Two days later we were captured and imprisoned. I went into a church, and there for the first
time in my life saw an American. He was a Corporal, the same as I was. We sat on the bench and
swapped cigarettes as if we were not enemies at all. And truly said we were not. We were both
Medical Corporals. Two days later we handed over the wounded, and were then led away. We were
then set equal to the rest of the army. There was no difference. We were all prisoners of war,
and the Geneva Convention was not acknowledged. We were all taken off the island to a POW camp
with 10,000 to 15,000 prisoners. We were searched and had to undress, we had to lay everything
out on a stool, such as watches, rings, pocketknives, and everything of value or meaning to us.
The translator told us we would get everything back, but nothing was ever returned. My watch and
everything what I owned was kept by them. When we took prisoners, their property was recorded
and when accredited by witnesses. We were taken to a camp in Belgium where thousands of other
prisoners were. We laid there for three weeks in holes, which we had dug out. This was from
September, 1944 to October, 1944. In October we were shipped to England. We were able to go
England only during the night because of the danger from submarines. In London we were transferred
and went by train to Scotland to POW camp #8. After my arrival, I inquired about work and
was able to help in the sick bay. For Christmas, the prisoners got packages with all sorts of
things in them. We, in the medical unit did not receive anything; we did not even have any
cigarettes for Christmas 1944. The Salvation Army brought us some cigarettes on the next day.
They had a concert for us. We were not yet acknowledged by the Geneva Convention. The situation
was getting stricter because many patrols were moving around. The German camp patrols told us
that Hitler's troops had invaded London and that we would soon be freed. This crazy talk was
wide spread throughout the camp. Those that did not believe in such horseplay or mischief were
punched. I felt very insecure, and knew that such plans were not possible. Because I was an
opposer of Hitler, I was not able to cope with this nonsense and had myself transferred to
another prisoner camp.
During that time, the acknowledgement from Switzerland for my Medical Service arrived and
I received the pay of a Corporal. I was transferred to an Austrian Camp, and while there
on May 5, 1945, the war ended. We heard that Hitler committed suicide. We also heard that
Benesch, the ex-Czech leader, sold Czechoslovakia to the Russians for the price that all
Sudeten Germans must leave Czechoslovakia by force. Only 500,000 tradesmen were to remain.
That agreement was decided in Tehran and Potsdam. The arrangement of the world was then
determined, and in the hands of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. For president Benesch, this
was not fast enough, that is why he went to Russia and sold Czechoslovakia to Russians. In
the view of the allies, the resettlement was to be done as humanely as possible. News came
through that property owned by civilians was abruptly taken away by force, or stolen from them.
This in my opinion was not humane. The Sudeten people had only what they wore on their backs,
and even their rings and watches were taken away from them. The Czechs, with whom we lived
peacefully for hundreds of years, behaved like Hyenas; they enriched themselves from the
Sudeten Germans. We could read in the book from Benesch, that he wanted this already in 1918,
but then ran into objections from the Americans. With help from the Russians, it was possible
for him to set his plan into reality. We heard many bad stories about the expulsion of the
Sudeten Germans. Some of the prisoners in my camp had nervous breakdowns; some of them
stepped over the warning line and got themselves shot. In fact, I actually saw it happen.
I said that the situation was not looking good for us Sudeten Germans, but many did not want
to believe it.
