Hugh Macdonald – Memories of War and Captivity, Part One

Ex. Pte. Hugh Macdonald, Tain
Army No 2821211
(I was a P.O.W. for 4 4yr. 238 days.)

I left my home town of Tain on the 12th day of April 1939. It was the first time I was further south than Inverness. Anyway, I changed at Inverness for Fort-George to start 18 week of basic training.

But before I arr. at Fort-George I had to change at a place called Gollanfield. 

At Gollanfield I saw a railway engine and one coach. I thought Fort George was a large place; surely this small train was not the one I had to catch. As it happened, it was my connection. With result I had to start walking to the Fort. I got a few miles on my journey when a large Army Truck stopped and give me lift to Fort George.

I took the (King's Shilling) which means signing on for 7 year & 5 yr Reservist. The Squad I was posted to was called the Palestine Squad. There were a number of Glasgow lads in the Squad.

Now was the start of some very hard Training under Sgt. Major Brander we were now in the Army. After my Training was completed we were sent to join the 2nd Batt. Seaforth Highlanders in Maryhill Barr. Glasgow where we did more Training & Guard duties.

On Sept 1939 war broke out. About Twenty of us were drafted to the 4th Batt Seaforths, which at that time was under strength.

We arr. at Southampton to embark for France.

We arr. at Le Harve just after Christmas to the coldest winter ever. Telegraph poles were falling down with the weight of ice on the wires.

“B” Coy. then marched into a small Village called (Bolbec) where we did some anti-aircraft training & also digging anti-tank trenches.

We then travelled to the Belgium Border a place called Lannion where we did guard duties with the Border Police & dug more antitank trenches. This all happened during the Phoney War.

When the Germans started the Blitz Krieg, breaking into Belgium & Holland we were transported to the Saarland & then our first action was on the Somme where some of our lads got killed mostly the Gordons & Camerons.

After some heavy fighting the Germans broke our lines. We then had to retreat, which meant marching back in daylight digging in holding the lines until midnight. Retreat again dig in hold position this went on for about a week. We were then told that the 51st Highland Div. was fighting a Rear Guard action all the way to St. Valery where we were captured.

My first meeting with a German officer were with these words.

(For you the war is finished Tommy!!)

Now the long march to our different P.O.W. Camps.

We were all told to hand over Rifles & Pistols, not before we broke the firing Pins or smashed the Butts against Trees. After this we were collected together in Fields where we were given 1 Tin of Sardines the Tin weighed about 2 lbs. & 1 Loaf of Black Bread between 12 Men not a lot.

After we all marched through Rouen, Lille, into Brussels & into Holland. If it wasn’t for the People of these Towns we would have starved. We got Bread, Soup & also Vino.

At Stalag we boarded Barges where we travelled down the “Rhine” for 2 Day, with no Food or Water. Then we got pushed into Cattle Trucks about 40 Men in each Truck, travelled for 2 Days & Night to Lamsdorf which was to be our Home for some Time (Stalag VIII B). We were given our P.O.W Number mine was 17771 (German Figures).

At Stalag VIII B German Civilians would come to the Camp for Men to work. (30–40–100 Men for each Company) first come first served.

I got into one lot which wanted 15 Men thinking it must be for a Farmer, which meant plenty Grub. No such luck we arr. at a Camp where there was about 1500 Men already there. Anyway not too bad. 30 Men to a Hut Bunk Beds Straw Mattress & Wooden Slats for Springs. By the way during the Winter the Slats were put on the Stove to heat the Hut & cook whatever we could scrounge, which was not a lot.

I forgot to say the Camp was in “Silesia” North Poland. “Ober Silesia” not too far from White Russian Border.

Now we were sent to work not that we wanted to but if we stayed in the Camp we would get (Camp Happy) anyway my first job along we a few hundred more was to cut down a whole Forest burning the brushwood & and digging out the Roots and then Quarter the Roots steel chisels & Hammer. We cleared the Forest which was about 1 mile long by ½ mile wide.

We did not know then that we were in the process of building the Second largest Synthetic oil Plant in Germany. After the Forest was level Railway lines were built, cement steel girders started coming in everything to build a Factory.

My Job eventually was steel erection. By the end of 1942 the Job was about finished all done by forced labor. Jews Poles French Russian Czechoslovakians Ukraines of course the P.O.W.s Scots Welsh English Irish Yanks Canada Austs & N/Z. We sometime told our Guards at the beginning wait until this is complete then the RAF will come. No No they would say too far for Bombers to come to Blechhammer. But they did come every day.

At 11 o’clock in the morning the first day it happened we heard the drone of Planes. The Guards said its only our Pilots practicing. Then all Hell broke loose everyone running for Shelter. There were concrete bunkers for Guards and Civilians but not for forced Labourers or P.O.W.s. A lot of People were killed on that first Raid. That was the only time we were caught flat footed. Every time after that the Siren would go and we would start running. We had to run about 4½ miles outwith the A.A. Guns. Thats every day for about 6 Months talk about being fit. Mind you we were gettin Red X Parcels by this time.

