Hugh Macdonald of Tain writes to his daughter Liz, recalling further memories of his service with the Seaforth Highlanders, the fighting and surrender at St Valery in 1940, his years as a prisoner of war, the long winter march of 1945, and his eventual liberation and return home.
Ex. Pte. Hugh Macdonald, Tain
Army No. 2821211
(I was a P.O.W for 4 yr. 238 days.)
Joining the Army
When I told my parents my decision to join the army, my dad was OK, but Mother went haywire. 'What if a war starts?' she said. 'Do you think I’m daft to join up if a war were going to start?' (No way?)
My mum started to cry when I left for the station. I would not let her come down to see me off. Dad came with me, and when we pulled away from the station, he told me to look after myself & write home to Mother.
I did write home, but it was to ask them for money. They did send a couple of 2/6 postal orders, which was a lot in those days.
By the way when I arr at Fort George, I was there for 2 weeks before I signed on. I think they knew I looked under age so they must have contacted my Parents to confirm my age. Good job I told Dad I put my age up 1 year. 25th, 1920, instead of 25/12/21. Shortly after I was signed on.
Maryhill and the Outbreak of War
After basic training, as I already said, I finished up in Maryhill Barrks Glasgow. The whole Batt. moved from Maryhill to a place called Otley in Yorkshire for divisional manoeuvres. That was all the 51st Division. Most of the time live ammo was used.
It was there whilst on manoeuvres that war was declared. We broke camp about 5am in the morning; I can still remember it was raining cats & dogs. I can still see our C/O. on his white horse parading the troops and telling about war being declared.
We then marched to Otley Station about 5 miles and then to Maryhill Barr.
When we arrived at Maryhill all the high buildings were manned by anti-aircraft guns.
Not long after that I heard the first air raid siren, and what a noise it was!
The 4th Seaforths
As the 4th Batt. Seaforth were under strength about 30 of us were sent down to Bordon near Southampton. Some were from the Royal Scots & Seaforth & Camerons.
It was there I met up with Heckie Doughnut, my brother Bruce Ross, Lockhart Gallie, Cpt George Cameron, Jackie Grant, Bobby Sellers and a few more. They were all in the Motor Squad under Captain Cameron. Not forgetting Wee Deko Birnie (he died in the cattle trucks en route to Poland).
France
We all arrived in France after a pretty rough crossing. Most of the lads that could get on deck were the lucky ones; they were nearer the rail to be sick down below hellish).
The company I was in got into trucks and travelled quite a bit. Then out of trucks we then marched into (Bolbeck) where we were billeted for that night. “B” Coy. No 2? Platoon thats my Coy & Platoon.
As I have said already, we then went on to the Belgian frontier. It was there, early in the 1940s, the Germans broke through the lines of the French & Belgium troops. Our Batt was then moved to the Saar.
Our first taste of combat was on the Somme. We saw quite a bit of action but the Germans were more mobile than we were. It was a case of holding our position during the day and then retreat at night.
This went on for quite a long time until we reached St Valery.
St Valery
The town was burning, & most of the buildings destroyed. Dead horses lying everywhere. I saw a lot of French troops wandering about with no rifles, just rolled blankets on their shoulders & haversacks, no officers with them.
I was in a hotel with my platoon & resting when a S/Sergant appeared wanting 6 men to help roust out some snipers who were firing for the opposite side from us into rooms where the nurses & wounded were being attended to.
After that we came out of the hotel and marched up to the line of trees where the 2nd Batt Seaforth were surrounded by German Tanks.
It was not long after that the Cease Fire was sounded that was the end of our Blitz Krieg. Some of the older Soldiers with us were crying and asking where were the R.A.F no air support.
The Navy were laying of about 2 miles out at Sea. Some brave lads tried for boats to row out to them but we were surrounded. German Mortar Fire got their sights on the small boats rowing out to Sea a lot of people got killed & those who escaped swam ashore and were captured with us.
13th June 1940
Captivity
After capture we marched through Belgium & Holland on to Brosses & then down the River Rhine.
We then got loaded into Cattle Trucks 40 Men in Each Truck. Those people who had any food left what we got from the Belgium & Dutch bartered some for us. We got nothing from the Germans.
You can imagine being in trucks all that time and no loo. With all the Soup & Wine drunk a lot of us had disentry which was not very nice. Some had Knifes and started cutting holes through the floor (not bad).
It was some time after this I heard that Joe (Decko) Birnie had died with a burst App—— The Germans would not stop long enough to allow him to get to Hospital. I got this from Bruce Ross who was with him when we arr at Stalag VIII B in Lamsdorf North Poland.
28th June 1940
Lamsdorf and Blechhammer
I stayed in Lamsdorf until Aug 1940 when we got a work party to Blechhammer not far Breslau & Katowice between—the Rivers Vistula & the Oder.
Our work Camp about 700 Men all different Regt. Thrown in Dec Sep 1940. I was in this Camp until 27th Jan 1945 when we marched out with the Russians advancing into North Poland.
We slogged through Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria & Bavaria to a town called Landshut arr 28th April 1945.
The Long March
The march to Landshut was pretty grim the snow was about 3ft & the frost was really hard. My eyebrows & eyelashes were white with frost. Quite a number got frostbite.
When we stopped for a rest you had to look for something hard like a mile stone or kerb stone to kick to try and get your feet warm. Thats how I cant bend my big toes even yet with all the kicking.
At every billet or farmhouse we stopped at for the night we hunted around for food anything to keep you going. Turnips Potatoes Sugar Beet or even wheat seed.
I remember going to the Farm House and asking an old Lady for Coffee Grinds she hade you coffee yes yes I said it was to grind down the wheat to make some sort of cake!
Some of the lads even roast mice and boiled them to eat. They said they tasted OK. But not for me. Mind you I did eat some queer stuff during the March.
I think thats the lot Liz!!
Back in the Army
I still had 1½ years of my 7 yr to complete after P.O.W leave I had to go back into the Army to finish my time.
I was posted to the 9th Batt Bedford & Herts to go through trained Soldiers Test that was on 2-9-45 – 26-9-45. This all took place outside Hawick in Scotland.
I was then posted down to Devon to clear the Beaches of Barbedwire & Mines that was washed up over the years of War a few people got wounded when mines—Blew up. The Barbed wire was pulled out with Belgian Carriers some mines were caught in the wire which exploded when pulled out.
Anyway most of the Beaches were cleared ready for the Summer the first free one since 1939.
T.T.F.N.
Further Memories
There is a couple of incidents which happened when I got liberated by Gen Patton in Stalag 7A.
The Yanks asked us to point out the Guards who were B—— on the March. There were some Guards who were really rotten to us & also to some of the others who were on other parts of the March.
Anyway the Yanks gathered them all behind some buildings the next thing we heard was rapid Gun fire. I never saw them being shot. But I think they were.
Mind you there were some older Guards who were P.O.W in the First World War they understood and were really good. The younger ones were all Hitler Youths they were real B——.
The Flight Home
Before we were told to fall in to get aboard our Planes on the first leg of our trip home. Some Guards changed their clothes into Civvies and tried to get aboard the Planes with us.
When we got Airborne leaving Landshut for Reims in France we could only be about 1000ft high when we looked the portholes we could see the rest of the Flight flying beside us then all of a sudden one Plane lost control and dived for the deck out of control.
What a way to go after nearly 6yr Pow.
We were all very sad to see it happen. But after what we went through & seeing so many People getting killed you got kind of hardened to it. And glad it wasn't you.
It was my first time in a Plane and I enjoyed it both trips the first one & also Reims to Slough in South England.