Roberts, William John (Oral history)

British private trained with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1940; served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France and Belgium, 1940; POW in Germany, 1940; escape and journey towards Soviet Union, 1940-1941

REEL 1 Background in Tonypandy, Wales, 1918-1939: family; effects of 1926 General Strike; family home; sacking of miners for political beliefs; communism in 1920s; communism in Malaya and Russia; work and background of parents; mining and army background of family; attendance at chapel; leisure activities as child; education including memories of teachers and hatred of bullying; shoes supplied by council; clothing situation and Christmas; father's garden and allotment. REEL 2 Continues: food situation; area he grew up in; work in greengrocer's shop at age five including pay; terrain around Tonypandy; kite flying; story used to ensure children returned home before dark; discipline and punishment within community; tunnelling for own coal and story of walk into this mine; story of near accident during riots in 1921; relationship between church and public houses; prosperity following 1926 General; Strike; membership of Cubs and opinion of Scout movement; end of education; opinion that he should not work with his father; encouragement of father to not work in mine; respect for miners; school friend who died in mine; mining community in Tonypandy; work in bakery. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of education and importance of good handwriting; favourite subjects and interest in archaeology; opinion of importance of keeping Welsh language alive; responsibilities at school; reason for leaving school; more on work in bakery including details of pay and working week; reason for change to a rival baker; work on coal levels including details of pay and working hours; lunch; Saturdays; giving out of coal and start of time on dole; week working in Torquay; seasonal work in Pwllheli; disappearance of friend Bryn Parry. REEL 4 Continues: selling ice cream in dancehall at age ten; leisure activities; annual trip to seaside; search for work in London; work as footman at 22 Grosvenor Square; signs of approaching war; expectation of call-up into services; story of holding box of diamonds for a man; work given by resident at 22 Grosvenor Square; outbreak of war 9/1939 and first sounding of sirens; medical; arrival of call-up papers and resignation from work; reaction of family to his enlistment; learning about First World War at school; changes in Britain since First World War. REEL 5 Continues: details of army medical examination; reaction to posting to Newcastle; request to join navy or air force; resignation and time at home; reaction of family to his joining up; train journey to Newcastle; attitude towards conscripts. Aspects of period as private training with Infantry Training Coy Durham Light Infantry Depot, 10/1940-3/1940: arrival in Newcastle and journey to Fenham Barracks; story of placement in guard room and standing up to prisoner; first meal and night in army; morning parade with recruits from London; journey to Spennymoor and unit joined; NCO instructors; attitude of recruits; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; storage of utensils; dining hall; relationship with civilians; relationship with fellow recruits; sending home of civilian clothing; issue of uniform; alteration of uniform; equipment issued; opinion of boots; rifle and bayonet issued and reaction to issue; ammunition issued; discipline; discussion of his aim to absorb army life but not forget civilian life; relationship with civilians; reason for not holding dances at this time; training in public and opinion of reason for doing so. REEL 6 Continues: adapting to army discipline; disciplinary exercises; learning to form ranks and march; story of help given to a recruit having problems; building up to Light Infantry pace; marching with rifle; learning of drill language; details of initial marches; method of carrying rifle; equipment carried on route marches; emergency ration and water ration; length and opinion of basic training; firing at opposing troops; building up of route marches; morale; collection of troops falling out; foot inspections. REEL 7 Continues: breaks on marches including the reason pipe smokers could finish pipes whilst marching; increase in weight carried on route marches; discipline of march; NCOs dealing with traffic; formation of march; organisation of marching through towns; going to toilet during march; final mile of a march; summary of training; fieldcraft training; opinion of rations; breakfast; lunch; evening cocoa; supplements to rations; details of pay; singing on route marches; need for camaraderie among troops; opinion of bullying; support given to homesick recruits; visits to pubs. REEL 8 Continues: field training; gas precaution training including civilian use of gas capes; bayonet training including reason for using it in close combat fighting; description of bayonet; opinion of bayonet and its use; training with Bren and Thompson sub-machine guns; problems with and opinion of Bren gun; reason for not training with mortars; mortars in regiment; weapons training; other specialist weapons; weekend leave in London; night training and its usefulness later; end of basic training and volunteering for signals training; posted to Browney Colliery, Durham; modes of communication; laying and connecting of telephone cables; role of regimental signallers in the field; efficiency of field telephones; need for accuracy in connecting lines and repairing of lines; tracing breaks at night; difference in sending and return wires; signalling language. REEL 