Driver John Thom Watson
Unit : 51st Divisional (Ammunition) Company, RASC, 51st (Highland) Division.
Served : France (captured)
Army No. : T/86500
POW No. : 6464
Camps : Stalags XXIB, XXIA, VIIIB / 344
John Watson was born on the 12th November 1919, and joined the British Army in June 1939. His POW questionnaire notes his address as Collace, Kinrossie, Perth, Scotland, and that he was a farmer. The following is his account of his captivity, written on the 11th November 1994.
I joined the T.A. March, 1939 with the R.A.S.C. 525 (Amn) Coy Perth. At that time I had a driving licence. I had to do two hours drill twice a week and two weeks camp in the summer to qualify for a bounty of Five pound. The camp in 1939 was at Gails in Ayrshire. I really enjoyed the T.A. After coming back from camp in July, I had about a month back in work in Collace Quarry when my papers came in September to return to my unit in Perth and War was declared on Sunday 3rd, 1939 and that was the real start of my army career.
I stayed in Perth six weeks. As our unit was short of 100 we got 80 men all volunteers most of them from England and then moved to Corunna Barracks in Aldershot. I was lucky in a way, as I got a new lorry and had that same lorry right up till I was taken P.O.W. 12th June, 1940 at St. Valery En-Caux. From Aldershot, we moved to Camberley in Surrey to make room for the Canadians who were to take over our Barracks at Aldershot. I got Christmas, 1939 leave from Camberley which was to be my last leave from the army for the next six years. In the first week of January, 1940, one of the coldest winters for many years, we went to Southampton to embark for France. We got three days embarkation leave which for me was spent mostly in Southampton. As we were waiting for the troop ship to take us to Le Havre, our lorries were being loaded on to another transport ship. We eventually arrived in France about the middle of January, 1940. The weather there was even colder than England. The first night we spent in France was in a big continental building. The floor was covered by two or three inches of ice. We could not sleep because it was that cold and in the morning the whole place was covered in water caused by the heat of our bodies. I had to wait four days for my lorry to come off the ship. It was very cold waiting for your lorry, but at the dockside you bought rolls and coffee with rum which really did keep you warm. When I took charge of my lorry, I had to travel about ten miles from Le Havre to our first billets in France. Driving on the right of the road was no joke and the frosty cold weather did not help either, with there being no heaters on the lorries at that time. We were billeted in an old cinema. My four mates and I slept together on the floor, as the weather was very cold. It was a cruel, hard winter and had to drain the water off our lorries, as there was no anti-freeze at that time. If you were called out on duty, you had to fill your lorry with water and then drain off again when you returned to base. We only stayed about three weeks then moved twenty miles to other billets. This time in a hayloft just outside the village of Allery. I must say at that time we did not have much to do, just seeing that our lorries were in good order, filled up with petrol and ready to move when required. Most nights we would go out to a café for a drink, mostly rum and coffee. We did not stay in one place very long, so we were on the move again to a small town called Burbur. Still a lot of snow and ice and very cold weather. This is now about the middle of March, 1940. Quite a few cafes were where we passed most of the time, also a picture house which showed films, but talking in French. Stayed here about three weeks and were on the move again, this time to a place called Merchien. By then, the weather was a bit warmer. Now we were fairly busy, mostly driving rations, blankets, etc. etc. from railway trucks to all units of the 51st Highland Division. As a driver in command, all I had to do was drive my lorry.
We are now on the move again, this time, a small village called Calone. Now it is about the end of April. By then the weather was a lot warmer. We stayed about a fortnight. By then the Germans were about to start to invade Holland. As we were not far from the Belgian front, the 51st Highland Division then were ordered up to the Maginot Line. By this time, we had ammunition dumps scattered over most of the north of France. It took us four days till we reached our next destination, as we could only drive at night time with no lights, as by this time the German dive bombers were giving us a rough time in day light. We usually travelled by convoy with fifty lorries in a convoy. We had to try to keep our lorries, which were full of all sorts of ammunitions, concealed in wooded areas during daytime. During the day time that is when we had our meals and slept. We finally reached our destination, a small town about four miles from Metz from then on the fun really started, as the Germans had entered Holland. We were only ten days up at the Maginot Line, along with the French, when the 51st Highland Division were ordered down to the Somme valley, as by this time the German Army were pushing right through Belgium and into France. Now we were into the month of May. Heavy fighting on the Belgian front and we were now in the Somme valley being bombed nearly every day with some lorries being blown up by the enemy bombing. By then, with the Germans now fighting on the Somme, the 51st Highland Division were getting a real battering. The evacuation of Dunkirk was now taking place, with about three hundred and thirty thousand men on their way back to Britain. After the completion of the evacuation of Dunkirk, [unreadable line]. With the steady bombing and shelling, we were chased back to St. Valery En-Caux, hemmed in from all sides by a large German force. We were tired from the lack of sleep, short of food and water. On 12th June, 1940 at 11 am, the Commanding Officer of the 51st Highland Division, General Victor Fortune, had to surrender to General Rommel, Commanding the German force. I was on the beach at St. Valery Ex-Caux.
