WWII Memoirs

Now we were sent to another camp. We spent three days and four nights on the train boxed up in little "forty or eight box cars" with one can of horse meat for three of us and one loaf of hard bread for each of us. I believe there were sixty POWs in each one of those cars. This was October 9th, 1943. Now on this forced trip we found out what it was like to be a POW. We were not let out at all. Just kept locked up in that little car. And we had to relieve ourselves in the coner of the boxcar. Yes we made a corner to dump in. It was a smelly mess when we arrived at out destination. I was a scared little POW. As the guards were not too gentle with us. I saw one of the POW shot in the leg and we did not have any doctor. He just had to suffer. It was said that some of the POWs broke a hole in the floor of one of the cars and tried to escape. I would not say if this was true or not. I do know that the POW who was shot was not in a boxcar as I was in. Looking out through a crack in our car. I could see what was happening I did not hear the guard say anything. Not even halt.

A new hellhole we guess
On October 12, 1943 we came to STALAG XVII-B I will always remember as I said Columbus discovered America on this day and here we find this dam place. It was the dirtiest place one could ever see. We scrubbed for a week trying to clean the place up. I was in barracks 35a and this was the headquarters of the place. Every time something happened we would be blamed and most of time we were the culprits.

Here is to the krigies of 35 a.
The Germans we would not obey.
They would get mad,
And we would be sad,
This place is hell we would say.

Some krigies of the 35a barrack " guest of Hitler"
Clyde D. Willis Columbia, Mis 39429
Fred L. Small
Harold E. Smith
Albert E.westlake
Frank E. Williams
John D. Williams Sturat, Fla 33494
Wilton A. Wixon Oroville, A 95965
Howard Brickman Lima, oh. 45801
Robert C Graggen Centralia, Wa. 98531
Francis Daly"red" Stoughton, Ma. 02072
Sidney V. Hall Dallas, Tx 75238
Robert B. Lash Utica, Mi. 48087
Anthony Mazzei Blue Point, Ny 11715
Wray V. Mckenzie Downers Grove IL. 60515
Charles Miller Lajolla, Ca. 92037
George H. Orin Sasota, Fl. 33581
Weldon F. Phelps Indian Rock, Fl. 33533
James E. Pratt Boxeman, Mt. 59715
James M. Prehart Floria, Ny . 10921
Earnest R. Raines Breaks, Va 24607
Peter Garvin New York, Ny.
Wm. T. Highsmith Jesup, Ga.
Donald Bevan
Paul Milak Glendora ca. died oct. 21,1981
Joseph J. Pagano
Fred A. Sneed

I remember the Germans would clip our heads every month and send us through the delousing chamber we asked not to have our hair clipped so often or please not to clip at all. So before the next delousing we rubbed sand in our hair and it was not long before the teeth was falling out on their clippers. we tried to explain to the commandant that the boys were just playing football. If they had got sand in their hair it was not that they wanted to it just happened. But then we were asked why all the fellows had cuttyhey in their hair. We tried to say that was the way we wore our hair in the states. Well this dog would not hunt. We were punished any way. For this we had to stay out of our barracks. This was not too bad. As the winter had not started in and we only stayed out one night.

I did not check up on all the boys that were on our raid but I do know they all wound up in good old XVII-B. That was the ones who were not killed in action. Now let me see there was Sgt Morgan S. Freeman he was in barracks 35a, as that was the one I was in. The others were as follow.

T/sgt. J. D. Thompson Sgt. Charles J. Wallas 37a Sgt. M. L. Jones Sgt. J. L. Nash S/sgt. R. J. Dempsey 37a Cpl. G. Heski Sgt. R. Foster S/sgt. R. J. Guenther S/sgt J. J. Duhasor Sgt. L. F. Miller Sgt. J. L. Legan Sgt. B. M. Longsworth T/sgt. Clyde D. Willis 35a

It was put in our heads "before we went on any missions" that it was our duty to escape or try as often as we could. I was pretty well shot up so I just helped to make plans for others to escape. One day while planning some one spoke up and said it would be nice if the lights could be turned off for a few seconds. Well I had to say I would see if that could be done. I looked around and behold the electrical wires that ran from one tower to the other was bare wire. So I suggested that some one who could throw a South American bola could put those lights out. So we fashing one out of bare wire with two weights on the ends. And one of the boys practiced throwing that for about a day until he was real good. Then one night he threw it to wrap around the electrical wires. Which threw the breaker if there were one. We did have darkness.