All of a sudden everyone in the camp became opposed to Nationalism (Nazi's). Before then
we were not permitted to say one word against Hitler otherwise we were despised. The
civilians in England had victory festivities; we saw fireworks and heard of the people
having a hoot. There were 10,000 men in the POW camp. One morning when we reported to be
counted, there on the highest tree hung an Austrian flag. We were told that we would not
be discharged or able to leave until the flag was down from the tree. By the afternoon
we were still standing in the same spot. Many fainted and had to be carried away. Towards
the evening the fire department came with a ladder and removed the flag. They extended the
ladder out completely and barely reached the flag. They let the flag fall, and as soon as
it reached the ground it disappeared. A relay race was set up, and the flag disappeared
quickly, that you could barely see where it went. The camp leader and a few others were
locked into the bunker. The camp leader was told that they would not be permitted out
until the flag was presented. The bunker punishment was the most serious penalty in the
POW camp. It was in a basement without food or drink and no light. The next day we all
met by the barrack where the flag was. With the flag in the front of us, we marched to
the English Commander and gave it to him. Our camp leader was set free. It was a very
large camp and the number guards for the camp were increased. After a few weeks we were
transferred to another camp because in their eyes we were not Austrians, even though when
I was born Sudetenland belonged to Austria. That camp had only 6,000 prisoners. The food
was rationed to 1,200 calories per day. They said it was the same rations what the Jew's
got in the concentration camps. We prisoners were very hungry. I requested to do some
work. We were told that we would receive more food that way, and so I was transferred to
another camp.
Every time we came to a new camp we were searched for sharp objects, even though we had no
possibility of getting anything like that. In this camp, there were thousands of
prisoners. There were many officers from the army division with which I had been in
Holland. I met the Captain from my Medical Company. He was also against the Hitler
regime. I was often with him and we spoke about the past; how we saw things before
it happened. He was transferred to the officer's camp. For us, this camp was considered
to be very unpleasant. When we were outside, there were guards with a bayonets ready to
shoot. Our daily ration was still only 1,200 calories. In this camp there were many from
my home area. I met one man from my home town. He got sick and was sent to the sick
bay, and then he was transported to a hospital. From my home, I still had not received any
news, just rumors that it was going very bad. For us prisoners, it was very hard to cope.
Finally the situation of being strictly guarded had stopped. It was arranged that another
medical officer and I were sent to a working group. We had to supervise the handing out
the food portions. According to the Swiss agreement, we were not supposed to do any manual
labor, but a group of 120 men was used to remove barbwire from the seashore. Our job was
to hand out the food.
In the camp a prize was to be given out for the nicest exhibits. So a lot of effort and
work was put into winning the prize. Every nail that we found outside the camp was brought
back. From the nails we made tools that the prisoners could work with. So, evenings and nights,
we worked on the projects, which took weeks. Everything was brought outside and was connected
to the water supply in front of the
barracks. Everyone had a different project. One was nicer than the next. In my barracks
a small water wheel was built, which operated a sawmill. Everything was driven by water.
In another, a pond with a fountain was built. Another had statues of women as mermaids. When the
commander came around to hand out his prize, he could not believe that such things could be
developed without tools. It was whispered that if a German got stranded on an island, the
largest projects could be constructed. Some of the prisoners were tradesmen and technicians
who were able to put everything together, and thereby could get rid of their boredom. The
boredom, and doing nothing, was a major problem with the prisoners, as well as sickness.
Shortly after this, I was taken to another work camp, which was newly built. The work colony
had to sleep in tents, which were very uncomfortable. Another medical rank and I were given
a barrack. We also got a Doctor who had control of the area. There were quite a few sick
beds in the area. There were also showers and baths available. That was the first time we
had a few comforts, though it did not last long and we were put into another work camp.
This camp had barracks and a big sick bay. It was now 2 ½ years since I became a
POW (prisoner of war) and had not heard anything from my family at home, which was
probably better for me. We had good lodging and were able to take small hikes in the
area without being watched, thanks to the head doctor. Some prisoners worked on farms
or in a sugar factory. Those that worked in the factory brought sugar back for us.
The controls when we entered the camp were no longer so strict. There were only a few
camp policemen. Our doctor and the dentist were devoted Nazis and could not understand
that we had lost the war. Through some advice of another person we even built a still
to make schnapps. It was in a storage room with a big oven. A lookout was always in
front of the storage room, and when inspections were made by the commandant we were
warned that they were coming. We then quickly dismantled the still and everything
disappeared. We got another assistant for the doctor, and the other medical helper
was sent to another camp. He was a good friend and worked with me in the sick bay;
we had a lot of freedom. The head Doctor had enabled a lot of this. After a while
the head Doctor met a Corporal from his home. He wanted to have him come to our camp,
which I had seen coming, so I requested to be removed, which was granted. So I came
to the work commando and worked for a farmer. We were picked up everyday and returned
every evening to the camp. Through this work I saw how the bureaucracy and life was
in England. We were able to eat with them at the table. With us was an older Englishman
to whom the farm once belonged. This man never stepped into the house. He only knocked
on the window, whenever he went to get something, which really made us wonder. Later we
realized a worker on a farm in England was not allowed to step into the house of the owner.
