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Sergeant Stanley Parkes Purshouse
Unit : No.11 Platoon, "B" Company, 1st Battalion The Border Regiment
Army No. : 406274
Sergeant Purshouse completed parachute course 17, a short course for airlanding brigade personnel, at RAF Ringway from the 7th to 12th July 1942. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Arnhem, being held at Stalags XIB and VIIIC, POW number 117639. The following is his account of a war crime which he witnessed:
In the matter of German war crimes and in the matter of the shooting of Corporal Johnson of the line of march between Stalag VIIIC and Stalag IXB, February, 1945.
I, STANLEY PARKES PURSHOUSE, 33 years, make oath and say as follows:-
I reside at 47 Hemsworth Road, Sheffield, and I am a cellulose operative employed by Mr. A. Roe, motor engineer, Aizlewood Road, Sheffield.
From 4th August, 1932, until 19th November 1936, I served as Trooper No. 406274 with the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, and from 20th November 1936, until 3rd August, 1939, I served as Private No. 406274 with the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. I was transferred to the Army Reserve on 3rd August, 1939, and on 2nd September, 1939, I was recalled into the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment.
I served in France with this unit until 31st May 1940, when it was evacuated at Dunkirk. After a short leave, I rejoined the Border Regiment at Bywell Castle, near Newcastle. Since then I have served with this unit in North Africa, Italy and Holland.
On 17th September, 1944, I was serving as Sergeant 406274 in charge of No. 11 Platoon, 'B' Coy., Border Regiment, at Arnhem, Holland, when I received a gunshot wound in my left thigh during the fighting on the ferry bridge at Arnhem. I was removed to the unit hospital by medical orderlies and after about five days, the hospital with its inmates and staff, were surrendered to the Germans, who were surrounding the place. On the same date, I was removed by German ambulance and put on a train to Apeldoorn, and proceeded to Stalag XIB at Falling Bostel. We were on the train four or five days and I cannot state the actual date of arrival at Stalag XIB.
After being in this camp about a month, I was amongst a party of about 1,000 prisoners who were transferred to Stalag VIIIC at Sagan. I didn't know the date I arrived at Stalag VIIIC, but I am certain it was in the middle of October, 1944.
About the latter end of January, or early February, 1945, owing to the approach of the Russian Forces, the whole Stalag was moved westwards. I wrote to my wife from Stalag VIIIC on 27th January, 1945, and the camp was moved a day or two later. All the prisoners were moved on foot and as the party neared Apolda, we stopped for a break about three miles before entering Apolda. It was in open country, with nothing in particular to fix the site, and the date must have been in the latter days of February, 1945, but I don't remember the exact date.
At this break, a number of our prisoners wanted to make fires and boil water, but orders came from the guards that no person must leave the edge of the road for any purpose. After these orders, I saw eight or nine of my fellow prisoners leave the road and go into the field on the offside for the purpose of relieving themselves. I saw them unfastening their trousers and squatting down. I was between one hundred and a hundred and twenty yards away from these men and could see them quite clearly. I had no doubt as to their intentions.
Overlooking these men was a slight mound, around which the guards and German soldiers were congregated, and I saw two German soldiers open fire from the mound onto the men in the field. I saw the men in the field dash back to the road, leaving one lying in the field. This man definitely had his trousers down at the time.
The Oberfeldwebel in charge of the column did not shoot, and I am certain that the man was shot by German soldiers from the mound. I do not know the names of the two soldiers or their units and I cannot describe them, but I believe I could identify them if I saw them. I do not know the names of the Oberfeldwebel, or his unit and district of origin, but I describe him as:- 40 to 45 years, 5'-11", slim build, thin features, clean shaven, very erect carriage. I do not know which regiment the shot man belonged to and I never learned his name, and I learned that the man was not dead when the column resumed the march.
I should say that there were about nine other guards and soldiers standing with the Oberfeldwebel when the shots were fired, but I cannot describe any of them.
The shots were fired from the standard type German rifle and I did not see any other weapons used. I do not remember a German Sergeant Major named MEYER.
I should say that the shots were fired to recall the men from the field to the road, and not at the shot man. I never learned that the wounded man had died as a result of the shooting. I do not know the German Officer in command of the march, but I describe him as:- 50 years, 5'=7" to 8", medium build, round features, wore a monocle and rode in an open landau, drawn by two horses. I do not know his unit or district of origin.
The condition of the column of prisoners on the march was very low, due, in my opinion, to lack of food, and several prisoners died of dysentery, which was prevalent.
When I saw the men leave the road and squat down in the field, it was perfectly obvious to me that none of them was trying to escape, as no man went further than ten yards into the field.
At all other halts on the march, the prisoners had been allowed to collect firewood and make tea, and when the shooting occurred, it was the first time we had been ordered not to leave the road. The German guards had been fairly reasonable and tolerant during these breaks.
I never saw any orders covering the behaviour of prisoners, issued by the guards, but verbal orders were given at night to the prisoners. The column of prisoners received orders through a guardsman who was elected as confidence man, but I don't know his name.
[Signed S. Purshouse]
Sworn at Sheffield, in the City of Sheffield, this ninth day of September, 1947, before me,
(sgd) Edward W. Senior.
One of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace in and for the said City.