parade ground, if you didn’t guards went in with dogs to turf you out. He remembered being
stood in rows, all in various states of undress standing in the snow being counted.
In 1945 the Germans started to clear the camp, emptying one hut at a me, two
soldiers to around two hundred prisoners. Most of these guards were in their sixes, then
one night they disappeared. The men split into groups, making their way through villages
and sleeping in haylos. His best mate at this me was a paratrooper called Joe who had
been captured at Pegasus Bridge. They used powdered milk ns as mugs and milked the
cows in the sheds they were staying in. Due to his injuries, Bill couldn’t hold the n so he
and Joe worked together to milk the cows, just a lile bit as they didn’t want to raise
suspicion in the places they were staying. They would swap this milk for cigarees and soap,
then they would give these to the farmer who would in turn give them some food; the
farmers never realised these goods came from the milk of their own cows. One man in their
group who they took a dislike to as he thought he knew everything, wanted in on the acon.
Bill told him that to get milk from the cow, you placed the mug underneath and pump the
tail. Needless to say the cow was not impressed, and the man didn’t bother them again.
One night without warning there was lots of noise and commoon, Americans had arrived in
the village, and they called out to the group that it was safe to come out. They were given
details of a place to stay for a few nights, they could get a bath and a bed while waing to
be picked up. Billeted with an old couple, Bill used to get things from the American version
of the NAAFI to give to the couple, chocolate etc. Eventually they were placed in DUKWs
and driven to an aireld. Aer waing for ve days a Dakota took them to Reims, this was
the day the Germans signed the uncondional surrender. From there as part of the
repatriaon Operaon EXODUS they transferred on to a Lancaster. Aer a while an airman
asked if they would like to see the white clis of Dover, he opened a hatch and upon seeing
the clis Bill started to cry; he didn’t stop unl they had landed.
As they climbed down the ladder an ATS lady blew de-lousing powder up his trouser
legs and the sleeves of his shirt. It was VE Day but instead of celebrang, they were locked
in dormitories with only a cup of tea. They were then moved to Guildford where they
showered and were given new clothes, Bill even got a trilby. In September 1945 he was
ocially discharged from the army on medical grounds, due to the missing ngers.
Like so many that served and saw awful things, Bill never really spoke about his
service. Indeed, it wasn’t unl his death and the discovery of a leer that the details of his
nal acon came to light. This account was put together from that leer and several months
of research, it is important that these stories are told and kept alive so that future
generaons can know what ordinary men like Bill sacriced to quell the Nazi menace in the
Second World War.
L i f e s t o r y P 7