Captured: A WW II Experience of Air Force P.O.W.S in Germany by Matheis Richard A

Author:Matheis, Richard A. [Matheis, Richard A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781624884962
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2012-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

So much for recollections. Time to experience my first night in Stalag I, my temporary home away from home.

Second in Command of the 453rd Bomber Group

After we returned from our third bombing mission (Haur, Germany) July, 1944.

Chapter 5

Life in Captivity

The first night seemed so unreal. At sundown all windows were covered with the closing of the outside shutters and then secured in place with bars. Doors at both ends of the barracks also were secured by outside bars. Light inside was provided by a few bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Both long sides of the room were lined with eleven double bunks. A pot belly cast iron stove dominated the center of the room with tables on either side. Conversation and smoking prevailed and slowly dwindled till the last light was extinguished. Very depressing indeed.

Sleep was interrupted before 6 a.m. with a raspy German voice shouting, “Raus!” - meaning up and out. Roll call time. Dick Grant had warned me of this unwelcome early morning sound.

The room was filled immediately with grunts and groans as my new found roommates slowly dressed and staggered around. The more addicted lit up their first cigarettes of the day. They lazily filed out the front door and lined up for the head count. The guards wanted to be certain none of their “boys” disappeared overnight. Under normal circumstances nothing should have concerned them. The camp was surrounded with a double barbed wire fence with rolls of barb wire in between. During the night, dogs patrolled the area between the fences. The barracks themselves were elevated high enough that the dogs roaming the areas around the barracks could easily check under the barracks as well.

Having said that, attempts to escape still did occur. More about that later.

At the time of roll call, the commandant and our senior officer, Col. Zemke stood together as commands were announced over the PA system. Normally the words were simply “Attention” and “Dismissed.” In between, the count was accomplished.

I later learned of an event which occurred in early 1944. An escape was executed one evening by means of a tunnel. The next morning, Zemke’s predecessor, Col. Hatcher, called “Attention” but then ordered “At Ease.” The German Commandant was furious. Both orders were repeated many times as everyone was kept in front of their barracks until darkness settled in. The following day Col. Hatcher was shipped away supposedly to another POW camp. The unfortunate part of the incident was that the escapees were later captured. They were returned to our camp and spent 60 days in the “cooler,” a building consisting of a number of solitary confinement cells.

Our return to our rooms for breakfast was, at times, interrupted by the guards sealing off a given building to give it a thorough inspection. They particularly were looking for weapons, radios or anything that would be used to the detriment of our keepers. Waiting to see what, if anything, they might discover, was actually a form of amusement for the Krieges.

The

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.