205429 Fus. William "Jake" Jacobs British Army Royal Fusiliers from:London My father, William 'Jake' Jacobs, was captured in Italy in 1942. He was part of the assault troops prior to the Salerno landings. His unit was captured by a Panzer Division. He was sent to Stalag VlllB POW number 32450 where he remained until the infamous death march in 1945. Back in Germany, in a series of transit camps, the guards began to lose heart and commitment. One day my father was part of a small group of men tasked with getting water from a well at the bottom of a hill with a horse and cart. They went down the hill with no guards, left the cart and carried on walking. Guns were firing on three sides, so they walked towards the one compass point that seemed quiet - East. My father was eventually picked up by Soviet troops in Prague. He was handed over to the Americans who debriefed him for some time being suspicious of his eclectic uniform! He was flown to France and then on to England where an amazing homecoming was organised in the East End where he lived.
He never really spoke about his time in Stalag VlllB, apart from the Red Cross food parcels, the salmon and the inventive ways of cooking food. Sadly he passed away in 1997.
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