| Flt. Lt. Ian William Tweddell World War II P. O. W. Diary January 12, 1917 to June 19, 1975 |
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| Tuesday, April 10 Left camp about 09:00. March very leisurely. Picnic lunch at 12:00. Vestertemke; Krichtempke towards Zeven. Goons easy. Fairly heavy fog lifting visibility 1 - 2 miles by 12:00. Distance in morning 5 kms. Stretcher quite good for short hops. Zeven 18:00. Field 3 km. past at 20:00. Scared by a/c. Ditched during afternoon. Night damp and misty. 15 km. Wednesday, April 11 Aufstenen 06:30. Marched 11:00. Camped at 17:30. Straw and willow bed in damp field. Wash in stream. Scared by Tempests during afternoon. At least one killed. 4 eggs for 2 bars of soap; Gash spuds; Everyone cheesed. German villages very pretty. Organization pretty poor. 1/2 kilo of meat and loaf of bread issued. 12 km. Thursday, April 12 Up about 07:00. Egg, spuds, sardines, bread, coffee for breakfast. Marched 09:00. Constant stops. Good news. Smasher got spuds and buttermilk at lunch time stop. Tempests around again; everyone jumpy. Passed thro' Harsefeld at 14:30. Reached field at 15:00. A dryer field than usual. Lunch 2 pieces of bread, milk brew. Tea - brew and 4 pieces of bread and peanut butter. Supper - 1 pound potatoes, 1 lb. meat, 1 biscuit and milky brew. Walk to brickworks for water. 10 km. Friday, April 13 Up 07:00. Weather changing; sky overcast. Appel 15:00. Out collecting wood in a. m. Made turf wind break and sheet tent. German issue 3 tins bread, 1/2 kilo meat. Supper 1 lb spuds, 2 eggs, 12 cigarettes, 2 pieces of bread, coffee sans milk. Mass production of carts in town. Very dull, cold evening. Bags of trading all round camp. In bed early. Feeling O.K. so far - more food. Carts, 100 cigarettes or 2 oz. B.H. a/c signs in fields. Poles at brickworks. 6 weeks walking from Konigsberg. Saturday, April 14 Up at 07:00. Damn cold but sky clear. Dauer brot and coffee then hang around until 09:00. Blanket roll on baggage truck. Fields in shambles. Turves torn up to make shelters. Brush and tin cans all over. By 15:30 had travelled 6 kms. 1/2 hour for lunch; 1 1/2 hours with other rests every few hundred metres. Billeted in orchard. Fine view over valley. Volksturm chased wood parties home. Water stopped because farmer's cans stolen. Aircraft over on recco' in evening. Supper 2 lbs. spuds, 1/2 kilo meat, 2 very milky brew. One toe blistered. 15 km march to Elbe tomorrow. Turned in dirty at 21:00. 6 km. Sunday, April 15 Up at 07:00 after restless night due to intruders. Marched 09:30. Neuklaster, Jork, Cranz. Most of march through a district of apple trees and ditches. Civilians either friendly or apathetic. Villages very pretty and substantial. Lunch on a windy road. Weather threatening all day, clearing in the evening. One squadron of intruders seen. Reached Cranz at 17:30. |