I just talked to my Dad today, he is going through some tough times as it is
the 60th year anniversary of his liberation the 4th of April 1945, from Stalag IXC.
My Dad's name is Louis (Lou) Knight, a New Zealander, who was captured in
Greece after his leg was almost blown off. When fit for travel, he was put
on a train and taken to Germany. He ended up in Stalag 9C in the salt mines
at Bad Sulza.
I know that Dad would love to
have any contact with people that were there at the time. He would also
love to be able to contact any of the US GI's that liberated him (the land
was later traded to the Russians when Berlin as divided up, and became East
Germany). If any one has any ideas of which US battalion or regiment were
the liberators, maybe I could try and contact someone through the internal
affairs here in the US.
Thanks for any information. My Dad assumed that everyone was dead and gone
that were with him, but obviously not!
UPDATE:
A year ago I placed a small article on this website, and this has gathered attention from various people who have contacted me. My Dad (Lou Knight) was a POW there. One of these contacts, who’s Dad was also at the camp, provided some sketchy details of the American division that liberated the camp at Bad Sulza. This then led to much research (I live in the US, although my Dad, who still lives, is a New Zealander), and I finally tracked a colonel down who was a part of that liberation force. He maintains a network of friends, some of who are German. One of these is in contact with me now, and wishes to create a memorial to all those people who were in Stalag IX-C- on the present day site, which is now a swimming pool (salt bath).
Lou Knight's War History,
P.O.W. # 39589,
New Zealand Army
On October 2nd, 1940, Lou boarded a special troop train in Greymouth (New Zealand- his place of birth), and started the first 5 hour leg of a journey that would eventually take him deep into Germany as a Prisoner of War (POW), after a close encounter in the Greek port of Piraeus, Athens. This story spans half a decade, and is symbolic of many of whom gave their freedom willingly, in order to stop the atrocities of the Nazi aggression.
Lou's last recollection of leaving his Dad, Tom Knight, a big bushman, was him standing on the station platform alone from the others, his hat pulled down over his face to hide his emotions. Some five years later, when Lou returned to Greymouth, Tom was in the exact same place, once again his hat drawn down over his face. After all, " 'real' men don't cry"…..
Into Burnham Military Camp - October 1940:
"There is nothing glamorous or clean about war…. It is dirty- it is vile and rotten. It fills your silly brain at times, even [sixty] odd year later, with its horror. It sneaks back into your mind sights you have seen. It has a habit of revisiting about two or three AM when you should be resting, and my God, the same old shock and fear comes with it.
Old Mother Nature, however, has a way of covering these things. Wherever you find a group of old soldiers together, you can bet they will be recalling the humor of things they experienced- much happier and more healthy don't you think?"
Lou left for Wellington via a ferry on November 7th 1940 and left for overseas on November 8th. The ship was the Batory (a Polish Ship) 4th Reinforcement - 3 sections to this. Lou was in the 1st section - C.900- which was 2/3 Maori. The Achilles was an armed escort, also the Manganui with Division Calvary troops on board. They had three days in Sydney, Lou's first trip away from New Zealand.
"On our last night in Sydney, my cobber and I went into a corner shop for a pie and coffee. There was only one other in the shop, a young Aussie soldier. He joined us and said he knew we were on our way again next day. We asked if he was going too. He said "No way", his old man had one of the biggest sheep farms in New South Wales. He said the price and importance of wool in wartime was huge. He said this was the third time he had got to Sydney, but he knew the old man would have him released. "he can't do without me. I bent his car a bit so he is hanging back this time to make me suffer a bit, but I know I will be coming back off the 'Orion' tomorrow morning"
Five days in Perth, with escorts to Perth, Hobart and Canberra. Strathaden met them at Sea off Melbourne and Strathmore met them off Adelaide enroute to Perth. Orion troopship in Sydney harbor with Australian troops-she joined the escort. Manganui transferred Division Calvary troops to Orion at Sydney then left for unknown destination.
Next left Perth to Colombo (2 days). About 1 day out of Colombo, Australian navy was relieved by South African Navy 8th December. Indian Ocean deep blue color in contrast to Canberra escort which was sparkling white - left escort on path through the four troopships -the band played Waltzing Matilda - Great Farewell.
"On the third day out of Ceylon (Srilanka) the naval changeover arrived. Two South African cruisers come into sight. We sailed two-by-two in daylight. Orion and Strathmore followed by Batory and Strathaden. The Perth turned outside the convoy, but the Canberra came down the middle between the four troopers, her crew all lined up both sides of the deck and her band playing 'Waltzing Matilda'. The sight of that beautiful white cruiser on the blue Indian Ocean was a sight I will never forget. There [were] a few damp eyes everywhere. You get some funny ideas when you are on your way to war."
"When we arrived at Colombo, the sergeant-major gave us a lecture. He said to try hard to behave ourselves for a change. 'Keep off the bloody beer, because combined with the heat it will knock you twice as silly as you are now'. We wandered up a street, my Mate and I, and spotted two Aussie soldiers carrying another Aussie between them. As they passed we had a look at who they were carrying. Would you believe it? It was that boy from the Sydney pie shop. Daddy must have been really annoyed about that 'bent car' ".
