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 1ittle 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.