Madden, Andrew (Oral history)

British private served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1939; private served with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB and France, 1939-1940; POW in Germany, 1940-1945

REEL 1 Background in Durham, GB, 1923-1939: area grew up in; family; family home and income; delay to start of school; education; leisure activities and pocket money; effects of 1926 General Strike; Grammar School exam; decision to leave school; temptation to join army; work in carpet factory including details of pay and working week. REEL 2 Continues: annual holidays and working on Good Friday; details of work at factory; weaving apprenticeship; time in Church Lads Brigade and Boys Brigade; reason for joining; signs of approaching war; reasons for joining Territorial Army. Aspects of period as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1/1939-9/1939: belief would be fighting a war soon; changes to uniform and equipment; reaction of parents to his joining army; process of joining unit; description of Gilesgate Drill Hall. REEL 3 Continues: details of Permanent Staff Instructor; background of officers and NCOs; NCOs in company; memories of Company Sergeant Major Rickaby; temporary presence of Stan Holcroft; treatment from NCOs; sports and training; memories of Colour Sergeant Tullis including story of march to Whitburn; uniform and equipment issued; bayonet issued; drill night activities of different platoons; background of troops; postings in Headquarters Company; details of drill; weapons training; carrying of rifle; bayonet drill; route marches; weekend camp at Masque; opinion of training; gas precaution training. REEL 4 Continues: kit inspections; discipline; details of pay; regularity of drill nights; formation of 11th Battalion; news of posting in 11th Battalion; officers in battalion; reaction to posting. Aspects of period as private with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 9/1939- 3/1940: time in Intelligence Section; transfer to and work of Pioneer Platoon; background of troops; own role in platoon; transport in battalion; troops joining battalion; accommodation in Chester-le-Street; memories of company commander Tommy Martin; story of collection from work for mobilisation; attitudes of troops and civilians towards war; equipment situation including opinion of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. REEL 5 Continues: commander of Pioneer Platoon; accommodation at Lambton Castle; memories of company commander "Tubby" Martin; activities on Pioneer Platoon; story of rugby match at Lumley; hospitalisation with pleurisy; visit from officer and Regiment Sergeant Major Connolly; posting as adjutant's batman; work in office before appointment; duties of batman; opinion of post; memories of Captain Shipley; request for end to batman work; posting with French Liaison Officer; opinion of reason for needing a Liaison Officer; details of brigade and division; training received in GB; rumour of posting in Norway; visits home; loss of key workers; voyage from Southampton to Le Havre; reaction to posting in France. Aspects of period as private with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 3/1940-5/1940: first impressions of France; reception from civilians; march through Le Havre; train journey to Frévent; accommodation. REEL 6 Continues: relationship with civilians and leisure activities; French views of war; weapons and transport in battalion; air activity and measures taken; rations and catering staff; activities in Frévent; posting in Nuncq; accommodation; memories of Liaison Officer Bernard Bernard; first visit to a French unit; impression of French troops including Liaison Officer's opinion of French troops; duties of Liaison Officer. REEL 7 Continues: memories of Bernard Bernard and accommodation; details of pay; further memories of Bernard Bernard; more on duties of Liaison Officer; out of bounds area; story of collecting Vichy Water from a brothel; health of battalion; activities of battalion; story of cow killed; changes among officers; German invasion. Aspects of operations as private with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 5/1940-6/1940: assembly and commandeering of French trucks; reaction of young officer to activity while at temporary cookhouse; capture of Liaison Officer Bernard Bernard; arrival near La Bassée; position taken with Welsh Guards; action against Germans. REEL 8 Continues: injury to eye; withdrawal from position; formation of Independent Company; holding Germans on La Bassée Canal; opinion of German weaponry; reaction to being in action; problems with communication; firing on opposing troops; details of Independent Company; casualties and help given to wounded soldier; arrival of German tanks; organisation of withdrawal from canal; reactions to situation; decision to head for coast; start of journey to Dunkirk; refugees and dangers on road; company formed and weapons gathered; continuation of journey off-road; troops joining group including French Moroccans; exchange of fire with Germans in a farmyard; reaction to situation; rations gained en route; state of troops; fear of civilians; story of civilians arrested in Nuncq; continuation of journey; decision to travel south to reach coast. REEL 9 Continues: knowledge of planned withdrawal; sightings of German troops; decision to split into small groups; details of his group and their location; search of a chateau; departure and continuation of journey; shelter taken in dugout; capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 6/1940-7/1940: initial treatment; march to chateau; wait outside talking with German troops; interrogation; fears on capture and opinion of treatment; journey on half-track and thoughts of escape; arrival in field full of POWs; short march and division of POWs; conditions on train journey to Valenciennes; accommodation in Arras; rations; contact with Spanish soldier from French Foreign Legion; issue of bread; latrines; background of POWs; washing facilities; length of time in barracks; details of march to Cambrai and overnight stops on journey; desire to escape and problems in doing so; weather; photographs taken of march; arrival in Cambrai; assistance given to Irish doctor; impressions of guards. REEL 10 Continues: journey in cattle trucks; details of march in Luxembourg and formation of column; arrival in Germany and march through Trier including reception from civilians; later use of photograph in Polish newspaper; state of POWs; drop-outs from march; story of Welsh Guard in Netherlands; journey through Germany. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 7/1940-1/1945: train journey to Thorn; processing on arrival; description of Stalag XX A; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; background of POWs; story of Naval POW; organisation and role of camp; forts around Thorn; placement in Fort 13; friend in camp; sleeping arrangements; life in and opinion of Fort 13; rations and cooks; loss of weight; dysentery among POWs; latrines; physical and mental health of POWs; thoughts of escape; rumours of help from Red Cross; treatment from guards; morning procedures; washing facilities; reactions of different POWs to situation; medical facilities; story of POW taken to medical officer; work within camp; overcrowding and transfer to Fort 17. REEL 11 Continues: organisation in Fort 17; conditions in fort; placement on railway working party; details of work; working hours; turnover of workers; POWs released at this time; story of food gained from civilian workers; leadership of Regiment Sergeant Major Homer at Fort 17; contact with guards on railway working party; stealing among POWs; replacement uniform gained; later use of clogs; troop bartering with boots; problems with bartering; cards sent home from Cambrai; mail; issue of items received from Red Cross; first issue of Red Cross parcels; conditions in Fort 17 during winter; posting to road working party; accommodation and details of work; rations; issue and contents of Red Cross parcels; bartering with civilians; reason for wanting to escape; plan made for escape; visits from camp to local village; decision to make serious escape; guards stationed at accommodation. REEL 12 Continues: preparations and plans for serious escape; escape from camp; initial march from camp and plan to head for Danzig; day spent in haystack; help gained from civilians; continuation of journey; accommodation during journey; arrival on outskirts of Danzig; crossing of railway; clothes worn; walk to platform; talk with civilians; walk to docks; capture in waiting room; attitude of other POWs to escape; thoughts and difficulties during journey; hopes for escape from Danzig; chances of escape; problems during journey; supply of water; communication with civilians; ethos behind escape; length of escape; enjoyment of escape; care of feet; details of rations taken on escape; condition when caught; description of capture; truck journey to local camp; stay in camp; treatment from capturing guards. REEL 13 Continues: interrogation; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; rations; curiosity of POWs; length of time in camp; transfer to camp in Marienberg area; details of trial; return to Danzig; camp imprisoned in; treatment from guards; removal of personal items; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; rations; latrines and washing facilities; cleaning of cell; methods of filling time; thoughts during imprisonment; lighting in cell; story of magazine given; opinion of guards; speech when released and description of guards; taken to Marienburg camp; population and description of camp; arrival in accommodation; background of POWs in hut; sleeping arrangements; issue of Red Cross parcels; contents and types of Red Cross parcels; opinion of parcels; number of POWs in hut; organisation in huts; roll calls and clogs issued; groups within hut. REEL 14 Continues: problems among POWs; joining and details of working party; accommodation; rations; details of work; organisation of guards; working hours and breaks; work on farm including accommodation and civilian colleagues; opinion of working party; rations; length of time on farm and conditions; work with potatoes; escape from farm; march toward Danzig and capture; length of escape; sleeping arrangements; cleanliness; details of capture; reason for and reflections on escape; soldiers picked up by; trial; imprisonment in Bishopsburg including comparison with previous stay; weather; clothing worn. REEL 15 Continues: journey to and stay at Marienburg; population of hut; joining a working party; train journey to East Prussia; description and role of camp taken to; accommodation; population of camp; monastery in area; opinion of rations; memories of camp leader Regiment Sergeant Major Kennedy; allocation of work; details of work including memories of Andre Dreyfuss and contact with German troops; length of time in camp; passing through of Spanish Blue Division; more on jobs worked in camp; cooks and rations; frequency of mail; parcels from home; bartering in area; camp band. REEL 16 Continues: boxing tournament; items received from Red Cross; football; concert parties including story of gathering performers; medical facilities; accidents in camp; Red Cross inspection; hut inspections; impossibility of escape; story of unexploded shell; opinion of troops in camp; earlier boasting of Germans; troops leaving for Russian front; state of Russian POWs arriving in camp; transfer to different camp; delousing and issue of new uniform; description of camp; reason for