9 Continues: description of handsets and throat microphones used; length of time at Browney Colliery; posting in draft; accommodation in Durham. Aspects of journey from Durham, GB, to Rouen, France, 3/1940: journey to Cherbourg via Southampton; reactions to posting abroad; first impressions of French and journey to Rouen; marching on French roads; posting to 8th Battalion. Aspects of period as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 3/1940-5/1940: welcome from troops; time in Ossy; posting in Gondecourt; accommodation; dining hall; discipline; false security from lack of activity; sports; weapons training; posting in D Company 16 Platoon; background of troops; memories of Lieutenant Dees; memories of other officers; memories of NCOs including Sergeant Major Patterson; friends in platoon and leisure activities; relationship with civilians; troops courting women and visiting brothels; reason for not doing so himself; local wine; rations; latrine; cleaning of latrines; washing facilities; standard of turnout; problems with lice; soldier with crabs (pubic lice); medical inspections; reveille; inspections and parades. REEL 10 Continues: football matches; crash of German bomber and British plane; German invasion; digging of anti-tank ditches and opinion of Maginot line; mining of bridges and roads; description of anti-tank ditch; description of garage converted into a pillbox; transport and rations during anti-tank ditch construction; opinion of 8th Battalion troops; visiting showers in Rouen; supply of hot water in camp; mail. Aspects of operations as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 5/1940: news of German invasion; journey into Belgium including speed of march; arrival at Grammont and positions taken; soldiers withdrawing through positions; story of patrol to locate light seen in house and argument over what to do with civilians arrested; firing of Bren gun killing French troops; preparation for destruction of bridge; withdrawal of company and force left to defend bridge; attempts to bring Norfolk Regiment troops across bridge; wait on bridge; withdrawal and explosion of bridge; return to unit. REEL 11 Continues: knowledge of overall situation; withdrawal towards France; problems created by refugees on road; arrival in Roubaix; rest received; journey to Arras; arrival on Vimy Ridge; breakfast; reconnaissance patrol and report made; seeking of relief and breakfast; recall for start of counter attack; German plane shot down; advance over ridge; adrenalin flow prior to attack; state of troops during march towards action; equipment and ammunition carried; thoughts and concerns during march and movement of Bren gun around section; contact with opposition during action; reactions to killing someone; determination of troops; humour and singing in unit; artillery fire from both sides; air activity; German use of artillery; tank support; encircling of and fire in Arras; withdrawal of Welch Guards; German bombing and amount of time behind schedule; Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks; damage from shrapnel. REEL 12 Continues: attacks from fighter planes and fire returned from Bren, including letter written by Norman Carter about this event; drawing of planes away from battlefield and taking cover in copse; story of first man who joined him in copse; aerial attacks on copse; story of group of half-dressed troops in copse; opinion of why troops had panicked and reaction to them; joining colleague and ammunition used; search for headquarters; scenes and smells on battlefield; taking cover from attacks; damage to clothing and pack from shrapnel; description of Stuka divebomber attacks; reaction to situation and suddenness of attack; disappearance of tanks; exchange of Bren for rifle; arrival in chateau grounds with Andy Acton and shelling; decision to withdraw from grounds over high gate; story of Acton getting stuck on gate and approach of German motorcycle and sidecar; contact with suspicious tanks and hitching lift on one; facing fire from 8th Battalion DLI anti-tank guns; approach of German tanks and capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 5/1940: initial reaction to capture; arrival at tank laager; German tank commander. REEL 13 Continues: time and date taken prisoner; night in tank laager; interview with tank commander; anger at information given; thoughts about escape and mood of fellow POWs; journey to base camp; other POWs; treatment from guards; officer shot for striking a German; searching of POWs; reason given for searches; shooting of Moroccan POWs; more on search; part played in battle by POWs; details of wagons and convoy transported in to Belgium; issue of bread and water on third day; conditions on journey; contact with civilians and issue of bread from guards; stay in camp behind Siegfried Line including latrines; journey to railway station; hostility from civilians; conditions on train journey across Germany including methods of relieving selves on journey; treatment during stop in Posden; story of soldier who stole cheese and punishment given; reactions to situation; journey to Thorn and Stalag XX A. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 5/1940-9/1940: description of Thorn. REEL 14 Continues: opinion of reason for stopping outside town and marching into it; thoughts of escape; state and treatment of POWs on march into Thorn; description of Stalag XX A and accommodation; view from windows; washing and latrine facilities; rations; shaving; sleeping arrangements; problems with lice and visits from Canon Latham; delousing in Thorn Barracks; onset of and treatment for scabies; opinion of possible reason for treatment at Stalag XX A; POW Camp built for 51st Highland Division prisoners; trouble caused by Scottish POWs; punishment issued to an escapee; talk among POWs from DLI 8th Battalion D Company; plans for escape and realisation of its impossibility; importance of time on roof; details of working parties; make-up of his working party; story of sorting Corporal Tony Bainbridge into his working party. REEL 15 Continues: journey to Konitz; description of camp and its defences; latrines; emptying of latrines; story of POW who fell in latrines; repairs made to clothing; sleeping arrangements; conditions in accommodation; dining room; guards and thoughts of escape; POWs working in camp; rations; reveille; breakfast; clogs worn; march to work; details of work undertaken; guards; working week and rations during day; washing facilities; evening activities; constant thought of escape; lights out; problems among POWs; Czech guard eager to fight; family's notification of his POW status. REEL 16 Continues: visits from the camp commandant and his successor; threat relating to escapes and reactions to this threat; state of POWs and increase in workload; attitude towards situation and need for careful planning of escape; opinion of reasons for not receiving mail; medical aid; arguments among POWs; risks behind escape and need to be registered as POW; skills learned in training that would be useful for escape; geographical knowledge; thinking through of difficulties faced during and after escape including building up of ration supply; nickname gained from intention to escape; attitude of himself and others to escape following Stalag 88 commandant's threat; windows of opportunity for escape; research into possibility of escape through window including group planning escape; trial and error theft of spanners to loosen bolts. REEL 17 Continues: method of loosening window bolts; removal of first bolt and discussion of how much work might remain; greasing of hinges and swivelling of window; map acquired by Tony Bainbridge; plans for escape to Danzig and beyond; hope for help from Polish civilians; boosts to hope from contact with civilians; food saved for escape; reason decision to wait until September for escape; condition of clothing; delousing; date of escape; methods of overcoming language problems including opinion that people should learn a second language. REEL 18 Continues: searches in town for signs; observation of guards and their movements; secrecy and care taken in planning; details of pay and items available to buy; importance of salt; details of camp money; building up of plan; water bottle within group; reasons four of group dropped out of escape; group who made escape; dealing with protests against escape when discovered; appointment of lookout; loosening of window and removal of second bolt; pass through window; rest taken outside window and concern from vehicle lights; Green Howards joining escape; concern of POWs left behind and opportunity given to those wanting to escape; fellow escapees; promise to take messages home; sent away by Andy Acton and replacement of window; effects in camp from escape; other successes of event. Aspects of period in transit from Konitz, Germany to Soviet Union, 9/1940-2/1941: escape to hillock and look back at camp; voices heard by haystack; discovery of sources of voices. REEL 19 Continues: rejoining of group and orders given for removal from area; initiative taken by himself and Bainbridge; cover taken in haystack; distance covered in first night; proximity to agriculture workers; contact made with farm workers by Green Howards; reprimand given before continuation of journey; movement onto road and knowledge of direction; intention to move out of initial search areas; reason for movement in line; passing by of cyclist and decision to get off road; argument over decision and split of group; withdrawal to field and decision to walk parallel with road; recapture of other group; wait before moving on; cover taken in haystack; air activity in morning; cigarette rolled by Joe Waller; approach of farmer with shotgun; escape from farm workers; cover taken under brambles in copse; German surrounding of copse and setting up of headquarters; searches with bayonets; wait for quiet; sighting of machine gun; approach of small girl picking mushrooms and wait to see what would happen; talk with girl and request for food; responsibility for Joe Waller; departure of girl; thoughts as darkness set in; ghost walk around copse and decision to stay. REEL 20 Continues: situation regarding food and boots; whistle heard; return of whistle and appearance of girl with father; food brought; information and warnings given; walk towards and crawl across road; rest in potato field and decision to keep crawling; state from crawling; methods of maintaining direction; tiptoe across road; feelings during night; discussion of what to do; story of cart stopped by German patrol; walk away from road; shelter taken in haystack; food and water situation; activities in haystack; aches and pains in body; use of moon to find direction; description of potato pit found; method of peeling potatoes; problems with potato gas; progress made over four nights; approach to crossroads and signpost found; discovery they had been walking in a circle; instinct to keep away from town lights; morale following discovery of mistake. REEL 21 Continues: method of relaxing during march; latrines; personal hygiene and searches for food including chewing of grass; wounds from brambles; march north from crossroads moving fast as possible; changes in use of moon for navigation; discovery of aerodrome and decision to take closer look; near discovery by German couple; vehicles found; aeroplane found and joke about