I was taken a Prisoner of War with most of the 51st Highland Division, approximately 10,000 in all. We were marched for a few miles on the first day and that night slept in a big grass open field, the best sleep we had for weeks, as we were tired and hungry, having slept very little for the last three weeks - just behind the wheel of our lorries. We were wakened about 5 o'clock next morning and had to march about fifteen miles that day with no food or water to drink, but got a bit of bread and some watery soup if you could call it soup, mainly made from cabbage and turnips. From then on we were marched every day for about 5 weeks in the very warm summer in France, Belgium and Holland, but very little to eat or drink. We did get a rest at intervals and just flapped down by the roadside from pure exhaustion with no food and water. Finally we reached Holland and were put on barges not fit even for animals in the sweltering heat down in the holds. By this time, many of us were ill, mostly dysentery, by just drinking dirty water as the Germans would not give us clean water to drink. By this time, quite a few P.O.W. had died. We were two days on that barge on the Rhine and when we got off, we were more dead than alive. We were put in a field, not far away from the Rhine with barrels full of water which to us was a godsend, as we had not had a wash for weeks. As the weather was very hot, we took off our clothes and had a good wash. We dried fairly quickly in the hot sun. By then we were feeling a bit more refreshed, but did not manage to get a shave, as we had nothing to shave with. We did get a little food, with plenty clean water, but it was not to last long, as one day we got rations which was supposed to last three days and nights and was put on railway trucks 60-70 men on one truck, with a bucket of water. There was hardly room to stand up, far less lie down. Had two or three empty drums, supposed to be used as latrines, with no space to do anything. With the first day over, the guards allowed us out of the trucks for about ten minutes for some fresh air. There must have been around 45-50 trucks all with 60-70 men in each truck. After three days, the train stopped at some siding somewhere in Poland. The guards were shouting at us to get out. We could hardly stand up, far less walk, but with the guards shouting and hitting us with the butts of their rifles, we managed to get away from the railway siding. Quite a few did not make it. But it was good to be out in the fresh Polish air after being cooped up three days and nights in that dirty stinking truck. We were rested for a few hours with a little bit more food and water.
We were split into groups and the group I was in landed up in Stalag XXIB Shubin in the north east of Poland, a dirty stinking place, not fit for human beings. By this time, many had dysentery and most of us were sick and tired with the long journey. Stalag XXIB was where I was registered with finger prints taken, also your photo taken. I was then officially a British Prisoner of War No 6464 Stalag XXIB on my Identity Disc. It was seven months before my father and mother knew that I was a P.O.W. My first working was at a place called the Warthe Lager, some twenty miles from Posnan doing all sorts of jobs. The camp had an old Polish military base and we lived in old stables with three tier bunk beds with mattresses filled with wood wool and two blankets. All of us were nearly eaten alive with lice and bed bugs. Food was very bad. A piece of rye bread at night and a bowl of soup at midday, usually made of cabbage and if you were lucky, a potato or two.