With all that Bombing our own Camp got hit with 8 Bombs my Hut was burnt out. My football boots that a Slovak made a menders for boxing [unclear annotation] were all I had. Anyway the War was coming closer the Russians were in Minsk thats about 80 Miles from our Camp. Now the Rush started the German wanted to get away from the Russian they said they would rather be captured.

This was December 1944 they knew then.

Now for the long walk (we had) Home in Jan 19th 45

We left our Camp I had two mates Jack & Bill who were from New Zealand we got some wood and made a sort of Sledge to carry what Gear we had.

There was a Coy Sargent Major from the Gloucestershire Reg. who was in charge of the Red X Store he distributed the Red X Boxes to each man in the Camp as we marched out I think we got 2 Boxes each which was to last for sometime!! From then on we had to live of the Land. Which was very hard because it was covered in 3 to 4 ft of Snow.

Some of the Lads decided to stay in the Camp unknown to the Guards to get released by the Russians we travelled about 5 Miles from Camp when we heard Planes in the distance Strafing-Bombing over in the direction of our Camp the Guards said they knew some Men were Missing so they flattened the Camp. We never heard what happened to them who stayed behind.

Anyway we all plodded on pulling our Sledges through Big Snow drifts. Some days we did about 20 to 25 Miles then stop at some Farm & sleep in Barns or wherever you could lay down. In some Farms along the way we stole Pigeons Sugar Beet Potatoes & what got fires going and cooked what we could scrounge.

Mind you all this didn’t happen until our Red X Boxes were finished. We marched through Czechoslovakia the top half past Brno a city in Czecho. Mind you it was bombed flat.

Then into Austria & Bavaria arr. in a place called “Landshut”. We passed an Officers Camp Stalag 7A. Now our Camp I saw Captain George Cameron & Lt. Bin Young both from 4th Batt Seaforths. We knew the front line was not far away because fighter planes were strafing the German troops & railway sidings.

Our job was to fill in all bomb craters & repair railway line but it was hopeless the planes kept coming back again & again it was pretty dangerous.

Then came the day we all waited for. Yank troops came around our huts and through the gates. Gen Patton pistols and all. “What are you waiting for” he shouted “you’re free”.

All the Yank POW streamed out of the Camp but our Officers & NCOs told us to stand fast. We were organized into parties of 12 men.

Anyway we wandered around for a few days. We ended up in a German Air Force Camp & store. That’s where I got a flying Officers hat & dagger.

With these a few German medals & a [cannot spell it].

We were still in Airforce Camp the shoot went up. V.E. Day V.E. Day every one went mad.

Then we remembered about the Very Pistols we saw in the German stores every one got a pistol & shells. It was quite a big building. So the Yanks & some of our lads split the building in half and then the fun started. Shells all over the place red-green & white. A wooden doorway got burnt with the phosphorous.

After the battle the Yanks started getting away on the first planes. Because Gen. Patton liberated us. After a number of days it was our turn. We then knew what the 12 men were for. That was Dakotas passenger list. What a wonderful feeling at long last going home.

We arr. in Reims in France. Then into Blenheim bombers after striping out the bomb bay. My turn up beside the pilot was over the Channel. The first thing I saw was the white cliffs of Dover. What a sight. Great going home.

I hope the people up front remember not to open the bomb bays!!

We arr. in Slough in Buckinghamshire stayed there for a week got fed on milk puddings and custard. [All the time I was a P.O.W. I only met one person I knew in Poland was Jackie Grant from Tain his camp got flattened he came to our camp for 1 week then got transferred somewhere else]

Now was the time for really going home we all got £10 plus our travel passes to Tain. Arr. Tain on a Sunday no trains passed further north. We had to get buses to Tain arr. Invergordon no bus to Tain. B/Leison ordered taxis to Tain.

Coming into Tain passing the tennis courts I looked out of the window and saw my brother John first time for 5 years. Arr. home 18 Hartfield St with the little I had plus the German belt hat on & medals to a great welcome.

The Provost of Tain who lived across the road from my house called in to shake me by the hand. His first words were “Well Hughie I saw you step out of the car & you looked as if you were only away for a week end.”

WELCOME HOME HUGH

I missed the 1940-41 bits out Liz. We had no Red X Boxes or cigs. until end of 41.

We used to smoke dry tea leaves after they were boiled strain thats German mint tea. We sometimes got drums of soup from the German Cook House when it arr. to us it was sour. But being half starved down it went. The loo was kept busy after that.

Our daily working hours 6 am. to 6 pm. cup of coffee or mint tea in the morning when we got back to Camp 1 bowl of water called soup 1 loaf blackbread between 6 men about 2½" thick one slice each. Out of that you had to save a bit of bread with your coffee/tea in the morning before you went to work. I never could do it.

After a bit we could speak a little German I got friendly with a few and at weekends when they back to work I would get sausage meat salt. sugar & cake from them which kept me going.

There was another three lads I worked with two brothers Alex Smith his other brother I don't remember the other one I called the three R.R.R. Regenbal Rex. Rowley they all came from Buckshall Nuneaton somewhere in England.

Thats all Liz.

My hands are geting sore.

I forgot to mention about the frost bite toes & ears. My boots were never off on the march home. I always with fabric round them. If you took them you could never get them back on again.