stealing it; sentry by plane; scene inside a marquee; filling of water bottle; fear of being found and escape through perimeter fence; question over military presence in Poland; repetition of routine including state of water drunk; problems with lice; arrival on River Vistula; water drunk from river; decision to seek out a Polish farmer; method of finding Polish farm; shelter taken in barn; latrine; approach of farmer; talk with and fast disappearance of farmer; plan if came back with Germans; approach of young girls and discussion with them; food and drink given; reason for not keeping note of names. REEL 22 Continues: wait with farmer; return of girls from church and conversations with them; discussion of options for journey; decision to head for Russia; food and clothes given and stay in farmhouse; items given for journey; bath; boat borrowed by farmer and plan for voyage along river; details of farmer's daughters; agreement to receive little information about helpers; lift given across river close to bridge; escape from bank into darkness; route taken into Prussia; shelter taken in barn; need for water and suspicions in morning; memories of Joe Waller; Tony Bainbridge's request for water from farmhouse; run from farm; lead gained from chasers and stop for Bainbridge to relieve himself; continuation of run until dark; shelter taken and ration situation; weather during journey; concerns about approaching winter; attitude towards possible capture; removal of Bainbridge's stripes. REEL 23 Continues: playing hide and seek with Germans following search of cart; shelter taken in corn stook; woken by farm workers clearing field; orders given to sit still and children running around field; watching workers eat lunch; continuation of wait through afternoon and onset of dusk; relief and reaction following departure of workers and number of stooks left; difficulties moving after leaving stook; ration situation; hope to cover 15 miles each night and lessening of distance covered; activities at dawn and shelter taken; discussion next day and concern about alerting Germans so often; watching of farm workers to see if safe to approach; spotting of well; decision to approach old farmer; request for water; food and water given in farmhouse; information gained from farmer about position and situation in Poland; meal eaten; wait in barn for nightfall; departure from farm; plan for continuation of journey. REEL 24 Continues: searches for shelter before dawn; corn eaten in barn and following stomach problems; constant hunger and lesson learned from corn; method of navigation; problems from dogs; questioning of journey plan; arrival at railway lines and decision to catch a train; wait for train; morale; thoughts as train approached; reason for calling off attempt; decision to follow road; formation during walk; cover taken from vehicles; walk away from road and minor road taken; arrival at aerodrome; journey away from aerodrome and shelter taken; talk with Bainbridge; arrival on River Vistula and water drunk from it; decision to follow military road and look for bridge; walk along road and challenge from soldier; reaction to challenge and dive down embankment; sound of alerted Germans; run down river and refuge taken on Polish farm. REEL 25 Continues: morale and progress following stay on Polish farm; walk through village during curfew; story of meeting with German policeman; run from village and cover taken in hedge; use of searchlights and reactions; opinion of what Germans might have made of situation; wait and crawl away from village; story of escape from East Prussian farm; opinion of how they had managed to escape; rest in dense wood and decision to change direction; following of military road through forest; problems with Joe Waller's feet and period to carrying him; weather and changes in terrain; story of arrival at large home and escape from dogs into bog; glow-worms in and start of wade through bog; near disappearance and rescue of Joe Waller; argument following rescue; move onto solid ground within bog. REEL 26 Continues: decision of how to proceed from middle of bog; journey out of bog; determination to survive and beat Germans; losing track of time; exit from bog; help given by darkness; shelter taken in haystack including reason for not settling at top of stack; planning of next move with Bainbridge; time spent in haystack; condition on leaving shelter; problems with lice and importance of not scratching; plan of action; description of ditch found; Joe Waller's attempt to jump it; Waller's refusal to return from ditch; threats made to ensure Waller come out; reprimand for ill discipline when he did so; walk along and crossing of ditch; smell of Waller. REEL 27 Continues: decision for rest of night; shelter taken in haystack and reason for preferring haystacks; Joe Waller's problems with lice; deterioration of weather; reasons for deciding to push on through poor weather; light seen and headed towards; description of and entrance into house; owner of house; state of clothes and bodies; removal of clothes and boots; food and drink given including description of ersatz coffee; attempt to find out directions and further details of woodsman including discussion of moustaches worn by Polish men; need to cover tracks; food shortages in Poland; method of covering tracks; entrance into forest and description of shelter made in snow; description of wind and method of keeping warm; washing in snow and Joe Waller's need for medical attention; need to keep moving; fear of wild animals; cover taken in tree; comradeship within group; health; use of snow as food; exit from forest; food shortage. REEL 28 Continues: approach made to barn and shelter