Stalag Luft 6

After we got back into the car, he told us we were on our way to a camp either on the border of Lithuania or near the border, and that we would soon be going through the Polish corridor, a territory that was to disappear after this war was over. He also told us that ours was the only car filled with prisoners on this freight train.

Very late at night I thought, I’d been asleep, we came to a stop, and for so long a time nothing happened. Then the door of our car, the one I was leaning against, started to open. I jumped up and two guards grabbed me and two other guys. In English he told us we were to go with them and get food for us all. I was sort of glad, glad to get out of this car if only for a little while. I couldn’t see anything. It was dark and cold, and we were being hurried along railroad tracks.

We didn’t walk too far before we came to a barracks type wooden building. The guards were both very nice guys, no pushing or yelling at us. When they opened the door of the barracks, they tried to take us in with them into a warm, bright room full of German soldiers who were eating and playing cards. We could see them stand up and yell and curse so that one guard went in and the other stood with us outside. I wondered what would I do if we could get away from this guard. What could I do in enemy country, far into it, with no experience and nothing to help me. My compass and money were gone. Everything had been taken away from me. I didn’t wonder long. I just jumped up and down to keep warm, and as it was beginning to snow, I was hoping to get back to the freight train soon. I didn’t want it to leave without me.

We finally got some solid food and water, and the three of us staggering with our heavy load got back to the freight train. Everyone got something. I guess I ate my share; I didn’t even notice what it was, I had been so cold getting the stuff, and I felt utterly depressed and lost.

We traveled all night. I slept all night sitting up leaning against the door. I only wakened when some argument developed because someone was sleeping on top of his neighbor. As soon as they got their anger settled and could breathe again, we all fell asleep again. I guess we all did because I know I did.

We were still traveling when we woke. Some guys used the can we had for water to urinate, and the can was passed to us at the door to pour out at the base of the door. It was effective and relieved us, but it was disgusting.

Late in the morning, possibly after noon, we stopped; and after a while the door opened and we were marched for a couple of miles to the camp where we were to be held as prisoners of war. We wondered if we were in Lithuania or Prussia. Our German-speaking fellow prisoner wasn’t able to find out, and I thought my dreams of Spain were now impossible. I’d never get there from here. I was to find out that this was Stalag Luft 6, still in Prussia but within walking distance of Lithuania. This was a new camp; actually, it was two camps, one for the prisoners of war who were from the British Commonwealth and one for American prisoners of war. Both camps were for prisoners with a rank of sergeants at least. They abided by the Geneva Convention that separated nationalities and did not work sergeants. The camps where privates were held as prisoners, the prisoners worked as laborers.

Entering a new camp was an experience I was to do a couple of more times, each time basically the same, but each succeeding time much more difficult.

The camp we were marched toward had high wire fences and guard towers at the four corners and in the middle of each side. We entered into a small fenced area called a Vor Lager and were lined up at the door still under guard. It was cold, and we had to wait rather long for our turn to go into a building. In this building we were thoroughly searched. I still didn’t lose my old gold signet ring. The only information they wanted was name, rank, serial number, home address, and our mother’s maiden name. I guessed the mother’s maiden name helped with identification and helped identify the Jewish guys. Those of us who still had dog tags hanging around our necks had to show them. Some fellows had lost theirs, and I’m sure the Jewish guys got rid of theirs. After all, the dog tags gave name, serial number, blood type, and religion. We were each given two coarse small blankets. These blankets were made of wood fibre and called Ersatz (German for fake). We were also given a knife, fork, spoon, china cup and bowl.

When about ten of us had been passed and had our blankets and eating equipment, we were taken into the main lager and to a barracks. We were the first group of prisoners to be received in this camp. This camp had ten large barracks. It was a large camp, oblong shaped. The barracks were in the western half of the camp. The eastern half was mostly the parade ground, and at the far end of this half of the camp was our outhouse. It was as big as our barracks with four rows of toilet seats, absolutely no privacy from the guy next to you or across or in back of you.