The Germans said that one of their guards was injured. They question every one and no one knew anything. They found out that it was my idea thought that I did the job. I had to make a trip to the Honey Pit. Yes I was the one who suggested this so I took the blame. It was not too bad little did they know I was a country boy and I have waded in the wet cow lot quiet a few times. No I did not like this and I got very sick. I bet I puked enough to nearly fill up that honey pit. It took a long time and a lot of washing before I could get the smell off. Yes I will say that I was taken to the shower after that and I stayed as long as I needed to. I washed with clothing and all. When taken back to the barracks the guys all yelled "stay out of here". It was about as bad as one day the Germans brought some Limber Cheese. That was a bad smell so we dumped it in the Honey Pit. Well I said as long as needed to, it was until the guards though I had cleaned up enough so they would not get into trouble. With whom? I don't know but one could say to any of the guards that you were going to put him in your little black book and it seem as if this did worry them. As after a day or so they would ask you if you still had their name in your little black book.

Once there was a German POW guard.
Who though he was the cock of the yard.
But for a little black book,
He though this kriegie took.
All kriegies knew he would take it hard.

I would go down a couple of barracks and see one of the kriegies, S/SGT. Robert J. Dempsey. He was the radio operator on lt. D.V. Wurst's ship # 11799 dr-w. They had to belly land as an 88 shell, knockong the plane out of order, hit their ship. All six of the men surveyed and was captured. Three of them sent to STALAG III and three of them were along with me. We followed about the same route. Along with Sgt.. Dempsey there was Sgt. C.J. Walas. He was on one of the planes that ran into each other. On this plane there were three of the boys that escaped with their lives. All were Sgt walas, Sgt Jones and Sgt Nash. The pilot and co pilot and bombardier were killed. Lt. Wolfe, Lt. Vandergrift and Lt. Burns. While talking to Sgt. Walas he told me the exploded ship just blew them all out. He recalled that and that they were all banged up.

Boys in barrack 35-A
SOME OF THE BOYS I CAN REMEMBER AS OF TODAY. I ONCE HAD A LIST OF ALL THE POWS THAT WAS IN THAT BARRACKS. WE WERE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE WHOLE CAMP. IT SEEM THAT WAY, AS IF ANYTHING WOULD NOT GO RIGHT WE WERE THE FIRST TO BE BLAMED.

My bunkmate was from New York City. He and his wife ran a dog kennel. That is they sold dogs. I could not think of this as I was from the country where we gave away our bitches offspring. His name was Peter Garvin and he was the dirtiest fellow I have ever seen. I painted a streak of lime between he and I on our bunk. This was from a sack of quick lime that one of the POW's stole from the Germans. The Germans used the lime to put in the honey pit to help get rid of the smell. Of course we had the top bunk and he was filled with lice. The other boys asked me why I didn't just tell him to leave or get another bunk. I do think I heard that some of the other POWs got him and gave him a good cleaning. That is they scrubbed the fellow with a brush and soap. This was when I was transferred to a barracks outside of the camp. After I had got my ticket to be repatriated. So he did clean up a little before I left.

There was Harold E. Smith. The one thing I remember about him was he had a buddy who last name was Highsmith. Because he was much older we all clled him "prune face" He was tall while Harold was a short tail gunner. Every time the two would meet Harold would say " Hi Smith " and Highsmith would answer him back with "Lo Smith" I guess this went on for the duration of their stay in STALAG XVII-B. I sometimes wonder if they kept up their friendship after the war was over.

Now there was trader john. I believe his name was John Wlliams from Fla. But we called him trader john. He would take a Red Cross package and go from barracks to barracks holding up a can of milk and say " I have a can of milk I will trade for a cheese bar. Or what else you may have " and when he came back he would some times have two or three Red Cross packages. Speaking of Red Cross packages there was in them some Nescafe, one half-pound cheese, a can of margin (this was cuttiehey and it was like grease) we would burn it to cook with. Some liver paste a small can, some crackers a couple packs of cigarettes chewing gum, hard cocoa bar. Can of Spam and sometimes a surprise. A commody we may would be able to eat.

There was one lad who when he was shot down the Hitler youths got to him before he could be picked up by the Germans. They beat him with sticks until he was just like a baby and the fellow was a large man. We all tried to help him, as we knew the Germans would not. We would talk to him and try to help him do things that to one would seem like play. Like tying his shoes and putting on his closes. I often wondered what became of tinny, that is a nickname we gave him. When I left the camp he seem to be a lot better. It is a shame for one person to beat another untill they were senseless. But those little Hitler Youth did not care I guess it was a game with them.