taken; contact made with farmer by Tony Bainbridge; food given and talk with farmer; journey to see friends of farmer and arrival in Central Poland; discussion on Polish Resistance Movement's knowledge of their plight; work of farmer; building taken to and group met by; concern over impression being made; description of vodka and food given and warning made to Tony Bainbridge; wariness over situation and earlier loss of identification; landlady; source of food; accommodation; hiding place during German searches; dangers of situation; date and period since escape; journey to next village and feeling of being in safe hands; farmer handed to; discovery of position in Poland; accommodation. REEL 29 Continues: situation with farms in Polish Corridor; visit to neighbouring village; description of surrounding countryside; planning of escape to Russia with villagers; reasons for German raids on village; villagers with two names; reasons for refusal of villagers to allow them to go on alone including shave and haircut for disguise; discussions of way to proceed; decision to stay in village for winter; health of Joe Waller; growing apart of group from separation; randomness of German raids; emergency plan; precautions taken during stay; details of farmer's family; story of bath; learning of Polish; responsibility to villagers. REEL 30 Continues: picking up of Polish words and names; accommodation; insulation and heating of farmhouse; relationship and improving communications with family; food available and bartering for extra food; compulsory contribution of crops to government and opinion of host that Poland was a prison camp; movement of pigs during raids; dying down of searches for them; need to be very careful; start of reconnaissance of area for emergencies; German raids and papers carried by Poles; trains seen going east; work being done on main road; visits during day to watch progress with road; thoughts on information gathered and need to beat Germans to Russia; concern of farmer at wanderings and Polish name given; news of Bainbridge and Waller; work on farm; weekly baths. REEL 31 Continues: organisation of Polish Resistance; continuation of work and farm and reconnaissance of road; socialising in village; reactions to village life; German confiscation of horse from local farm; warned of Germans in area; decision to plough in front of soldiers; danger villagers were placing themselves in; activity of Bainbridge and Waller during situation; opinion of German occupying troops; summary of horse confiscation story; rumours about their location; story of newspaper article and reaction to it; suspicions about article and request made to villagers; surrounding and search of two villages; day with lady had previously stayed with; return to village and reception; story received of search; return to routine and reactions to events; placement of sentries to watch for further German raids. REEL 32 Continues: details of informer; reason for not learning people's names; onset of winter and changes in village; reconnaissance of road; call for men top work on road; end of movement in day; conviction over coming invasion of Russia; description of cold weather; birthday and Christmas celebrations including remains of army clothing; further reconnaissance of road and decision to move on; departure from village; clothing situation; method of travel toward Russia; leader in village; communication with civilians; journey to next rendezvous; reactions to travelling in daylight; attitude toward situation; knowledge of and proximity to guides during journeys. REEL 33 Continues: emergency plan; rendezvous with Polish guide; meal and vodka; method of dealing with Joe Waller's drunkenness; journey on horse drawn sleigh; reception from civilians; dealing with suspicions; message passed on between escorts; rest and meal; thoughts during 20 mile overnight walk with young girl; reaction to having little contact with young women during journey; journey along road with girl including method of hiding tracks; arrival in village and handover; reception from village and vodka given; stay in village and presence of illegal still; alarm raised during drinking session and escape in sleigh; desertion of sleigh and race back to village; arrival in village and discovery Germans were only after still; treatment and sleeping arrangements; reaction to moving on; risks faced by people helping them; health and attempts to keep clean; passing of British POWs building a road; reluctance of civilians at next stop; journey to next point and handing over to Polish Resistance; suspicions on arrival in next farm and thoughts on results of capture. REEL 34 Continues: arrival of guide and informing of police officer's presence; attempt to ease tension; departure for next stage of journey; organisation of journey including changes in direction; story of night at farm including hot bath and health; delousing of clothing and realisation of vulnerability; treatment of skin; continuation of journey through Poland and sightings of German troops; hideout with priests also on run; move away from priests and date; belief that one of priests was Pope John Paul II and correspondence with him concerning this; religious beliefs; alertness against danger; reception from twelve men met in next village; questioning from one of group; radio in possession of group; information to be handed on to Russian Intelligence; Polish knowledge of Russian invasion; attitude of group towards them following conversation; plans to allow them into Russia; description of guide for last stage of journey; preparations for and reactions before final stage; weapon carried by guide; date and time of start; distance from frontier.