The barracks were in two rows of five with the fronts facing each other. I imagine they were about 30-foot frontage and about 90 feet long. They were built on posts about 3 feet off the ground. There were double bunks along each side of the barracks, all in an east-west position. There was about 6 feet between the bunks. There was about 30 feet between the facing barracks and about 30 feet from the wire fence, which was about 18 feet high.

I chose an upper bunk and only had my blankets and eating equipment to put up on the bunk. The bunk was made of rough, unfinished wood, and eight bed slats held the mattress which was a straw-filled gunny sack, no pillow. In the center were some tables and benches, again of rough, unfinished wood, much like our picnic tables.

In the back of the barracks was a stove of eastern European design. It was table high, about 4 feet wide and 6 to 8 feet long. At the western end of the north side of the stove was the fire box and on the eastern end the chimney. The heat and the smoke from the firebox went through this table-like stove and up the chimney, which made the stove warm and gave off some heat but not enough for this big barracks. On the northwest corner of this barracks was a small room where a huge garbage can was located. At the far western end of the camp was the cook house barracks which would prepare the one meal a day that we received from the Germans.

A German officer came into the barracks after all the guys from the freight train had been processed. We had each been given a tag with a number. Mine was 1035. He commanded attention, and in perfect English began to talk. We were to pay close attention as he would only state the rules of the camp once, and they were to be obeyed. We would be allowed to go in and out of our barracks whenever we pleased between the hours of 7 A.M. and 6 P.M. when the doors were unlocked. Guard and guard dogs would be on patrol from 6 P.M. to 7 A.M. He stressed that the dogs were trained to attack.

There was a low wire fence about 12 feet inside the high wire outer fence, which we were never to step over or touch. To do so would immediately cause the guards to open fire from their watch towers, and they would shoot to kill. 

We could expect Red Cross parcels of food as soon as the Red Cross in Geneva learned of our 

whereabouts. Each day we were to elect two of our group to go to the cook house and get the bread in the morning and the stew in the afternoon. Every morning there was a parade, and our barracks would always stand in the same spot 4 deep without talking and, above all, standing still to be counted.

The large garbage can in the small room was our night toilet, just the right position to urinate into. Then two guys each morning had to take turns carrying it to the outside so it could be emptied. It was a heavy and revolting job.

We now had water, and we were able to wash ourselves. The last time I’d washed all over was when I was in jail in Lille, France.

In a very short while we all received wonderful things from the Red Cross. We each got a suitcase. This suitcase was made of heavy cardboard and had wonderful things inside. There were two changes of underwear shorts and tops, a razor and blades, a comb, toothbrush, and even two pairs of socks, also a sewing kit. A bunch of jackets arrived. I picked out a nice wool British Air Force uniform jacket. This was wonderful. I could wash again and get out of my heavy winter underwear. It was about time, I’d worn it now over three months. It was stretched out of shape with the seat hanging nearly down to my knees. I threw it away into the pit at the outhouse.

I shaved and cleaned my teeth. After washing my socks, I tried and succeeded in mending them. I had lost my spare pair or had had them taken from me some time ago.

I decided to shave every three or four days to make the blades last and comply with the German order not to grow a beard.

A few days later, wonder of wonders, Red Cross food parcels arrived. Although each man was supposed to get a parcel all to himself, in all the time I was prisoner, this only happened once. We were lucky when we only had to share with one. There were times when as many as eight men shared one parcel.

In these parcels there was a klim can of powdered milk, jar of jelly usually grape, instant coffee, canned meat, canned fruit, cigarettes, and a D bar. This parcel was supposed to last one week and be a supplement to what we got from our German guards.

The D bar was a blessing. It was an inch square cube of chocolate, solid as a rock and supposed to have vitamins in it.

I didn’t smoke so I traded my share of cigarettes always for someone’s share of D bars. At that time almost everyone smoked. When someone received jam other than grape, there was much trading. I never ate more than one D bar in a day when I had them.

Our bread, a particularly sour-tasting bread, our stew from the cook house, the same as we had in prison without the sand, and our Red Cross parcel contents could keep us reasonably well, but we were still always hungry. I was glad that I didn’t have a craving for those damn cigarettes as it gave me more trading ability.

©Joseph H. Harrison 1999