Prisoners of War - General

[morse1001]

This thread concerns all matters POW, from persoanl expereinces and anecdotes to reprints of material.

[Owen]

Liberation of POWs in Bremen, April 1945 by 43rd Wessex Division .
From Divisional History page 264.

The fighting had released thousands of labourers from Eastern Europe and Russian prisoners, who broke loose and fell without restraint on the large stores of liquor in the town. Their behaviour, especially that of the Russians, can only be described as adominable. Brutal treatment by the Germans had reduced them below the level of beasts, but it is doubtful whether they ever had far to fall. Some even drank themselves to death on the commercial spirit in the docks. Fighting, rape and open murder broke out, and our troops had to intervene. None had any idea of sanitary discipline, and their huts and surroundings had reached a stage of human degradation and filth beyond the conception of any Western European.

A happier scene is told on page 266, May 1945.

The (214) Brigade withdrew into reserve around a newly liberated merchant-navy prisoner-of-war camp at Westertimke. The scene here was vividly reminiscent of the London docks. Thousands of the Empire's seamen, English, Scottish, Welsh, Lascars, West Indians and Chinese roamed the countryside in high spirits and unchecked. The Germans had never even shaken their morale. An elaborate system of barter with the local farmers had flourished. There were over twenty concealed wireless sets. Captain Nottman, the senior British officer, had been throughout the real fountain of authority in the camp. The German's attempts to seduce the Lascars from their allegience had been an ignominious failure. The whole spirit of the Royal Merchant navy breathed in a very dark West Indian fireman, who, wearing a bowler hat and smoking a cigar, cycled around in a somewhat intoxicated condition. On meeting an officer he raised his bowler hat and promptly fell of the bicycle. Not in the least disconcerted, he solemnly replaced his bowler, and with the remark "We British always win." continued on his carefree and erratic way.

[spidge]

The whole spirit of the Royal Merchant navy breathed in a very dark West Indian fireman, who, wearing a bowler hat and smoking a cigar, cycled around in a somewhat intoxicated condition. On meeting an officer he raised his bowler hat and promptly fell of the bicycle. Not in the least disconcerted, he solemnly replaced his bowler, and with the remark "We British always win." continued on his carefree and erratic way.

Reminded me of Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.