Jack Collins POW life 1940-45 part1 (Stalag XXB )

PART 1 Jack Collins P.O.W Life 1940-45
23rd April 1940
Mam. Dad and Gwen came to Durham Railway Station to say Goodbye — Left at 2pm — station was packed. Reached Southhampton sailed about 3pm as soon as loaded stopped outside port till 12 o’clock nice big ship.3 canteens on board Duke of Argyle. Arrived in France at Le Havre then boarded cattle truck for 2 hours to Bolbeck in Normandy. Under canvas after 2 mile walk and terrible train ride with full pack were cheered by French as walked through French village. Camped in open fields on 5th May went on half day to Trevente with Moss and Tommy - Lads started work on Aerodrome — received letters and parcel from home. Any amount of Air Raid Alarms. 12th May - standing by all during night watching for parachutes.17th May — Gerry advancing very fast battalion moved off in a hurry and left 15 of us behind to look after the stores. 18th May — Guard at night stopping refugees cars for passports etc. 20th May — had to run for it and leave all stores. 21st May — 15 of us on run — slept for 2 hours during night and bombed out at 5 am —millions of refugees on the road - 22nd May — Walked for miles trying to get to Boulogne- Gerry all round — feet sore and tired out — slept in barn at night — bitterly cold.
No one at home knew where the troops were going and we have a letter written by my grandparents to my dad just after he had been reported missing. Some of his battalion had made it home at the time of Dunkirk and stated they had seen dad so they thought he must be ok and that eventually the letter would catch up with him, it never did and was returned to them but they never gave up hope. After dad was captured and sent to POW camp word did get through to them where he was being held, and so they were able to communicate again.

This is the diary of the life of our father Jack Collins during the time he was a prisoner of war in Poland from 23rd May 1940 — 2nd May 1945 ( although Germany no longer recognised Poland as a Country at that time prisoners who were detained there still thought of it as Poland and indeed they had a lot of respect for the Polish people who helped and supported them throughout this difficult time ).This is also dedicated to his POW friends Reg Ayers, Geoff Hall, Jimmy Whinnett, Harold Brown, Eric Tidbury, Bill Johnson and Charlie Buller. The extracts are taken directly from his diaries as he wrote them at that time. Some parts are written in German, this was due to him learning the language during his time in captivity and which enhanced his communication skills. He was born on 9th June 1920 and died 18th December 1998 .Pte J Collins (4456124) belonged to Durham Light Infantry 11th battalion B Coy. Discharged from the army August 1945.
May 23rd 1940 Taken prisoner about 7am walked straight into a Gerry convoy,Gribben and Woods killed .Bailey and another 2 wounded. We were taken into a field German soldiers speaking to us in French. In French I asked for medical assistance for one of the lads who had been shot in the foot. I later discovered he had been shipped back home. At gun point we were then made to dig some graves (thinking our end had come) but it was for the lads who had been killed. “God have mercy on us now”. Taken to St. Pol.
May 24th -7th June 1940 Set off to march to Germany through Trevente 50 English, 4000 French (no food since yesterday). Continued to Doullens wool factory no room left so slept in barn. No food! more English prisoners here. ‘worst week of my life’. Marched further 45Km to Miramount given food by French civilians. Continued marching in the heat and stayed wherever there was room even in a pigsty where we cooked eggs and potatoes and some Morrocans killed a pig . There was nowhere to dry anything when we had slept in the open all night and everything we wore was wet . Continued 50 km to Cambroa where it was very cold at night — we were freezing but very hot during the day. Marched another 41 km to Catillon ‘feet very sore’. Roxby joined us from the hospital.
31st May — 40 of us were tansported by lorry and travelled through France, Belgium and Luxembourg which were a mass of destruction.
1st June — arrived at Transportation Camp Bitburg Germany. Issued with soup and bread. Hope all the family back home are OK as there is no way of contacting anyone.
2nd June — worked in the morning - little food- slept in huts thank goodness — it all seems like a bad nightmare from which I can’t awake.
4th June — Transported in cattle trucks at 6pm to destination unknown — no food.
5th June — Still no food and not at destination yet — there are 50 in one truck and one bottle of water between 3 of us.
6th June — Entered Poland 6pm and given first piece of bread and soup from the Polish Red Cross.
7th June — Arrived at Fort 13A Thorn during the night — We were searched ,very hot — given 1/3rd loaf of bread and bowl of barley.
8th June - 8th August Working on land and given some food — Italy now in War — Roxby and Simmons sent away on working party. Most of us in camp have bad stomach cramps and sickness — lasted about one week.. What a way to spend my 20th Birthday. ‘Nothing can be nearer than this to hell on earth’. Bread is rationed to 5 in a loaf — hardly seems possible to exist on such small portions. Fed up — only the thought of getting home again keeps us going. Sunday 23rd had Pea Soup today — good dinner.
Continued to work and able to trade clothes etc for food. 1st Red Cross Parcel arrived on 12th July and shared between 30 of us. I received a tin of herrings and a tin of cocoa- very nice but not plenty. Able to buy and exchange books which helps us to forget where we are. Only Camp money can be used in the canteen to purchase goods.
Got Khaki shirt — deloused trousers and found about 40 in them.
25th July — Lost Dixie through carelessness — will have to win another
28th July — attended Church Service in tent (certainly brought back memories).
8th August — Deloused , issued with clothes from Stalag prior to 10 mile ride in cattle truck to Wossitz. Issued with toothpaste and brush on arrival and began working digging gutters — easy but monotonous. Not enough grub here so have stopped working until we get more food.
24th August — Went 60 km for stores in a lorry and a young girl got locked up for giving us bread. Soup getting poorer. — got butter rations instead of tobacco.
29th September - Had 1st of many concerts organised by us.
2nd October — Gerrys opened our Red Cross Parcels, 20 between the 40 of us and split them all up.
8th October — 14 of us are being sent to work on a farm at Osterwich will be here for 2-3 weeks. Hard work but food good. Transferred to another farm Zieglars on 23rd October.
On 31st October transferred to Kliens (Greece now in war with us).
9th November — Marched back to Wossitz.
14th November — Now 25 weeks since taken prisoner.
20th November — Transported to Danzig in ‘Hornby type' train then express carriage to Marienburg.
25th November — Started working on railway.
3rd December — Someone has stolen my housewife razor soap and brush — I wish I could find the blighter.
4th December — Inoculated for Diphtheria
5th December — Taken off railways and now working in Sugar Beet factory in Neutlich until 19th December.
15th December — I don’t half miss chapel and the organ.
20th December — Got sick with boil on arm — very sore — Christmas tree in room.
25th December — Arm still exceptionally painful — filled with despair — homesick — got a lot of wine given and got drunk for the first time in my life. Bitterly cold — snowing.
31st December — New Years Eve — feeling better — temperature don to normal — wonder who the first foot is at home? At last the end of the worst year of my life. God grant I don’t see another like it.

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