George Darling

Publishing permitted by Ian Darling, nephew of George Darling
 
George Darling kept a diary during his time as a POW. In this bookhe tells about the journey to the camps and the stay there. He tellsabout daily life,the food, the punishments and the paying system with cigarettes. The diary is illustrated with drawings. It is not known if he drew them. Below a selection of his diary.
 

 
 
The diary starts with a drawing of the burning plane.
   

   
My journey through Germany
 
June 22nd 1943: picked up at Tiel (Holland), transferred to Nijmegen jail and later on same day at Uden aerodrome where confirmed in cell for 2½ days.
   
June 26th 1943: transferred to military barracks in AMSTERDAM, where given further solitary confinement for 2 days
   
June 28th 1943: arrived at Frankfurt (Germany) late in evening and stayed overnight in station
   
June 29th 1943: Arrived Dulagluft Receiving Center for further confinement of 1½ days
   
July 1st1943: Transferred to dulagluft Interrogation Centre for 2 days confinement and questioning
   
July 3rd 1943: Taken to distribution Centre and thence to overflow Camp at Frankfurt aerodrome.
   
July 6th1943: Transported by rail across Germany, Poland and East Prussia to Stalagluft VI, Heydekrug, arriving therese on July 12thOctober: 5 day journey by rail across Poland to Stalagluft III, Sagan
   
Typical plan arrangement of a barrack at Stalagaluft VI in Heydekrug, Litouwen

 
   
October 1943: five day journey by rail across Poland to Stalagluft III, Sagan
 

Map of northern compound at Sagan Map of room 18 at Sagan
   
View from the barrack at Sagan Beds at Sagan
 
November 1943: returned to Heydekrug in 1½ days by ordinary passenger train.
     

Article Price
2 pair of bootlaces 55 cigarettes
1 p. playing cards 150 cigarettes
1 towel 95 cigarettes
1 pair of underpants 150 cigarettes
1 tablet of soap 25 cigarettes
1 p. of chewing gum 50 cigarettes
1 pipe 500 cigarettes
12 razer blades 100 cigarettes
1 handkerchief 25 cigarettes
1 tin of  Brialliantine 175 cigarettes
1 p. of khaki shorts 310 cigarettes
1 tin of shoepolish 90 cigarettes
1 pr. of pyjamas 650 cigarettes
1 comb 60 cigarettes
1 toothbrush 70 cigarettes
1 McLeans Dentifrice 130 cigarettes
1 p margarine 150 cigarettes
½ p. suiker 90 cigarettes
1 box matches 25 cigarettes

Auction at Heydekrug, May 1944

List of articles pu up for the auction.

Bidding in ..........cigarettes!!!

 
     

German camp regulations

  
     

A warning wire is within the barbed wire enlargement at a distance of 7 - 21 yards. POW's crossing or touching this barrier will be shot without warning.

In case of emergency, POW's may relieve themselves during the night to their particular barracks lavatory. POW's found outside during the night will be shot at.

In case of fire POW's if in danger are allowed to leave their room via the window.

In case of an emergency (f.i. danger of life) single POW's are permitted to leave the barracks via the window shouting loudly for assistance and approaching the tower sentry.

     

When alarm is given, all POW's are obliged to assemble immediately in their respective Barrack and Rooms. The windows are to be kept shut. The electric light is put out automatically by control. any prisoner remaining in the open two minutes after the sounding of the Alarm signal will be shot.

The available free places may be used as sports ground. the warning barriers comprise the extreme limits of such grounds. Any case of trespassing these limits must be avoided under all circumstances as the guards have strict orders to shoot at all trespassers.

 

 

     
July 17th 1944: Mass evacuation of Stalagluft VI and after journey of 1 1/2 days in cattle trucks arrived at M Stammlager 357 Thorn in Poland
   
August 9th 1944: Camp evacuated and after a further journey via cattle truck of 2 days arrived Fallingbostel, Germany
   
Drawing of  Stalag XIB at Fallingbostel
 
September 19th  1944: commission confirmed through German and proceeded to Sagan via Hannover, Berlin, Frankfurt an der Oder, Guben and Frost, arriving at Sagan approx. 2.30 pm on 19th
   
Christmas menu in Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Duitsland

The evacuation of Sagan
 
Sunday January 28, 1945
After standingby for 6 hours evacuated camp at 03.00 hrs. having collected one Red Cross parcel per man as well as our personal kit and food reserve. Weather bitterly cold, snowing and freezing hard. Marched throughout night and all day. Crossed 24 miles by nightfall and after 2 hours wait on road in bitter cold finally dispersed in barns for the night in village of Friewaldau.
 