We must have looked like a band of tramps, as we did not manage to get a haircut or shave. On a Sunday, we were all taken (1200 in all), by the guards to the River Oder which was two miles away. Took off all our clothes and had a good wash in the water. A few prisoners died on this working party. By the way, I spent my 21st birthday in this unholy, dirty, stinking, lice ridden camp. My first Christmas, 1940 as a P.O.W. was spent here. In the first week of 1941, many of us were shifted to another Stalag XXIA Silberg in Poland in an old fort or castle, surrounded by high walls. Very cold winter. The bread we had for our ration, was frozen. You had to wait about two hours for it to thaw before you could cut it with a knife. Stayed for three months by which time it was spring, with weather getting warmer each day. Was sent on another working party of 30 men, making a canal which was out in the country. Stayed in an old school house and getting more to eat, as we were working. By this time, we were able to buy some things, such as razor and blades and get our hair cut. The weather now was very warm, so in the spare time we had, we could lie in the sun. In June, 1941, we were on the move again, to Stalag XXICH Wolstein. It was at that Stalag I received my first clothing from home, but not any letters yet. There were two chocolate bars in the parcel which I shared with my two mates. Stayed about three weeks here and was on the move again this time to Stalag VIIIB, one of the biggest Stalags in Poland, which held approximately 20,000 P.O.Ws. Now it was late July, 1941. Had my first letter from home which was most welcome. Red Cross was now getting food parcels to us. A food parcel contained tins of meat and vegetables, biscuits, chocolate, powdered milk, tea and coffee and bar of soap which was most welcome, as we only got one small cake of soap from the Germans, if you could call it soap, once a month.
Life in Stalag VIIIB was not good. Rations were very poor and we were still crawling with lice and the conditions were getting worse. Typhus broke out in the camp, so all the men in the camp had to be deloused. Quite a few died. Now it was August, 1941 and most of us got new uniforms, underwear and boots. The first since we were captured, June, 1940. By this time we were getting a lot more P.O.Ws. Australians and New Zealanders from Greece and Crete. From then on my two mates were from New Zealand. It is now Christmas, 1941 and I am in Stalag VIIIB - very cold weather and had a toothache which was giving me gip. Had it out a few days later. By the end of January, 1942, the Jerries needed a working party of about 200 men to work in a factory in Ratibor Silesia. I was one of those who was picked for this job and had to walk about 6 miles each day from our camp to work. Up at five o'clock each morning and not getting back till six at night. The job I was on was keeping the roofs of the factory in good repair. It was quite high and had to climb up iron steps to get on to the roof. There were five of us on this job, with a German civilian telling us what to do. You had to wear special shoes to keep you from slipping on the felt. Had my big toe nail cut off while on that working party. Had a week off work, as I could not walk and it was really sore, and I did not get any pain killing tablets. It is now June, 1942. We got our photos taken at a studio in Ratibor. I still have the photo to this day. In July, 1942, we had to leave Ratibor and sent to another working party, a place called Tannawice. We were working on the railway lines, taking out iron sleepers and replacing them with wooden sleepers. The British P.O.Ws. worked on one part of the line and on another there were Jews. They were really in a very bad way. I have seen some of them throwing themselves in front of the trains. This job only lasted six weeks, then we were sent back to Stalag VIIIB. This is now Sept., 1942 and my next working party was fifteen of us sent to work in a lime quarry at a place called Gross Stelitz, well out in the country. I am still with my two pals from New Zealand. The quarry had three layers, the British P.O.Ws. worked on the bottom and in the middle were political prisoners and at the top were Russian P.O.Ws. It was pretty hard work, but we did not mind, as we got extra food rations. Sometimes you had to work in the lime kilns which were very hot and dusty. Had to wear clogs on your feet and gloves on your hands. Had to empty two railway trucks of coal per week and had to barrow the coal into the lime kilns. By the summer of 1943, we got another ten men and had to shift to another building which was bigger and better, but was surrounded with barbed wire. I stayed in this party till June, 1944, the longest party I had been in all the time I had been a Prisoner of War.
As all working parties had numbers, this one was party E365 Gr. Strelitz. I was really sad to leave my pals, but had to go to a British P.O.W. hospital run mostly by British doctors and some German, as I had gastric enteritis. I was in hospital for three weeks. By this time it was the end of July, 1944 and the allies were now chasing the Jerries across France. Now it is August, 1944 and in Stalag VIIIB waiting to go on another work party. In September I was on my way to a work party, a place called Grotkow. It was a small air field. Our job was to build huts and put up fences and all the odd jobs that had to be done. It is now Christmas, 1944. This is my fifth Christmas in a P.O.W. camp. Hoping it would be our last as Prisoners of War. In the middle of January, 1945, with the Russians coming in fast from the east, we were forced to march ten to fifteen miles a day through deep snow and very hard frost, with very little to eat or drink. Sleeping sometimes in the snow or in farm buildings, even sleeping with the pigs to keep warm. This went on to the spring of 1945. Many were left by the wayside to die.
It is now April, 1945 and it is a lot warmer. Our boots are worn out and our clothes, including our uniforms are in tatters. The American Third Army liberated us on April 30th 1945. We were at last free after spending five years behind barbed wire. It was just outside Moosburg in Bavaria that the Americans liberated me. As they passed with their tanks, we waved to them and they threw down chocolate, cigarettes and K (US emergency food) rations. It was one of the happiest days of my lift.
