Stallag VII-A at Moosburg was a very large camp as prisoners were moved
here from al1 the other prison camps to keep them from being liberated.
We found some of the men here who had dropped out from that first march
from Sagan. All the barracks were full, and large tents were put up
between the buildings and that is where Bruce and I found ourselves a
place. They were large tents and we slept in rows down each side on the
ground. We were on an incline and when it rained the water ran right
through the tent sometimes in a real river when the rain was heavy. We
finally gathered rocks and piled them up about three inches high and
slept on top of them. One night I woke up during a downpour and found
that my shoes were floating away down the small trench we had dug
around our beds. I decided that between that and the water coming
through the bullet holes in the tent I had better find a dry place for
the rest of the night. I felt my way around in the darkness until I
found a barracks building, then crawled around on my hands and knees in
the pitch black among the bodies on the floor. I found a place and
squeezed in between two bodies and fell asleep. When woke up I was back
to back with someone and we both sat up at the same time. He was a big
guy from India with all the robes and turban on his head, a big black
beard on his face. He smiled (half his teeth were missing), I smiled,
said "good morning" and got out as fast as I could.
There were prisoners of all nationalities here: Scots, Turks and
Indians as well as English and American. There were about 27,000 of us
so it was a large camp. Some of the Scots had their kilts and bagpipes
and they would march around the open area we had for a softball
diamond, playing the bagpipes. We played softball again here and I got
a baseball uniform which I carried all the way home with me for a
souvenir. I played third base because it was next to the latrine, which
I needed again as I was once again suffering from diarrhea and
dysentery. When I wasn't batting or playing third, I sat in the latrine
and came out only when they needed me. My problems were probably caused
by the bad water gotten on the last march and it was so bad that I had
to run for the latrine every time I started to eat. During the worst
times I gave my food away to Bruce or someone else who needed it.
I can't remember who was still with Bruce and I from our squadron in
England or the camp at Sagan. It is possible that Ullo and Barlow were
there with us, but it is only Bruce that I remember clearly. At the
corner of the camp by our location the guard was a red headed German
from Brooklyn who spoke with the Brooklyn accent. He was brought up in
Brooklyn and had been drafted into the German army while visiting
Germany. There was only one fence around this camp so we could go over
and talk to him, sometimes giving him one of our chocolate bars as he
had little to eat. One of the guys traded with him for a camera and
film which he used to take pictures. I signed up for copies and
received them several months after returning home. Those pictures are
included in this chapter.
Moosburg had been a center for Red Cross parcel distribution and
therefore food parcels were issued again one per week to each of us,
thus providing adequate food again. We had no provisions for cooking so
the art of making stoves from tin cans began In earnest. Some were
simple and others very elaborate with wheels that turned by a handle to
force air through the fire to increase the heat and help when burning
green or wet wood. Bruce and made a simple one with two tin cans with
the fire in the bottom one. It was a good enough setup for the little
we cooked. The open areas between the barracks were filled with those
little stoves at mealtimes. We were getting German ersatz coffee which
was bitter and resembled coffee only by its color. We drank it because
we needed something hot. There were also all kinds of cigarettes in
camp when American cigarettes were not available. I tried some of the
Turkish cigarettes and they were so strong it would knock your socks
off. British and Italian cigarettes were also quite plentiful so I had
plenty as I didn't smoke much.
We were only thirty miles from the concentration camp at Dachau, but we
knew nothing about it at this time. After we had been here two weeks we
began to hear the big guns to the west of us and knew that the American
front was-getting closer and that we would soon be free. The rumors
began again that we might be moved again to the east, but the Germans
must have realized that there were too many of us to move and that the
war would soon be over anyway. To the west of us was a hill with trees
on the top and open fields on the slopes facing us. We began watching
those fields waiting for the American troops to come. On Sunday morning
April 29 the guns were a lot closer and we were very excited. The
German guards had about all disappeared so we knew it wouldn't be long.
We were watching the top of the hill and saw the little L4 spotter
planes flying low and directing the artillery fire. Bullets from rifle
fire began hitting the camp and next to my bunk one guy was sitting
against the center tent pole writing a letter when a bullet hit the
tent pole and dropped into his lap. He put the bullet in his pocket and
we headed for the trenches which were about six feet deep and ran
throughout the camp. We looked up at the hill and the tanks were just
coming out of the woods toward us. In my trench there were several
British prisoners and of all things, at a time like this they had their
little stove and were making their morning tea. Nothing could stop them
from doing that.
Someone came running across the open space and jumped in the trench
yelling 'Mail Call". I had a letter and when I opened it, there in the
trench, I found it was from Eastman Kodak Company telling me that a Job
was waiting for me although not the job I had 1eft. They sent greetings
and hoped I would soon return. I can't imagine how they knew where I
was and what an odd time to receive that letter, with the bullets
flying all around.