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George Wilkinson · 30-04-2008, 07:05 PM

#19 JULY 20/44
July 20th finds me at Stalag 357 ar Torun Poland. In some aspects the journey was not as bad as expected. The Americans went off from Luft 6 first, then L Lager with A&B blocks of our A Lager. We think C&D blocks made up the last party. My pack weighed 140 lbs and to this day I don't know how I ever managed to lug it here. The first march was 6 km, about 4-1/2 miles, but I was very lucky getting one of my kit bags on the cook house wagon. When we reached Heydekrug we were put in a field surrounded by German guards, with field bbayonets. Finally we were put in cattle trucks on the train and our baggage stored in a separate car. Now to describe how we traveled. The box car was divided into two parts with a separate compartment in the center 8ft by 6 for the guards. We were placed 17 men behind a barbed wire enclosure on either side of the central entrance. That is 17 prisoners in each end with six guards in the center. We were so cramped up in our little enclosure that all the feet were on top of one another in the center where they met as we lay down, which was almost impossible to do as your back scraped up and down the board at out backs all night long. It was a fight to keep your feet and legs on top of the heap. It sure was terrible but very amusing now as I look back on it. To make matters worse, it was very hot and the place stank of sweaty bodies. However all things come to an end sometime and about 36 hrs later we arrived at Torun.
Now the worst part of the journey commences. To make matters miserable, it was raining and we had to force march 8 km and I didn't have a cook house wagon to carry one of my kit bags in. How I ever got to the camp I don't know. The 140 lbs just about paralyzed every muscle in my body, but as my kit contained food, I struggled on. I'll assure you it was more will power than strength, also the rain mixed with sweat pouring off me was very uncomfortable, however that six miles came to an end and I can lay back in my pit at Torun and laugh it off and the food from my pack is stored on a shelf next to where I write this.

30-04-2008, 07:05 PM	#51 (permalink)
George Wilkinson Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Burlington Ontario Posts: 63	#19 JULY 20/44 July 20th finds me at Stalag 357 ar Torun Poland. In some aspects the journey was not as bad as expected. The Americans went off from Luft 6 first, then L Lager with A&B blocks of our A Lager. We think C&D blocks made up the last party. My pack weighed 140 lbs and to this day I don't know how I ever managed to lug it here. The first march was 6 km, about 4-1/2 miles, but I was very lucky getting one of my kit bags on the cook house wagon. When we reached Heydekrug we were put in a field surrounded by German guards, with field bbayonets. Finally we were put in cattle trucks on the train and our baggage stored in a separate car. Now to describe how we traveled. The box car was divided into two parts with a separate compartment in the center 8ft by 6 for the guards. We were placed 17 men behind a barbed wire enclosure on either side of the central entrance. That is 17 prisoners in each end with six guards in the center. We were so cramped up in our little enclosure that all the feet were on top of one another in the center where they met as we lay down, which was almost impossible to do as your back scraped up and down the board at out backs all night long. It was a fight to keep your feet and legs on top of the heap. It sure was terrible but very amusing now as I look back on it. To make matters worse, it was very hot and the place stank of sweaty bodies. However all things come to an end sometime and about 36 hrs later we arrived at Torun. Now the worst part of the journey commences. To make matters miserable, it was raining and we had to force march 8 km and I didn't have a cook house wagon to carry one of my kit bags in. How I ever got to the camp I don't know. The 140 lbs just about paralyzed every muscle in my body, but as my kit contained food, I struggled on. I'll assure you it was more will power than strength, also the rain mixed with sweat pouring off me was very uncomfortable, however that six miles came to an end and I can lay back in my pit at Torun and laugh it off and the food from my pack is stored on a shelf next to where I write this.