Next day, as now the Yanks were in charge of us, we stayed in a big factory in Moosburg. They were very good to us and gave us as much as we could to eat. While in Moosburg, I picked a postcard which had been sent to a German soldier in Russian, but was returned to Moosburg. I still have the postcard to this day. As the war was not yet finished, there was quite a lot of fighting going on. We were shifted to an airfield 20 miles from Moosburg and it was on the 7th May, 1945 that the Americans gave a warning to the German planes to come down by 20.00 hours or be shot down. There were not many planes in the sky, but they came down in time. It was on the morning of May 8th that the war in Europe was finished. It was 15th May, 1945 that the yanks flew us in their Dakotas to Brussels to hand us over to the British Army. We received a great welcome by the British Red Cross. The first thing was we had a hot bath and showers and got rid of our old clothes, which were all burned. Got new clothes and uniforms and once again we looked like soldiers. We were well looked after and got as much food and cigs, for nothing from the canteen. Stayed in Brussels for four days then was flown back to Britain on Lancaster bombers. Pilots were Canadians. Great to be back in Britain after six years.
I was given a new kit and six weeks leave, and I had five years back pay to get, but took only one year's pay and left the rest till I came out of the army.
I had some good times visiting all the folks I had not seen for six years. My six week leave was not long in passing and had to go to Edinburgh for a medical examination and a week later I was back in uniform again. I was sent to a camp not far from Haywards Heath. Very beautiful part of England. Then on to a place called Ripley. Stayed there about a month and was then sent down to Somerset to wait till I got my final posting to Perth, my home town. That was my Headquarters till I was demobbed. I am doing various jobs, mostly driving lorries. I was mostly taking rations and supplies to German P.O.W. camps, most in Perthshire, Angus and Fife.
At the end of September, 1945, I was sent to Annsmuir, a big German P.O.W. camp on the outskirts of Ladybank, Fife, as an ambulance driver. There had to be two drivers, as we had to take shifts, as you had to be on duty twenty four hours a day. I was not called out very many times during the night. My mate was an Englishman and we got on very well together. I also got on fairly well with the Germans, as I had been a P.O.W. with the Germans I could speak pretty good German. It made all the difference if you could speak to them. The ambulance that I had when I went first to Annsmuir was pretty old, so I complained about it and got a new one. In its place a new American Chevrolet which was one of the best at the time. You only got eight miles to the gallon. Bridge of Earn was the hospital we had to take prisoners if they were hurt in an accident or taken ill. We had to visit many working parties stationed in Fife, Perthshire and Kinross. As it was winter time, we had quite a few accidents with the P.O.Ws. falling off their bikes. We visited the following working parties:- St. Andrews, Bonnyton, Methil Docks, Ceres, Kinross, Forgandenny, Crieff, Burrelton, Meikelour and some more. I do not remember. It is now getting on for Christmas, 1945, the first Christmas I have been in Scotland since 1939. As my mate, the other driver was English, he got six days leave to go home for Christmas and when he came back, I got six days New Year's leave. The first New Year I had been home since 1939. I did really like working at Annsmuir, Ladybank and was there till I was demobbed on 22nd February, 1946 at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh.
I was given four months pay which had to be paid weekly at your nearest Post Office, along with ration cards and clothing coupons. I am now back in Civvie Street and out of uniform which I had to wear since 1939, but in the army reserve.
I am now 27 years old and still single, but to cut a long story short, I got married on the 27th December, 1947. I took over my father's fruit growers business after I came out of the army in 1946. I thought I was clear of the army, but in 1950, I got orders from the War Office to go for a medical at Dundee. You had to pass seven doctors and the result was I was fit for the army and had to report to Durham for six months training. This is the time of the Korean War. I had my Railway Warrant to travel, but my Lawyer, who was trying to get me off because I was self-employed called me two days before I was due to go to say the Ministry of Defence had cancelled my call up. As I finish this letter, I am now 75 years old and have been married for 47 years.
J. Watson
11th November, 1994
ps. I would like to thank the British Red Cross, International Red Cross, Balbeggie W.R.I., Collace Woman's Guild and all other War Organisations for food parcels, cigarettes, books, games, etc., etc. in our time of need, but most of all for the will to live and hope for the future.