He was a second class citizen.
In the prisoner camp we also had a few small episodes. In the barracks where I was, there
was one man, who had difficulty getting up in the morning, when we were to report to be
counted he was carried out with his bed. I got the flu and afterward was not able to work
anymore at the farmer's place. I then worked in the kitchen and did some other work in the
camp. During that time those that had medical service were sent to another camp and were
supposedly released to Germany. My transfer or my name was never on the right list. This
was because of the head Doctor who was involved with this. I then spoke with the camp
translator, and afterward I finally made it onto the list and was transferred to another
camp. In that camp I met a few friends from Sudetenland, who were also doing medical
service. One of them already had been in a POW camp in Egypt in 1942, as well as a
prisoner in America. From America he had been shoved off to England. By then he already
had been a POW for nearly 6 years. When we met we agreed to inquire for work. This was in
the fall of 1946. But then I got sick and my hand got very swollen. I went to a doctor who
said I had "Rotlauf". He asked me if I had ever anything to do with pork, which was the case.
In the previous camp I had worked in the kitchen and loaded pork and slightly cut my hand.
I had to have my hand in a sling for 6 weeks. Once it got better I went back to work. My
friend became a translator and I was the paymaster, where I checked the payments to the prisoners.
I was able to make contact with the outside world, with a friend in England who came to
England in 1938, the same as my brother. My brother came to England in 1938 and later
immigrated to Canada. Close to our camp also lived a friend who was the regional secretary at
home. For Christmas 1946, he invited me to his home for dinner. He contacted the camp commander
and was able to get permission for me to come to his home. He picked me up in a taxi. After
many years I spent Christmas with some civilians again, which I will never forget in my life.
I was able to visit him two more times from the camp. A friend from the camp came once along
as well, and we had to walk quite a few miles to get there.
In February, 1947, I got sick. I had very high fever and had to go into the hospital for a few
days. Before I was taken there I had to confirm once more that did not belonged to the National
Socialist Party and that I was an opposer of Hitler. So, I was categorized as Anti-Hitler,
Category "A".
I was then able to get the address of my mother and my sister, which is what eventually led
to my release. It had to be an address in West Germany; no one was released to East Germany
or Czechoslovakia. After a few days, when I was let go from the hospital, I was transferred
to a discharge camp. On my transfer to the prison camp from the hospital, I had to walk
through the city of Winchester, but I was not able to handle the walk. In the middle of
the city I was not able to walk anymore, and a car came to pick us up. In the camp I met
more friends, which were from my company, they were also being released. In March, 1947, we
were loaded into trains and taken to London. From there they loaded us into a ship and
took us to Hamburg where we were put in a camp in the Lunenburger Heide. We stayed there
for quite a few weeks. We were then handed over to the Americans and taken to Tachau,
where we had a check-up by a doctor as soon as we arrived. I was in the Tachau camp for
2 weeks, and then released because I was in the Category 'A' (not belonging to a Hitler
organization). This feeling I will never forget as long as I live. How I was released
and was freed, or better said let "free from slavery". I did not know where to go: north,
south, east or west; because I didn't know where my family was. I was then sent by train to
Munich, and from there, had to determine which direction I would go. I then read the last
letter from my brother again in which it said that my mother and sister would be in a town
named Wanfried, which was northeast. I got my courage together and decided to get a ticket
and to go there. On my trip I saw the disaster the war had brought. Misery was all over
Germany, and the pride and arrogance of the Germans had sunk very low; all because
they had followed a maniac.
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