INSIDE GERMANY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23261, 24 July 1945, Page 4

INSIDE GERMANY

.. -■ sled By Fear Impressions Of Former Prisoner ■J ;sni surr the rut! of the war , ; Oe'iuzn people as ii v.as to the ■■i. i-s. Tbrv were ruled bv fear of (!:e C : - .ijt • a.’ul the SS,” said I’ri- ! va’.e 1.. Delury, v.ii > returned to i Timaru Last \tv-I-. alter being a i pris-Hur of war for four years. ' iVi . v. pb ; .p. i ;; 11-7 tit ( oipmal or v.t n- Gbimud tn work, said i I'.ivau- .ii. ’ On becoming piisoners |■ , :. .: t : • aduti pnv.tu-s mio three I ilit’se to d » light I V.:, : : ;.<! ’ !.-r V.‘.V> ■ -/.’.id W r >ik OIIIV 111 .. j> ii I tax ,i. . been vvoundI ru v i •;> : i Crc e h= - vvm in lhe last - ’ n: mr-d c : His : r.-’ .mb was in a | <.> i .. v iicif ilu-v prepared it : ! !■ r < Ir-wim.! proposes only. | A‘’ i. v.r.d'.r sunrrvisimi they | v.-ojiu d Hi ( vT.iaiis who treamd them ; i Ifiim. n I-lie < Most ot j 1 ihi m \.. re not m 1. v.iur cl lhe war and ' I wore li.'.'v :;b ui u> aims and objects.. | v. ; < i vv-.c m mbers of the N;- i P..r;*- < r.A for ’he privilei’cs mem)1: t; Ai 1.1 idfl ih'.TC VVCIC

t-.is. but. lhe -• ano ti'.c (icsiapo d-'por’ed lhe members to c nc-niralion camps. Ii wus ra>;- t > flarler lhe German civilians vviai then became confidential. :Ta r ■ was im (iifTicuity m exchanging with th-.m goods or food. The cotlee Wl'.l'!> 1!'. jTd (TOSS paiCOlS WHS .alter by the Germans, who *A('nd 'er aimost anything for it. In ihr. way th ■ working prisoners were a hie ig :;;;ipi('in?!it their meagre ration of food. responsible Jobs In his nev. job Private Dclury was in charge rrc.rs m lhe More part oi a bool lac’.my. !i was amazing, he said, i du* number of prisoners who were given ,m ■ In his case he was i able io ; bu.e Hie privilege by bartering l si ores I ; r anyihrng he required. There ' wi re in; ny biacK mark.'is. many oi I which vo re conirolied by French pns- ■ onus in places of trust. Everything the .Germans pG.-.se.s,>ed was fair game for | i lb.<- prisoifcrs and they became kleptoI m..ii.a(ii! a short time. Most, prisoners ii.ul a working knowled'?* of the Ger- , m.m iuu.'mage. and most of the civilians I vverc i to teach ii. The Scottish' ir.c p*. >p .1; Hie best German, and the , N: a Zealanders Hu* worst. i lor the working prisoner ti r « was I tolerable. Any sort of work that lied i ven a modicum of interest, was very : vvek eme. Those of corporal rank and above would not offer to work as they I 1 lell H’.ai by so dome they would to some < ; exicni be collaboraHng with the enemy, j . Hr.-! v.a: a ’i-ad pirn, but it was un-; ilcinmru- that lhe international rules ; oi varlan* did not stipulate work of a i nature not va'mabl* to the enemy, as | .i; work could be fund physical and | mental balance. Nc.n-wGikina prisoners filled the main camps, ini! the workers were billeted in ! criiip ; cluse to th-’ir places of employmen’. In liis cam;), said Private Delurv, Hun were G'i inmates comprising New i Zealanders. Australians. Canadians and troops from Hri’ain. In Hu* main they fared ;ai: ly Gl. as mo.-.: of them found ! ;:<• .. io bl;u I: nuukels. The guards ; could be bribed with cigarettes, and llu v would cGiivcni: ntlv look Hu* other w.-y when lhe canm regulations were . bein'?, broken lhe Germans believed in i cuhe- iive punishment, and any transi giession of camp rules by an individual , mean’ pin-pricking restri- iions for everybody such as turning off the lights j ai 7 p.m. and leaving everyone in darki ness to gel to bed or ordering all pris- , j oners io si and by their beds for in;specHon about 2 a.m. Starvation Diet I Having been wounded when in Crete. ; Private Delurv was made prisoner and i transferred bv plane to Alliens to the [ ['ifth Australian General Hospital ! which was staffed by Allied doctors, but I controlled by the Germans. There ; oca an the mos; harrowing six months 'of his hi'-. A starvation diet of half-a-slice of bread and a cup of mint tea . for brc-.d:fas>. a plate of soup for lunch and ha!f-a-slice of bread for tea afflicted i -'a-m with an uv; rwhelming feeling i I l-unx! r. ibe first Red Cross parcel arrived a iter six m .ii.li.*.' interment. In ‘the iir.-i in-- ; nee one parcel was mv:d(d belv.rm two meo.. bur after that 1 told Ih.'t ihev would receive weekly ’ parcels m (■ermany. but they tnought ;th ii was a joke. No one oilier than j prisoners will ever know what the Red : Cross parcels nicer.! to Hmm. The six I mouths in Alliens was heli. From I At liens lie was transp-jried to Salonika in an Tuiliaii ho.spiial ship which provided cooked food and goad trea'ment. On arrivel in Germany he was classified : mr w- r' ns purposes, and ’here began ! ins tliii d-a-half years’ internment, i I their v.crk Huy wore paid in prison I in-'-. v :.i:ii could be used only i wi'l’.in ilie camp and n-ali.v had little I value, i oier this prm iico was disconi lima-.I m:d German marks were subst’’uu d I itile could be done with this niont-y as bmier was more acceptable to Hie Germans. ! In the main camns for non-working I p. <;iu- Hie re-mia t ions were more 'rima ’.-’an Hu-v were m workers’ camps. I Tlii v did not have th" same opportunity ■ to suppL'-muit iluir food rations as lhe ! v.erkiri’. mi-'me!>, Smnmina up. Pri- , Vale is-! I ,«n ;.!id Him they had all been rer-oiu ik (; to their fate and worked and ; livi d mr Ju- d.iv when they would be ire;- (■. -rni.tii pronaganda was active io (;::ims but uobodv was misled bv it AO' i ; Germai: victory was won ilu* ' ' .were oni-' mo pleased to ui u;-ie ilu- news When Sine.apore •ma H' Ih'ir.- I'-il the’, ihoucli'. that 'lv- I ' -..- was lhe Germans' idea of a ’V/ell. here we are. and now lor us comes lie job of rehabilitation.” he