potatoes and we didn’t have to steal them. We got a comfortable spot in the hayloft. Today we were given 1/10 loaf of bread per man. The German guards seem happy as hell to please us. We could hear only a few guns today. We have had plenty to eat and are all optimistic.
April 23, 1945 - No travel today. Received another German ration of 1 loaf of bread for 15 men.
April 24, 1945 - Woke up early this morning and heard gun fire in the East. Saw three tanks which must have been Russian. They fired at some buildings in the distance and then turned away. Got orders to move out by 11:30 A.M., but didn’t get on the road until about 1:30 P.M. We walked to the edge of Trossin and were given another ration of 1 loaf of bread for 15 men. I am sick and have diarrhea bad. We walked 2 KM to Snubnitz and then 2 KM to Falkenberg. We have been told we are definitely walking to the American lines. Distance to Americans unknown. We walked 5 1/2 KM to Kossa. I had fallen to the rear of the column because of the sickness and was straggling behind the column when I walked into Kossa and came up on some German troops that appeared to be Turks. They told me we were being taken to the Americans and that there had been no firing in the area for four days and that we were 16 KM from the Americans. A German Sergeant asked me if the war was over. I told him I didn’t know. At the other side of Kossa was a large open area criss crossed with trenches occupied with young German soldiers standing in the trenches. They all waved to us and kept yelling that we were going home. We walked 1 KM to Durchwehna and then 3 KM to Sollichau. After we left Sollichau, it turned into a wild race, first in one direction and then in another, at one time on a road, and then on cart tracks through a forest. German civilian possessions all over the place. I kept falling behind the column and then having to hurry to catch up. We were on the move until about midnight and completely worn out. After this day, the morale has gone to piecese According to road signs, we traveled 26 KM, but with all the changes in direction, it was more like 35 KM. We ended up in Krina, 13 KM from Sollichau.
April 25, 1945 - Slept very late this morning. We had hoped to move on, but we were kept in Krina. Saw some P51 fighters flying over and one L5 dropping surrender leaflets for the Germans. Spent the day sitting in the sun and popping lice. Now the rumor is that tomorrow, we will go to the American lines, but after yesterday, nobody believes it. There is a young German Sergeant with the guards now and we kept asking him to give us his pistol. He just shakes his head and says he will surrender his weapon when he reaches the American troops. I don’t know what happened to him.
April 26, 1945 - This morning, we got the word that we would move out at noon. We all just stood around waiting to move and talking about what it would be like to be liberated. The guards were just standing in a group and paying no attention to us. One did say he was glad the war was over and wanted to surrender to the Americans, but was worried about how he would be treated. These guards that are with us now are mostly old men and have treated us well. When we did move out, we walked 3 KM to Plodda and then 7 KM to Schlaitz. By this time, there was no resemblance of an orderly column and the guards had been disarmed. Abar had a rifle he had taken from a guard and he threw it into a small lake in the town. There were no civilians to be seen in the town, but we did see a few old women on the road. In the afternoon, we crossed a small stream where a bridge had been blown and on the other side were members of the 104th Infantry Division. I think this was the happiest moment of my life. German troops had been surrendering at this point and there were huge piles of weapons of all types along with helmets, binoculars, mess kits, etc. We were told to help ourselves to anything we wanted, but it was difficult to walk as it was without taking on additional weight to carry. We were told to continue on the road to Bitterfeld which was 8 KM from Schlaitz. We walked into Bitterfeld in the early evening to a 104th Infantry Division camp - no fences, no barbed wire, no guards with rifles or machine guns. It is hard to believe that we are really free. I cried like a baby. There was plenty of food, chocolate, etc. Feelings at this time are hard to describe - relief, joy, etc. We were warned not to eat too much at this time, but few paid attention to the warning.
April 27, 1945 - Got up early this morning and went to the mess tent where Sgt. Black was going crazy trying to get food prepared for his troops as well as the released prisoners. There were piles of fried bacon, scrambled eggs, hot cakes and syrup, fresh white bread, butter, jam, and coffee. Things I had not seen since May 1944, but the rich food, rich for us, produced horrible stomach cramps. After breakfast, we were able to get a good shower, another luxury we had not had since being taken prisoner. (I had not had my clothes entirely off of my body since February 6, was filthy dirty, loaded with lice, and weighed about 90 pounds.) Because of the lice, I had been keeping my head shaved and was a sorry sight. We were doused with a delousing powder and issued new clothing and shoes. Old clothing and blankets were burned. Shortly after noon, we were taken by truck to Halle where we were quartered at what had evidently been a Luftwaffe training base located on the outskirts of the city. For our own good, food was rationed in small portions and we were told to take plenty of vitamin pills.
April 28, 1945 to May 9, 1945 - Stayed at Halle during this period of time. We went into the city a couple of times, but for the most part, stayed in the vicinity of our quarters.
May 10, 1945 - This morning, we were taken by truck to a makeshift airfield at Merseberg and then flown out by C47 to an airfield located about 2 KM from Mourmelon, France.
May 12, 1945 - We were taken from the airfield to the railroad station at Reims, France and at night boarded a train. (No boxcars and no guards!)
From this point, I kept no record of dates or locations on a daily basis.
We were on the train until we reached St. Valerie, France, near the sea coast, and were then taken by truck to a large assembly camp for ex-prisoners of war located near Le Havre and named Camp Lucky Strike. We expected to be sent to the United States within a few days, but that didn’t happen. Most of us were in fair to good physical condition, but it soon became apparent that we weren’t going to be sent home until we regained some lost weight. My only problem was a swelling in the leg joints which I was told was caused by malnutrition. I don’t know the date that we went aboard a ship at Le Havre and left for the United States.
We arrived in the U.S. on June 21, 1945 and were taken to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. After processing, I went from Camp Patrick Henry, by troop train loaded with ex-prisoners of war, to Camp Beale, California. After further processing, I was given leave papers, hitch-hiked to Oakland, took a civilian train to Los Angeles, and arrived home in early July, 1945.
