BRUTAL GERMANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1945, Page 4

BRUTAL GERMANS

PRISONERS BADLY TREATED

An idea of the hardships endured by NeAv Zealand prisoners of war in Ger-. many because of brutal treatment suffered at the hands of the Germans ia contained in a letter received by thai mother of a Wellington soldier recently repatriated to England. "I am in the NeAv Zeland hospital, at Margate at present, but don't expect to stay here long, as my chief trouble! is under-nourishment," the soldierj wrote. "Three months on practically, no grub and a 1500-kilometre march,? through the middle of Avinter did it,,' I go about 8. stone noAV and have tot] stand twice in front of the mirror to; see myself. But am picking up fast. "We started marching on January. 20, with three days' rations. It Avas] | about 16 degrees beloAV zero. All we; could carry were two blankets and our. I 'grub.' Well, they gave us nothing, to eat for eleven days, but we spread; our three days' 'grub' out for about eight days, so the ninth, tenth, and eleventh days were the worst. Then we got a bit of boiled pig; just fat it was, about a quarter of the size of my hand, and a little bit of the Avater it was boiled in. Tavo days later Aye got some spuds—pig spuds, boiled up dirt and all, about a double handful every tAvo days; Aye got spuds like that till the tAventy-first day. Then we got a piece of bread, less than half a pound. In all this time Aye were given nothing to drink. Any attempt to get Avater from pumps, etc., meant being battered with rifle butts. The boys then started to get dysentery and drop by the roadside, but it was better to keep on your feet, for if you dropped the Jerries got stuck in with the butts and set the dogs on you till you staggered on again. "From the fourth Aveek on we got a bit better grub, a little soup a day, and bread—about 300 grams, or about half a pound. Up till iioav I Avas going; good. Later on, we also got an ounce of butter a day. I got diarrhoea later1 on and Avent down and Avas very Aveak, but kept going. We Avere recaptured by Americans at a place called Witten-j gen on April 14, after three months*' travelling all over Poland and GerW many. I spent a Aveek with the Yankg and Avas floAvn to England.

"I Avas going to get another watch, because mine went for a loaf of bread in Germany, but one look at the prices —nix. A shilling cigarette lighter costs' about 7s 6d. Mine Avent in Germany also. I came out of that damned dump with what I stood; up in, and I'd been wearing that for three months without a bath or change. I didn't even have a pair of boots. One boot had the sole coming aAvay from the upper and big holes m the upper. The ether foot had a slipper on it. It also carted a blister that took in alii the heel from ankle to ankle and right under the foot. It is still a bit tender, but has healed up. At one time I got a bit of a fright, because my leg Avas sAVollen up quite a bit and I thought it was poisoned. "You knoAV, we started that march 700-odd British, and six weeks later, there were only 360. After thatthey started to die pretty sudden and we Avere split around in other columns.