UNDER THE NAZIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 6

UNDER THE NAZIS

CONDITIONS IN FRANCE

N.Z. AIRMAN'S EXPERIENCES

A vivid picture of life in France after three years' German occupation and four years' war was given in an address to the Wellington Rotary Club today by Flight Lieutenant F. H. Greenaway, of Lower Hutt, who spent some time in France after ;^es"caping from the Germans, and expet|gjped at first hand the renditions about- whl6h he spoke. • "

, "The Germans made every endeavour to drain from France her life-blood," said: Flight Lieutenant Greenaway. "Their system, improved over a period of years until it became as perfect as they could make it, left nothing undone which would assist in the permanent subjugation, of the country. In spite of all the French people could do to counter the enemy, I believe that had the suffering of France under the German jackboot been prolonged for a few more years France's power of recovery would have been reduced very materially. As it,was, there was a noticeable lack of young men and children. The Hun kept millions of French soldiers and civilians in captivity and also shipped thousands to tne Keich each month as foreign workers."

Referring to his own personal experiences, the speaker said that in October, 1943, he was included in a number of squadrons which had been chosen to undertake the demolition, if possible, of Hitler's secret weapon, the flying bomb, now more commonly known as VI, or the "doodle bug." "On the last trip I did we were forced to make a landing on the beach near the mouth of the Somme and both my pilot and myself were taken prisoner. We tried to burn our Mosquito before the Huns arrived but were unsuccessful They kept us closely guarded for the three days I spent with them, but in the yard of the Gare de I'Est I saw an opportunity of giving them the slip. After watching every movement of the four guards for a few. minutes, I saw them look away momentarily, so Dumped off the back of the lorry and ran through the station gates about 20 yards away. They. shouted, but did not fire at me, fortunately. From there I went for a walk, around the streets' because I did not wish,fo-compromise any j Frenchman by; enteririgshjg.house in^ : daylight. After darkv-L went •to a likely-lpoking apartment ■>vhere the wifevand;,husband gave one some food I facilities for shaving, and an old suit loffclothes. '

. "From:then on I headed south, walking by night and sleeping in the daytrme. Nearly all the houses I called at gave me a hearty welcome, but some were frightened of the Gestapo. After just over a week of travelling in that manner, a man took me in and told me that I had to stay with him until ,1 built myself up! He kept me a fortnight and then handed me over to an organisation who eventually conducted me to safety ,in a neutral country There the ever-resourceful British Embassy took care of me and numerous others until we were sent to some nearby British territory; from where wflew to England, after'an absence pf. three months."

TERRIFIC INCREASE IN COSTS. ?Might^Bieutenant Greenaway said that m. France the terrific increase in the cost of goods was felt by everyone, due-to the .well-nigh impossibility of existing on what one could buy in the stores, even if one was "in the know" and was.able to procure additional ration .cards. The price of butter, quite unobtainable otherwise, was about £3 per pound, and so scarce that only #in one house did he see any. Cheese cost 30s a pound, cheap red wine, worth 6d before the war, 3s 9d. The wine obtainable on the ration cost a shilling, but one bottle per week was quite insufficient in view of the lack of coffee, tea, and all other beveridges The only things that could be bought without great cost and difficulty were oysters and mussels, the reason being that Germans do not appreciate them. French cigarettes* even in peacetime, were hot at all popular with British people, but they were luxurious when compared with the wartime variety of 50 per cent, domestic tobacco and 50 per. cent, wood sawdust. Even so they cost 10s for 20 on the marche noir or 7d on the ration.

In most cases the people wore prewar clothing, none bu the collaborators, the very rich, or those whose clothes had. become no longer wearable, having bought anything new for years. In this regard, he mentioned that a good mackintosh would cost £75 and a'pair of men's boots £15. . "With the greater proportion of the population working against them, the Vichy and German authorities had little chance of obtaining any semblance to obedience. I was told on numerous occasions that as soon as a new decree appeared everyone tried to devise ways and means of defeating it by increasing rather than diminishing the abuse the decree was supposed to cure. Under these circumstances, everyone' who could would deal on the black market, ride on public vehicles, and in other ways upset the smooth running of the community/By adding water to wool, one dealer who was agent for the Vichyites and thus the Huns, made thousands of francs' profit for farmers.

"The question of ' transport lay at the foot of many of France's difficulties, and I imagine that even at the present day the lack of coal, petrol, trains, and vehicles results in there being surpluses of goods in some departments and severe shortages in others. As then, so now,. one could find plenty of potatoes in the north, meat and fruit in the centre, wine and olive oil in the south, but Nthe great difference in the situation is that the public can now -afford to buy these things." ;'