Canadian Prisoner of War Diary

[George Wilkinson]

September/ October brought news that Betty had married someone else. Sgt Stephenson played it down in his letters home, but it must have been a hard knock.
" So Betty is Mrs. So & So now, it came damn close to being Stephenson (note my ego). It's Sunday today and raining like hell. the weather suits my spirits..........."

A letter to a friend dated Sept 7/42 talked of his cheating death. "
For one horrible moment when I bailed out in my chute, I didn't think it would open as it took longer than usual and when it did I almost landed on top of a farm house. Boy the German farmer was surprised to see me drop out of the blue. I bailed out at 800 ft which doesn't give you much margin for landing in one piece, my landing place was a bunch of vegetables".......

Sgt Stephenson's jump that night gave him entrance into the "Caterpillar" club. This club has been discussed in this form before. Jim tells me his fathers medal has the Ruby eyes denoting a jump from a burning aircraft.

June 21/43 brought this letter;
"I am all settled in my new abode Stalag Luft 6; there are only fifty to a room here which gives considerable more privacy than my previous three camps (Dulag Luft-- Stalag VlllB -- Stalag Luft lll), also all Red Cross parcels are cooked by the cook house staff, which saves us messing about like a lot of old hens, although it did give us something to occupy our time. The sports field when utilized will be a welcome improvement, this one being a grass field, where the other was very fine dust..... Betty was my only matrimonial aim, so such thoughts of marriage will be put in moth balls and put away for a few years....."

Sgt Stephenson's diary picks up again in July of 44. The letters up to this point are mainly of a personal nature and do not give much information.

[Slipdigit]

Did Mr Stephenson ever marry?

[George Wilkinson]

Yes he did and his wife is still quite alive. Here is a picture of the Sgt shortly before he died at 71 yrs old.

[Slipdigit]

She must be a precious lady. Extend to her my thanks for letting you post his diary and letters.

I'm looking forward to the remainder of the diary.

[Owen]

George,
Please thank the family for letting you post Sgt Stephenson's diary and letters here.
An excellent thread indeed.

[George Wilkinson]

Jim has taken printed copies of these pages to his Mother to see and she is thrilled to know people are interested in what her husband went through. Your interest and questions will continue to be passed on to the family.
Thank you all.

[George Wilkinson]

#17 July 5/44
It's almost 2-1/2 yrs since I entered anything in the diary; since that time I have traveled pretty extensively over Germany and East Prussia. We arrived at Sagan in May 17/42 and arrived at Heydekrug on the Baltic on June 10/43
Since I last entered anything here, the war has taken strange turns. The Germans were winning in 41, and now the Germans are almost defeated. The Red Army at this moment is 160 miles east of this camp advancing rapidly. Rumor has it that the Germans haven't time to take us out and we will be left to the Russians when they get this far, which means ultimately that we shall probably get back to England in time for the armistice. Other rumors say we shall be taken to the port of Mernal and from there shipped to Sweden; however a fortnight will probably show which way the wind is blowing.

The Russian now have taken Minsk and pushing west of the city. Wilna is ecpected to fall hourly, if it hasn't fallen by now. Wilna is 160 miles away. The camp is very calm but tense, waiting for further events. If they decide to evacuate us the journey shall be hell as only a forced march or cattle truck journey in Germany can be.

[Slipdigit]

Did he ever give a reason why he stopped writing, then started back? Was it just "one of those things"?

[George Wilkinson]

Jeff

Jim thinks his father sunk into a bit of a depression at that point but they never talked about it. He continued to write home, but these letters don't give a true picture because he was well aware of the censorship by the Germans. I have noted that some of the letters from this time showed quite a bit of anger. This is just my opinion reading between the lines.

George

[George Wilkinson]

#18 July 8/44
Just drew my cigarettes out of storage. I have 7000 cigs & 3 lbs tobacco. As I will only be able to carry 1000 cigs in case of a move, I suppose I will have to dispose of the rest some way. 30 Lbs is the most we shall carry. That will include clothes, food & cigs. Oh how we are hoping we won't move, because it's several hundred miles to any place safe from the Russians and to walk that distance with guns at your backs isn't my idea of a picnic, however I believe we shall wake up one morning and find the Germans have left. I hope so anyway.
This afternoon is sports day, have entered the spiral & spoon (any idea what this was?), three legged race & wheelbarrow race.