On to Suez.
"In Ceylon the heat is as hot as hell."
Christmas Day 1940 - Arrived Port Suez then by train to Cairo and Maadi Camp. Got tonsillitis and was put into camp hospital about 10 days - on guard duty at Helwon hospital about 2 or 3 weeks. Went to Italian prison camp on guard duty than back to Maadi for training (route marching). Left Alexandria for Greece on Breckenshire - British naval supply ship.
Athens - 3 days in Athens - marched 12 miles from Piraeus to the fir forests and city - headed north in cattle trucks than by trains for Katrine - then up to Olympus Pass with Jackie Robinson (from Camerons) -there for three days then picked up by a twenty-sixth Battalion truck headed to the Yugoslavia border for three or four days (Monastir Gap). Left on retreat , Aliklon river crossed and threw everything in the river except rifles on command from Colonel Page-then walked all night to open ground and a massive bonfire where all haversacks were burnt - then headed south walking to Larrisa (about 70 miles) New Zealand engineers commandeered a train. We all got aboard, Aussies and N.Z.s and English; -found out how to drive the thing - went all through the night until dropped off and all re-assembled into units - Lou was in the twenty-sixth Battalion and headed off to the coast and then headed north again, bombed all the way by German aircraft.
"A platoon of men in a rile battalion at full strength would be, counting its officer, sergeant, corporal and lance-corporal, 36 men. And, you know, every platoon had its mouth organ player, gambler, 'motor-mouth', rebel, general hard case, and its resident clown. Wherever you were, and no matter how grim things were, there was always that clown. He could make you giggle while the sweat of fear was still wet on you.
We had been chased by those damn Stukas all down the west coast of Greece one afternoon. We took cover in a little valley full of olive trees, the whole company. The Stukas must have stayed above for a half-hour, and machine gunned the area methodically. After they went we found the only thing they had hit was our water tank truck. There would, I think, have been about four men cuddled up under an olive tree about the size of a gorse bush where I was. One bloke was moaning about wetting himself. I think that every one of us said "join the club". Then this bloke (the clown) said 'This reminds me of my mother-in-law. When we got married we went to live with her in Hokitika. When I over stayed at the pub, as happened now and then, she could hit you with a plate off the dinner table even before you got in the back door. She had a better aim than those buggers who have just left us".
The second night at this place. Lou woke up and couldn't speak-had Greek diphtheria- Lt. Colonel Rusty Page took one look and sent Lou to a cave where Army medics sent him and others to the Athens New Zealand general hospital by truck. There about two hours later Germans arrived in the city-Lou was told to get out -went to the harbor and boarded the Hellas. Stukas bombed the harbor- about 1200 were on board, army and civilians - about 800 were killed including wounded who died later. The Hellas sank in Piraeus harbor. Dad still recalls the German stukas diving for the ship, and the one they forgot up in the sun- which dropped it's bomb right down the funnel. Dad was talking to a small boy. He smiled at Dad and said not to be afraid. He said "It will be alright". Just a child. Waking up to his leg hanging by shreds of tissue and the ship listing badly, all that saved him from falling overboard and drowning was the body of that small boy wedged into the railing. It was as if he knew.
Lou was taken to National hospital in Athens - raided a week later by Germans. Lou's vivid memory was the smell of diesel from the tanks. The Germans were unaware of Lou and other Allied soldiers who were patients. The Greek offices tried to get the nurses to leave, but they wouldn't leave their stations and responsibilities. One night a German soldier made a pass at a Greek nurse leaving the hospital, whereby she slapped the German on the face. All hell broke loose, and this German officer started screaming and running up and down the hospital- then noticed Lou and the other Allied soldiers. Next thing there were whistles and yelling up and down the hospital.
Lou became an official P.O.W. - later taken again to Kokionia youth detention area for eight months- broken femur (thigh). In mid- December he was loaded on an Italian Red Cross Ship and taken to Salonika hospital for three months then by hospital train to Egendorf and on to the P.O.W camp at Bad Sulza for two weeks then to the Salt-mine at Sondershausen for about two years, then on to another salt mine at Springen. A sister mine nearby was used to store wealth from churches, museums etc - Eisenhower, Patton and other generals saw this loot.
Prison Camp Food - German black bread (dark-brown) sometimes a potato or soup made out of potato peelings- coffee made out of walnut leaves - thank goodness for Red Cross parcels!!
Just this past weekend I talked to Dad- every time I do, new memories come back to him on top of those many thousands that he has already talked about. He remembered that they grew tobacco there in Bad Sulza, and the Germans just loved chewing it- so the very badly wounded prisoners were out on light duty stirring up this tobacco and water mixture in a huge outdoor hole (vat). Since they had only one leg, or even just half a leg, they were no security risk so the Germans would leave them for periods and go sit down and talk among themselves. So, when the Germans weren't looking, the prisoners would piss into the tobacco mixture- some would induce vomiting, and they would all spit into it. This was to be later dried and chewed by the German army!
