| Robert Hodgson World War II P. O. W. Interrogation |
| conversation I was sent back to my cell. On Nov. 13th I was again brought before the interrogation officer. He again requested that I complete the form - I refused. Then he said, "I think that you may well be a legitimate P.O.W., however, German High Command think that by your refusal to fill in this form, you are a spy and must be turned over to the Gestapo." He then gave me a hard look and said, "You no doubt have heard of our Gestapo? You can go back to your cell and think about what your stubbornness is doing to you." I returned to my cell extremely disturbed. During my training I had attended a number of lectures, given by an Intelligence Officer, on what to expect if captured by the enemy, your rights under the Geneva Convention etc. He stated taht the basic German interrogation system would in all likelihood remain the same because once into a system it is the German way not to change. He told of one method used by the Germans: Let us say that they suspect a certain prisoner knew more than he let on and they wanted to get that info. So they placed three persons in a room, under guard and were told that they were going to be shot as spies. A guard came in and removed a prisoner (a plant) and in the room one could hear that commands to place the man before a firing squad - then the order to "fire" and the sound of rifle shots. After a delay of fifteen minuts a second prisoner was marched out (also a plant) and the same procedure was heard by the real prisoner. After a half hour the guard appeared and it was hoped that the man was by now eager to talk his head off. And so I'm back in my cell in a state of agitation. I wonder if they mean it - oh man! After escaping the aircraft and all else that took place I don't want to go through the torture and eventual death --- and so my mind raced. I recalled the above training lecture and after many hours of agonizing I decided that surely this was a spin off of the spy firing squad routine. During the afternoon of the next day, or maybe it was the following day - I was "treated" to a conversation which I could hear quite well and which was coming to me from the next cell. It was apparently between a German and an American P.O.W. (obviously American by the strong southern accent). The German voice asked how he was doing and thanked him for his cooperation - was the food to his liking - would he like a bath and the American voice came back "Yah! Everything was great and he would like to move on. The German voice said he was moving out to a P.O.W. camp that evening. On Nov. 16th I was taken to the interrogation office, but I was held outside in the hall apparently to witness the following: The top dimpled glass door was back lighted so that I could see the outline of two men shaking hands and hear a voice say "Thank you Squadron Leader for your cooperation, you will soon be on your way to regular P.O.W. Camp where you will be able to be with your fellow officers. Good-bye and good luck!" No one came out the door and the back lighting ceased. I was ushered into the Interrogation Officer who said, "So! Have you made up your mind to fill out he registration form or do we have to send you to the Gestapo?" I replied "I have filled out the form with my name, rank and |
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