Escape from Stalag 383 (success)

Stalag 383

POW Escape

(Success)

HOHENFELS (BAVARIA)

Before war's end the Germans decided to move the whole of the NCOs camp 383, across the R. Danube away from the advancing American front. 20 to 30 of us, classed as escapees, all who had escape records, were the last personnel out to be moved from the camp.

At around 8 pm at night the Germans, moved us under an escort of motorcycled armed infantry, they sent back into the empty camp sections of troops with military dogs to ferret out, with the occasional hand grenade thrown under random huts, any attempted men in hiding.

Five of us who were determined to get away, at the first opportunity, hung together. We had a good idea of the lie of the land outside the camp from previous experience. We chose a spot about one KILO from the camp, where the high track to the village as of Hohenfels dropped to a wooded slope of Pine trees. Our plan was for all five of us to drop behind to the rear of the column of troops and POWs. When we arrived at the chosen spot I sat down in the middle of the track with two fingers down my throat, acting as a very sick character. Fortune was with us because there was only one rather plump young German sentry behind us. We had arranged for two of the lads to attend to things such as this happening, however one of my pals in the regiment Cpl BILLY COOPER, who was a Battalion Boxer was waiting the chance. As I was slumped in the middle of the tracks, being so terribly sick, the young sentry thumped me in the back and shouted “Rouse” move on. I remembered hearing his rifle and bayonet clattering on the track after Billy had connected to his chin.

We were up and down the slope and into the small trees fast! Knowing it was very difficult to hit targets at dusk or darkness. Shots were fired but no harm done, the Germans would not leave the column for a few. We five did not turn back but followed the whole column forward, and reach the village before them. After climbing a hill behind the village, we lay on the roof of a thatched house, built into the side of the hill and watched with delight the whole parade of Germans, motor transport and POWs pass on beneath us, in the pale moonlight, we were free.

We then retraced our steps back to the camp and actually lived in one of the empty guard boxes and Hohenfels itself eventually meeting up with the American troops, then by DAKOTA aircraft to Brussels from Nuremberg and from Brussels by LANCASTER bombers to be home weeks before the war finished.

Would not have missed one second, plus many more events and thrills,

Love Uncle Alf x

(Sorry I could not type these)