Dad said that at some stage they discontinued the tobacco operation, and a German soldier came by and said it was such a shame, since the tobacco that they chewed from that vat tasted so much better than the stuff made commercially. If only they knew!
Lou often speaks of his time in the prison camps in Germany. After the Normandy D-Day invasions they were told by the guards that an invasion had been attempted, but had been crushed, and every single allied soldier had been killed.
Various other propagandas were told to them, most consisting of half-truths that implied that the allied countries were losing the war. One day they were even told that England had been invaded and the King was in a prison camp not far from Bad Sulza!! But one day, all the prisoners in the camp watched what they could not believe. Air raid sirens started- they used to test them but they were never used in anger. What Lou and the others saw remains in their heads even to this day. The sky became black with allied bombers, the ground shook from the massive rumblings of their engines. It was like night time in the middle of the day. This was a big day for them, as they realised that the allied forces were indeed pushing into the German heartland. The Americans had arrived!
The next day they returned, and the day after that- every day for weeks, they became so common that no-one even looked at them any more. They could only imagine what was about to happen.]
British bombers on way to Dresden used Sondershausen as a turning point on way to bomb the city- the noise of hundreds passing over was huge. The bomb doors were open and P.O.W.s could see the bombs. From the massive fires in Dresden- Lou read a letter from his parents by the sky lit up. [Seph old German soldier salt mine at P.O.W. camp Herr Wolf head of the mine (chief engineer) at Springen.]
"A Red Cross rule that a POW who had been wounded had to be seen by a doctor once a year was observed by our hosts. So on this particular day four of us, under guard, had walked four miles down our little gravel road to catch the train from Dorndorf to Eisennack. We stood on the station among all the Germans going to work in the City of Eisennack, until our guard got funny and said 'Honest decent German people going about their lives should not have their day ruined by the sight of you trek-sacks (bags of dirt), so get behind the station'. From behind the station we heard the train whistle in the distance and almost at the same time heard that awful scream of diving aircraft, followed by a hell of a loud explosion. No more train. Then coming up the rail line was a great spiral of dust with two RAF fighter-bombers playing 'follow the leader', low enough to raise the dust. Just past the Dorndorf station one of the German great highways or 'Autobahns' they called them, crossed over the rail line on a very high and wide overhead bridge. The two planes whipped past the station in a hail of dust and gravel, then would you believe it- dived under the bridge. Then stood on their tails and gave a little victory roll, then vanished into the blue sky. To watch for another train or another boiler to bust, I suppose. On the station, one old Frau fainted and most of them had cuts and bruises from the gravel flying about. The guard said we should all get going fast out of sight before we were hung on a lamp post. So we did, and walked back over the little road quite fast. 'Look', the wee Scottie said. 'they're here'. Looking down the road all you could see was the shadows of willows waving in the early morning breeze. Then something else- long lines of men coming in the guttering on both sides of the road. It was all over….. ". Liberated April 4, 1945.
April 4th, 1945. General Paton arrived, took to old hotel (Fulda) for 3 days. Five New Zealanders on one plane (first plane ride), two hour flight to Great Missendon in Buckinghamshire.
Lou recalls that his last POW camp was in the Rhone Valley, near Springen. As Lou writes above, Dorndorf is where the Americans found them in an underground shelter. The Americans thought that they were Germans hiding at first. From there the POW's walked for about 1 ½ hours and stayed for 3 days in a town on the other side of the river. They were then taken by truck about 80 mils away to an airfield where they left by British aircraft and flew to Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, a large Royal Air Force base at the time.
Over night, clean clothes, took train to Magate. Lots of mail, late back to Broadstairs.
Towards end of July 1945, took the Sterling Castle to Wellington, ferry 'Wahine" to Lyttleton, train to Greymouth in the last week of July.
My Dad is 87 as I write this, and in failing health with emphysema, partially from smoking all his life. But the dust in those salt mines must have had a lasting effect too. Some things stand out in his mind, and were often the subject of dinner table yarns. My mother, sister and I would sit with mouths wide open as the stories poured out. One I will never forget is his first impression of the Americans, who had seen many unforgettable sights on their march through Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. Their hand and arms were shaking and trembling, and they were just boys- most of them.
And another story- about those fine ivory knives that we had in our cutlery drawer at home when we grew up. Given to him by a German family after liberation, and how they also gave the POW's all the food that they had.
These were unique times. My Dad has but one wish- that they never be allowed to happen again. Regardless of the countries involved. Too much was given and lost by so many to go un-noticed.
Dad arrived home to Greymouth a changed man. As he hugged his family he looked around and observed the locals going about their business. They had no idea of what had gone on over there. Then, a local clergyman- Canon Aubrey- walked over, shook his hand, and said 'Welcome home, soldier". The long journey was over- but not quite. Every night it would come back. It still does- a smell, a sound.
Never a better father could a son wish for. He gave up so much for all of us, just like he had done so in 1940. He is forever indebted to the Americans that saved him.
Words in inverted commas are from my father's letters to me. The story as told could occupy an entire book. These are my memories of his story.
Thanks for getting me started, Bruce Knight.
