- Contributed by
- musicmumAllanma
- People in story:
- Herbert (known as Bert) Partington
- Location of story:
- Somewhere in Germany
- Background to story:
- Army
- Article ID:
- A4202461
- Contributed on:
- 16 June 2005
Uncle Bert would never talk much about being a prisoner of war, he was in several camps but ended up in Staglag VIIIB (No: 221580) - which was not a very nice camp, I understand. He was also on the march that the Germans took various prisoners of war in a large circle to avoid the Russians at the end of the war and all he said of that was that if anybody tried to give the prisoners food, the German guards shot them out of hand. We do have a photograph of him in one of his first prison camps, dressed as a "lady" in a pantomine!
When he, along with many others in the camp, was rescued by the Americans they wanted to shoot the guards - out of hand - but the prisoners said "No" - the older guards sneaked us food and chocolate when the younger guards were not looking, so fortunately they were able to rescue the older guards.
On the way home - he got somehow to Berlin and there were not enough seats on the plane that was going to take the prisoners home, the other men, who were left, decided to stay in Berlin - but Uncle Bert was fortunate in that a General (whose name he never knew) said "If you want to go home boy - have my seat" - and so he got a seat on the plane home to Londoon. In London, when he arrived he discovered that because he was so anxious to go home - [he hadn't washed or shaved and his beard and hair were nearly down to his waist] - everyone realised he was a home-coming prisoner of war. He was fed (free of charge) he was given free passage on the train to Manchester. When he got on the bus in Manchester to go home to his Mother (my grandmother) the lady bus-guard said "Here lad! take this money and get a hair cut and a shave before your mother sees you - you don't want to frighten her" Everyone was so kind. He arrived home and surprised everyone - as they had not realised he was on his way home.
Only a short story - but one which shows how kind everyone was to each other in the days after the troubles/war.
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