Monday January 29, 1945
After a sound sleep, roused at 7 a.m. Obtained cup of hot water from farmhouse and set started on the march again at 9. a.m. Still bitterly cold, snowing, icy wind. Covered 18 miles to small town of Muskau. Further delay until accomodation was found in glass factory's air raid shelter.

Remainder of Kriegies dispersed in cinema and factories over town.
 

Tuesday/Wednesday

Resting up. Issued with first German rations since leaving Sagan. ½ loaf of bread, ¼ part of margarine, also 2/5 REd Cross Parce per man. Managed to cook hot meals of sorts on factory's furnace and passed away the time resting and sleeping. Weather changing, raining and thowing cold.
 
Thursday February 1, 1945
Ordered to leave factory by 9 pm and started marching again at 10 o'clock. Marched troughout night and after 16 miles billeted down in barns for 3 hours sleep.

Set off again after obtaining hot water from farmhouse and covered 7 miles to Sprenberg. Hot soup meal in military barracks before marching remaining to miles to railway siding.

 

Entrained on cattle trucks (40 men per truck) on the friday night. Collected ½ loaf of bread and ½ Red Cross parcel per man. Travelled all Friday night,  Saturday and Sunday with halts via Hallé, Hannover to camp 20 miles N.E. of Bremen.

 

Detrained 5 pm Sunday  4th at Tarmstedt and marched final 2 miles to camp.Four hours wait in white weather outside gate prior to search and allocation of barracks lacking in quipment or beds.

 
Obtained hot water from kitchen for brew then literally "bit the hay" exactly 7 days after setting off from Sagaan.

total distance covered on foot: 68 miles. Approximate distance covered by rail: 350 miles.

 

   
From Tarmstedt to Lübeck (or "the road to freedom")
 
April 10,  1945
After a false start on previous night, set off on foot for unknown destination at 9 a.m. carrying kit and acting to our instructions adopting a "go slow" policy to the faint hope that the British would overtake us. Covered 12 miles to Zeven before camping out in open field. Weatcher good.
 
April 11, 1945
Covered 9 miles to Bokel after shooting incident of previous night. Another night under the stars with 2 blankets.
 
April 12, 1945
Marched 9 miles in blazing hot weather. By now organised horse carts to carry heavy kit and guards pretty well fed up with their fatile efforts to get us to "weiter gehen". Kitted down outside Harsefeld.
 
April 13, 1945
Remained in field all day.
 
April 14, 1945
A further march of 6 miles to Neukloster. during which trading with the inhabitants was rapidly increasing. Eggs, bread,potatoes for cigarettes,chocolate or coffee.
 
April 15, 1945
A march off 11 miles to Cranz on the banks of the Elbe in colder weather completed half the stage of our journey. Now revealed that Lübeck  would be the ultimate destination.
 
April 16, 1945
Crossed the Elbe by ferry and walked 4 miles to field on outskirts of Blankanese.
 
April 17, 1945
Weather good again and covered 12 miles to smallvillage of Pinneberg.
 
April 18, 1945
Remained here all day and took apparently of bathing in stream nearby. Walked for miles across country entirely unguarded, speaking here and there with the locals befor returning to camp.
 
April 19, 1945
First night  under cover in barn as weather breaking. Distance today 12 miles.
 
April 20, 1945
Ten miles further on the road to village of Elmenhorst.  Another very comfartable night in barn.
 
April 21, 1945
Lazy day, weather too bad to march and remained close by though more or less free to wander around.
 
April 22, 1945
Set off again in bad weather for march of 14 miles to more barns in unknown village.
 
April 23, 1945
Nine miles easy walking to Patelügge were dispersed in small barns throughout village. Remained here for 3 days whilst authority argued as to weather we should continue into Lübeck, a further 4 miles, or retrace our steps to some isolated village till the end of the war.

In the meantime had pretty free hand and wandered around a good deal. Finally decided tomove us BACK!
 
April 28, 1945
Set off at 11 a.m. and marched 10 miles to Trentenhorst,15 miles S.W. of Lübeck. Billeted in large barns and settles down in true kriegie style to wait the end of the war.
 
Total distance covered on foot: 120 miles. totaltime (including all halts): 18 days.
 
Before leaving Tarmstedt issued with 2 Red Cross Parcels and during march received 1 Red Cross Parcel and 2½ loaves also 1 tin German meal.
 

At 1 p.m. on 2nd May 1945, a British armoured car drove into the village of Trenthorst thus liberating the remnance of Stalagluft III.

Thus the phrase "For you the war is over"spoken by a German officer almost two years ago, finally came true!