There was one kriegie who was not in our barracks that would walk around the yard and to the top of his voice he would sing out "if one would call it singing" "way back in the hills as a boy I once wandered" that was as far as he got, over and over he would sing that part of the song. It was a little wearied but one in that place we would do anything to stay in our right minds. If you would call it right. I think that the "wire fever" would get to a person and one would do almost anything to keep their spirits up.

It was fear and fear along that keep us in the compounds. We learned to keep ourselves busy so we would not go nuts, and the nights were hell. As the guards would shoot just to be shooting. The barracks showed holes where shots were fired. We never did know if this would happen again. When we complained we were told some one tried to escape. This was a lie, as we knew when and how each one would escape. Yes some of the time some kriegies would escape at that time I believe I said it before we would get a Russian to take his place. Give the Russian the POWs dog tag and teach him to say the fellow's name. We would also teach him some English. We had three in 35a and we all went out of our way to teach them English.

One dy there were two kriegies that tried to escape and was caught just outside of the fence they were lined up and shot before all of us. HEY was that fair? But one could not say anything as we were in their country. I do believe Livingsworth did complan and so did the Chaplin but that did no good. They left the fellows there for a couple of days just to let us know that they could do what they wanted with us Yes the guys did have a couple of tunnells but I neved did work on any of them. You see I was wounded so bad it was just hard for me to get around. That is one reason I did not try to escape. And that helped me to be repatrated.

Blank spot
It MAY COME BACK TO ME AND I HOPE DOES SOON. HOW MUCH LONGER I HAVE HERE I DO NOT KNOW.
From October around the middle of that month until sometimes in January of 1944 I have a hard time trying to Remember these times. I know I spent them as a POW as in February of 1944 we went before a board of Swiss doctors. I know I should remember what I did on my birthday in 1943 but for the life of me I do not remember what I did. Nor do I remember Christmas of that year. I will go back on my letters and see if I wrote to mother or some one around that time. I do remember that it snowed a lot and I though I would die or something but I did not. I know I would awake in the morning with snow in bed with me. We did not have to go out and work like the privates did. Some times I thought it would be better if we did go out and work. But no! The guards were so mean I just know they would do anything to us. It was bad enough with out going on a work gang. I talked with some POWs who did have to go and work. Some in tunnels and some in the fields and on roads. I think the Germans used this slave labor to take the place of their men who was on the front lines. We do hear a lot about this every now and then when a kriegie talks. Most of the kreigies did not want to talk. It is hard on me to sit here and type and think. I have to stop and go and cry a little, as the tears just won't let me see too well, And some times I have flash back of things that happen in the camp.

Some silly thing happen
THERE WAS A FEW TIMES THAT LIFE WAS NOT SO BAD. SOME FUN AND SOME MEMORIES.

One night the British made a raid on the fighter base that was to the left of our compound. And would you know it I slept through the whole thing. The next morning there was smoke coming from the base and I told the other boys if that happen again I wanted to be awaken. Well in about two days the British made another night raid. I was waken and fell out in the trench with the other POWs. It was hell. You could hear the bombs wising and one did not know if they were going to hit the target or in your back pocket.

One POW just a few feet from me would pray a little and then cuss a little. I know he did not get too far with his prayer. Ever so often or I don't know how long between times the guards would come to a barracks and say to one of the POWs come. They would leave with the guard and that would be the last we saw of them. There was something very funny as the only POWs that were taken out were of the Jews race or had names that sounded like Jewish names. I at one time had a list of some of these names but in the years pass I seem to have lost them. I was called out to go on a doctor's trip to Vienna. and later I found out the other boys though I would not return. And some said I had escaped as I was in the States before the war was over. I have wrote about that trip. "Trip to Vienna Austria"

Does America care what happen in the POW camps?
MY RETURN TO THE STATES AND I THAT I WANTED TO TELL HOW SOME OF THE POWs WERE TREATED.

I did want to tell the Americans about this and at that time I had all of the names but when I returned to the states they acted as if they did not want to know. I though at one time I would be able to tell them, that is the Americans our guys, what I had but they put me in a room and I stayed there for a half of a day. There were no knob on the door and I could not get out. The longer I stayed the madder I got. One reason was I had a date with Peter Garvin's mother and I had promised that I would talk to her. To tell her that her son was OK and that we were bunk mates. No I was not going to tell her how he did not take any baths nor about the lices that were gathered on his side of the bunk I believe I told about painting a strip down the center of the bunk with quick lime.

