By George Boyden, Helpston (aged 86 years)
This question will no doubt be asked frequently of those whom it affected: “Where were you on VE day” (8th May 1945)? Well, at that stage, I was heading towards five years as a Prisoner of War (POW) having been captured at Calais in May 1940. Perhaps it would not be out of order to preamble with my experiences prior to being in a small town called Geirsberg (later Kysperk and then renamed Lehtorad) on the 8th of May 1945.
George Boyden
My billet had been for the past three years in a small village called Kriegsdorf (Valsov) on the eastern side of Morovia – close to the border of Slovakia. Orders were given on the Good Friday that we were moving out on the Saturday, rumour had it that we would be going westward and probably on foot and carrying our own kit! Previous experience dictated that on the march we would receive little food – at best a small supply of bread and coffee. So we packed our kit bags with items that were suitable for bartering which would supplement our meagre rations.
Our group of 30 men plus three armed guards set off on what turned out to be a five week journey. The weather as I recall was good with no rain. The country roads where lined with almond trees in blossom and with visions of freedom not far ahead we were reasonably light-hearted. That night our luck held when we found an empty barn to spend the night in. Our washing facilities were streams, rivers or farmyard pumps.
As we plodded westwards we expected to be overtaken by Russian troops, but all we saw was a ‘Lightning Fighter’ fire off rockets disabling two steam locomotives which had been pulling a long train of empty trucks. We stayed on the road!
A small group of six had been formed and a small hand cart “acquired” for carrying our kit bags. We pooled the items that could be bartered such as woollens and underwear. My food scavenging sorties with an Australian called Snowy Wiltshire helped keep the outfit above the hunger threshold. A basic use of German gleaned from a grammar book increased our foraging success rate. However, on a daytime search for food Snowy and I lost touch with the group and lost all our personal belongings except for a small pack of toiletries. The next day we carried on walking westward.
A short time later Snowy, who had been captured in Greece had to say cheerio. We all shook hands and he was off down to Greece. I never saw him again. I did hear later that he had arrived safely in England.
It’s at this juncture my recollection of our daily progress becomes rather vague – but I do recall arriving at the small town of Giersberg now called Lehtorad. It was here I recall our first night was spent in a temporary barracks full of German soldiers. But more importantly, I was under cover, with a bunk and a blanket! During the night the German troops made a speedy evacuation – the Russians were just up the road. The next morning with a New Zealander, Basil La Prue, we met with the local stationmaster who offered us a twin bedded railway worker’s flat with wash basin and running water – luxury. My rudimentary German language skills again paying dividends.
Due to military activity we and the other allied troops were not allowed to leave the town. There were no organised eating or messing arrangements. Not too foot sore or weary, Basil and I wandered around the town and it’s environs. On one excursion we met and got talking to a factory director who invited us to dinner at his home that evening. Much to our surprise and delight the dining table was laid out formally. We ate a tasty two course meal served with wine followed by coffee. I cannot recall the time, but, during the meal our host asked for silence and switched on the radio. And on the BBC 6 o’clock we heard King George Vl declaring the end of the war. We charged our glasses with Johnny Walker Scotch Whisky and in marvellous surroundings toasted ‘The King’. In a final generous gesture our host presented me, for my mother, a length of cloth manufactured in his factory.
May 15th we were amongst the mass of Czechs in Wenceslas Square celebrating the return of President Dr. Benès.
May 20th I was registered by the Third US Army in Pilzen as a recovered Allied POW. This is where Basil and I parted company.
May 24th arrived in Worthing UK.
May 26th Home to be met by most of my family.
The length of cloth presented to me in Geirsberg by factory director, Karl Janonsek was made into a dress for my diminutive mother. My memories of those last few weeks as a POW are of the joy of freedom, adventure and excitement. May it be called a layer of tasty cream on a very hard crust of endurance!”