placement in camp; accommodation; length of stay; burial and German treatment of Russian POWs; return to Stalag XXI B; relationship with Yugoslav POWs including German treatment of them; opinion of large camps; rations and guards at quarantine camp; panic in typhus infected areas; working party at sugar beet factory. REEL 17 Continues: return to Marienburg; joining of working party; accommodation; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; size of farm; facilities and rota for cooking; story of Red Cross parcels; posting as interpreter; visit from local commander and posting as spokesman; contact with other camps in area; details of work and civilian colleagues; working day and potato trial; work with animals; health; walks around area and punishment when reported; bartering with civilians; method of leaving camp; time imprisoned in bunker; new accommodation on return; memories of Richard Hermann; more on work with animals; story of POW smoking on job and punishment he received. REEL 18 Continues: trials; breakdown of thresher; transfer to army camp; political prisoners in camp; story of arrival in camp; trial; return to camp with Richard Hermann; conditions in prison camp; guards; German expectation of escape; number of convictions; reasons for escaping so much; connection between good rations and escape; return from prison; story of POW who never returned from punishment; work collecting brushwood; story of local civilian called Goldsmith; contact with civilians; memories of woman who washed their clothes and other civilians in area; news of war and relationship with local woman including details and use of pay. REEL 19 Continues: running in area; football matches against local villages; visit of students from Danzig University; German recruitment of Irish POWs for Eastern Front; keeping warm through winter; clothing situation; worst jobs worked; walks out of camp during winter; trouble among POWs; suspicions about one POW; length of time in camp; move following Russian advance; escape into Lithuania before move including reason for escape; preparations for and date of escape; aim of escape; escape from camp; journey away from camp and contact with farmer; story of capture in an SS camp. REEL 20 Continues: placement with Russian POWs; movement through camps to Danzig; trial with General Eissen presiding; navigation during journey; language; help gained from civilians; distance travelled; fears and stress during journey; rations and water; details of bartering during journey; use of tree resin; passing through villages; return to farm; concern of guards; presence of records at trial; arrival of and relationship with guard from Waffen SS; alcohol distilled locally. REEL 21 Continues: new commandant; approach of Russians and departure of civilians; attitude of civilians towards Russians; weather during winter of 1944-1945; stay of Russians allied with Germans; preparations and orders to pack for departure. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1/1945-4/1945: march to join with column; items carried and knowledge of situation; group he was with in column; bodies seen in striped pyjamas and rumours of concentration camps; initial progress made and night stops; escape from column; time travelling with civilian woman; rejoining and details of column; rations; conditions during train journey; POWs suffering from frostbite; attitude of guards; talk among POWs; arrival in Pomerania; lift into Germany; knowledge of war; period away from column including advantages of travelling on own; air activity; problems with boots. REEL 22 Continues: details of march through Germany; rations; capture and treatment from Germans; placement in camp with American POWs; issue of parcels and clothing; heating and fuel; method of heating water for tea; roll calls; collection of fuel; morale and equipment in camp; arrival of German artillery; departure from camp in column; escape from column; route taken; details of POW camp near Bremen; relief from British column; issue of bread; visits into village including looting by displaced persons and relationship with civilians; capture of SS troops and Himmler; move to collection camp; flight to GB via Brussels. Aspects of period at Fairfield and on leave in GB, 4/1945-5/1945: reception on arrival in Fairfield; debriefing; souvenirs from time as POW. REEL 23 Continues: medical problems; discussion about march including reason for not knowing distance travelled; contact made with family on return; details of Fairfield Camp; accommodation; details of pay while POW and at Fairfield; organisation at Fairfield; leave given; medical; reception on arrival home; reactions on return home; settling into life in GB; medical; rejoining of 8th Battalion at Otley. Aspects of period as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 5/1945-8/1946: time at Otley; posting at HMS Dundonald; description of camp; amphibious training; news of selection for Buckingham Palace garden party; preparation for party at Greatham; train journey to London; other people attending party; march into Buckingham Palace; details of garden party including conversation with Princess Margaret; pass given as part of event; return to HMS Dundonald and training received; disbanding of unit; opinion of time in Scotland. REEL 24 Continues: explanation of demobilisation groups; opportunities to stay in army; process of demobilisation at York and period with holding battalion at Sedgefield including sports played; getting around rationing in Glasgow; leave. Aspects of period as civilian from 1946: civilian work; problems settling into civilian life after army life; disappointment in lack of support for soldiers; opinions of Territorial Army; membership of Old Comrades Association; religion; story of soldier killed shortly after war.