Geoffrey North account of being shot down and time as prisoner of war

Geoffrey North account of being shot down and time as prisoner of war

A day by day account consisting of three parts. Part one covers his being shot down on 21 February 1945, his capture and journey to prisoner of war camp arriving 15 March 1945 including an mention that his train was bombed by Marauders. Part two covers forced march from prisoner of war camp 'Kreigsgefaninenlager der Luft 3' from 4 April 1945 to to Moosburg on 20 April 1945 and includes account of being strafed by Thunderbolts. Part three covers liberation by United States army on 29 April 1945 to his repatriation by C-47 and Lancaster on 10 May 1945. In part 3 he writes enthusiastically about the meals and food. The account is written on American red cross paper.

Eight page handwritten document

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PART I
I WANDERED
LONELY AS A
CLOUD !!

21/2/45. Baled out 23.05 landed
23.20. S/C 23.59 walked 12 miles.
22/2/45 Captured 10AM by Civil Police.
10/12 Police Station. 12/2 Jail, 2/6 Motorbike
to front line. Watch etc taken. Marched 8
miles via transit camp with 8 soldiers to
[undecipherable] village. Slept in stairs in
abandoned school.
23/2/45 First Food, Bread Marg. Tinned Meat
Tea. Marched 14 miles via Rhine Ferry to
Transit Camp. Lt Lindsey.
24/2/45 [undecipherable] Horse & Cart to Stalag
at Barchalt. 5 to a cell, radiator, [undecipherable]
& 1 blanket. Comfort!

[Page Break]

25/2/45 Barchalt. 26/2/45 Barchalt
27/2/45 Barchalt to Hansdorf Marched 8
miles through [cross out] Munster.
28/2/45 Left Hansdorf 1/3/45 Travelling
2/3/45 Travelling, Kassell, Legless Aussie
3/3/45 arrived Obereusel. 4/5/45 Obereusel.
5/3/45 Obereusel 6/3/45 Left Obereusel.
7/3/45 Arrived Dulay Luft. 1st Shower,
Food, Beds, Clothing. Soap, Hair Cut, etc.
8/3/45 Left Dulay,
9/3/45 Train Bombed at Niederhausen [inserted] By USA MARAUDERS [/inserted]
Walked 5 k’metre to Eppstein.
10/5/45 Eppstein. 11/5/45 Left Eppstein
at night. travell [crossed out]] 12/3/45 Travelling
13/3/45 Travelling 14/3/45 Travelling
15/3/45 Arrived Stunlayer Thank God!

[Page Break]

PARTII THE TREK

4/4/45 Left Kreigsgefangenenlager der Luft III
on the march. Slept in Pine Wood
5/4/45 Divebombed [inserted] BY USA THUNDER BOLTS [/inserted] Reached outskirts of
Neumarht @1500. Raining at 1800
[undecipherable] at 2300.
6/4/45 Fell in @ 02.00 marched in Rain
till 0600. Slept in pine wood in the
rain. S/C 10.00. Reached Barching Stadt
Ground Bread Honey Tinned Meat, Traded
for bottles & matches. Slept church.
7/4/45 Left column fort before [undecipherable]
Bathing Pond
8/4/45 Lift to top of hill. Walked on
alone caught up column, Frosty.
9/4/45, With column all day. Issued

[Page Break]

Parcel at Nieustadt. Bridge mined.
10/4/45 Stayed near Nieustadt all day with
sick. Wizard Farm, Lau Joe Darky Ben Eggs., all our aim.
11/4/45 French Parcel. Bullock Waggon
for 11 k’ometres. Break at midday, forts
bombing all round us.
12/4/45 Stayed in same village, Lau Green, Joe
Darley, Ben Chris & Me. Orchard.
13/4/54 Refined Mess Party on the
road Marched 5 K’metres
14/4/45 stayed put all day, old lady no trade
15/4/45 Stayed Put.
16/4/45 Marched 10 K’metres to Pfeffenhausen.
Kimi and myself. Large Spud issue
17/4/45 Marched 10 k’metres to Obermunchen
3 Eggs. 20 French Fags
18/4/45 Left Obermunchen 17.00 marched 7
K’metres to Naider Munchen

[Page Break]

PART II CONTD
19/4/45 Stayed Naider Munchen. Acquired
a new bottle.
20/4/45 Marched 8 k’metres. Arrived
Maasburg.


[Page Break]


PART III
KRIEGIE No MORE

29/4/45 Fighting heard @ 09.00. Stars
& Stripes raised in camp at 12.30. Tank
& Jeeps in compound @14.30.
1/5/45 Issue White Bread, Flour, Good
[undecipherable] Kiwi acquired Frying Pan.
Rhubarb
2/5/45 Rice + Rhubarb Pancakes.
3/5/45 Doughnuts
4/5/45[undecipherable] + Mirror Pictures Rhubarb
Potatoes, Killed Pig.
5/5/45 Wood from house. Celery Onions
& Parsnips acquired. Pork Chops & chips
for breakfast.
[deleted] 6/5/45 pork chop and chips [/deleted]

[Page Break]

6/5/45 Pork chops, Roast and Mashed spuds
Parsnips, Plum Pudding. Killed a
Rabbit. Announced 10,000 leaving
Tomorrow
7/5/45 Breakfast Pork chop and chips,
Deloused. Rabbit Stew. Corned Beef
Hash Prunes & Toothpaste blancmange
8/5/45 Kiwi & Tom left @ 05.30, Fried Eggs
Spam Spuds & bread, Cereal. Victory Fudge
Moved out @ 5minutes notice left camp at 13.15
Lorry to Landshut airfield. Back to Landshut &
in billet @1800. K Rations, Bouillon, corned
Pork Roll, Plum Pudding. German Beer!!!
9/5/45 Ham & Egg Toast & Marmalade. Airfield
All day, Landshut Bouillon, Canned Pork Loaf
& Spam and Tomatoes.
16/5/45 Shredded Wheat, Ham & Eggs, LT.
HARRINGTON DAKOTA B 09.35 2.25

[Page Break]

PART III Cont’d
To Rheim. Lorry to Camp. Meal Corned
Beef Peas and Potatoes Peaches Coffee, Lorry
To Juviencourt w/o BELIVEAU. Lancaster
18.25
W 01.35 to Westcolt.
11/5/45 00.30 Lorry to Leighton Buzzard. Train
to Cosford. Registration Telegram Bath [deleted] Bed [/deleted]
& Breakfast & bed. 14.00 – 17.00 Doc
Clothing etc.
12/5/45.