When they did come in there were four of them dress in suits and they started asking me questions. Like what was is your mothers name? Before she married? Who was my grandmother and grand dad? Where I went to school? And a lot of other dumb things. When they finished I was asked. What did you want to tell us? I stood up and said "not a dam thing". I knew it would not make any difference. Some times a guard would bring a jar and say that the POW tried to escape and he had to be taken care of and here were his remains.

These were placed in barracks 35 a the count would not come out as it should. Because we knew how many of our kriegies would be missing. There were Russians taking their place. We wondered if we were one to go next. When we were deloused we would wonder if they were going to run us through a gas house or not. We did have a little hope that America would not let this be done. But through the grape vine we heard it was done in other camps to POWs. Did any one care about us?

Was this cruel? Or did the Germans had a right to do this.
One day we were put in a compound with nothing but the barbed wire to knock off the cold wind. It snowed and we had to stay out there for three days and two nights. I later found out that was fifty years later they were looking for an escape prisoner. He was called "the grey ghost" as his last name was Grey. He did hide out in a tunnell under our barracks. The movie showed he hid in a water tower but we did not have a water tower but I heard he hid in the tunnell.

There is a story about him and his two Russans friends and that they were never found. My feet got so cold until I did not have any feeling in them. When we returned to the barracks 35 a I tried to get some warm water and some of the other guys picked me up and took me outside and rubbed my feet with Snow. Even with my complaining they keep on until after a while I did get some feeling in them. Thanks to those who knew I am OK with my feet. My toes still have a burning feeling in them and I can’t stand for them to get a little cold. I have ti skeep with my socks on. And it makes walking a little hard for me but thank god I still have my feet. I take care of them by rubbing and cleaning them each night before I go to bed. My toes don't have much of a feeling in them now and they sometimes hurt with a sting and sharp pains. I have had sharp pains in my toes that went up to the center of my legs. And at times I have bad cases of Charlie Horse as we used to call it. The muscles pulling and getting in a cramp.

I have had leg pains that ran from the knee to the top of my foot. It seem, as it was the bone that was just coming out of my leg. These came at the most unfortunate time. Some times while I am driving the car. I would have to stop and pull off of the road just to let the pain go away..

I met several time to plan escapes for others. I was not able to take on any long walks or to do any thing as the hole in my head would put me out sometimes this did help me out when the guards were a little rough. I remember having to kneel on the ground with my hands in the back of my head when I bent over I would black out and then there were no pain. Upon coming around to where I could remember I was sometimes in the barracks or laying on the ground. Some of the other POWs would tell me they though I was dead. But we did plan a few good escapes. We would get a Russian POW to stand in for one of ours. The Germans did not check the Russians. Their compound was next to ours and we noticed that this was not done as we had three lapels ( rollcalls) per day and they checked us very close. There we were all lined up and the guard would walk in front and count . About every time there would be a mistake and he would try over again. This got to be a game the kriegies would play to see if they could get the guard mixed up.

I still believe that this kind of treatment to a person will leave scares on him for the rest of his life. I have been out for fifty some odd years now and I still get the bad feelings. I can not sleep sometimes at night and I just break out in a cold sweat when I hear any one speak German there are some times that I can see or hear them telling me to do this and that. Give some one a rifle and a little authority and they act like mad men. I well remember the times that they would set the dogs loose on us and if you wanted a fellow POW to get out of the was just yell out "dogs". And they would make a beeline for The door or any other way to get out of the way.

I was not so lucky at one time. I was standing close by when the guard let his dog loose and that dog made a jump at me. Yes he went for my neck. I had placed my hands up in front of my face to keep him off. You bet your life I was scared. I had a feeling like some one tossed a large sand bag on me. I felt the hot breath of that dog as he was snapping and barking all the time. I went to the ground and just curled up. That dog got a big piece of my left arm. The guard acted quickly and controlled that beast. Doctor Harry took care of my wounds. Doctor Harry was a pretty good fellow. I learned later that Harry was not his name but it was what we called him. To see about Doctor Harry please click on Doctor Harry.

Russian roulette
THIS WAS THE TIME WE THOUGH WE WOULD SEE A GOOD SHOW.