209452 Cpl. Peter Frederick "Pete" Zimmer United States Army 47 Infantry, 9 Division from:Flushing, NY My father's words months before his death from cancer in 1997. He was captured in Tunisia, Palm Sunday 1943, and reunited Palm Sunday, 1945.
Jack
Refer to the map, it's a small scale of Germany with most of the prison camps. Transferred by boat "German" to Naples, Italy. After 3 weeks in Italy transferred by box car to Moosberg, Germany. Registered with the Red Cross, then after 3 weeks again put on box cars to Stalag 3B Furstenberg where we were confined until the Russians pushed within some 7 to 10 miles from the camp. Marched from Stalag 3B towards Stalag 3A, however a small contingent was broken off and sent to a small work camp in Luckenwalde. We were there from approximately Jan 1945 to the beginning of April 1945. During this time we, Art Rosenberg and myself, decided we would break from the column and try to get to American troops. While waiting to move out the released Russian prisoners stole our stored extra food and we had none left. At this time we took in a loner, Aid Mersfelder from Monhegan Island, Maine, who knew our plans and volunteered his food. Broke from the column on the second day, Germans thinking we were stupid and could not understand orders and gave up on us.
After 2 exciting and harrowing days of freedom we came across about 10 French POWs at the side of a small intersection of country roads. Their apparent leader was a younger former policeman from Paris who approached me telling us the Americans were on this road to the left, or east. He said we had to go through these tanks and Germans, who were standing around smoking and appeared confused themselves. The Frenchman stated we walk in the center of his men, bend over and shuffle your feet, not straight up like Americans. Scary part of the whole thing, I could have touched the tanks. After a half day we got to the Elbe where we found hundreds of French POWs who had been there several days afraid to move over the levee to the river. We took Art's tee shirt and waved it and moved over to the levee, where 3 Americans came in a small private boat, took on us 3 Americans, a few British who were there, and took over the French in several trips.Ironically the day of capture was Palm Sunday 1943, back to Americans Palm Sunday 1945.
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