I wonder if.......

[Mick F]

Yes, John, I agree with you (sadly).

1939 .............. Dad was in the RAF out in Palestine and Egypt. His older brother, my uncle of course, joined the Army and was captured in Greece and spent the rest of the war in Stalag something-or-other concentration camp and only came home in 1946. Dad came home at about that time unscathed, but Uncle was scarred for the rest of his life and never got over it.

It's very difficult to appreciate how younger people feel about all this these days.

[Hellhound]

How much money can we extort from a captive audience. Even the local pubs put their beer prices up substantially.

It was the same at the old stadium.I went there a few times in the 1990s to watch Manchester United and it was extortion!There was a pub just up the road from the tube station,called The Torch IIRC,and they were selling beer at £3 a pint when it was £1.10 at home.Most of the fans went to an off-licence a few doors up,bought cans and drank them outside the pub.I didn't bother queueing at half time to pay Wembley's prices but those who did were less than pleased at the price
Probably a tenner a pint now?

[Oldjohnw]

Dad was a medic and was captured at Dunkirk. He spent his war in a camp in Poland having been marched right across Europe. He often visited Germany after the war and made many good friends. He was last there in his early eighties. Mum was slightly reticent about visiting Germany at first but when she met the people she was more than happy.

I am reminded of the wonderful friendships we encountered in Orkney between locals and Italians. They visited each other’s homes right through three or more generations. It still happens.

Dad never talked about his experiences but he was quite reconciled to the German people, whilst hating Nazism.

[Oldjohnw]

BBC tonight: 90 minutes talking about what will happen, 90 minutes talking about what is happening and 90 minutes talking about what has happened.

[661-Pete]

His older brother, my uncle of course, joined the Army and was captured in Greece and spent the rest of the war in Stalag something-or-other concentration camp and only came home in 1946. Dad came home at about that time unscathed, but Uncle was scarred for the rest of his life and never got over it.

Mick F. A POW camp was NOT repeat NOT the same as a concentration camp. Don't you ever dare to repeat that offensive solecism on this forum again.

My family history notwithstanding, I'm usually not keen to play the 'Holocaust' card on public forums. Should I change my practice now?

For the record, I have in the past worked with German colleagues for many years. Never felt in the least uncomfortable.

[merseymouth]

Hi Pete, Your point about POW Cam not being Concentration Camp is absolutely correct, an offensive error on the posters part!
But sadly POW's didn't have it easy when it came to the forced marches, the Germans weren't that much better than the Japanese! Definitely not a leisurely walking holiday.
I never had a problem with elderly Germans, nor indeed with the young ones, but many who lived in the war years carried resentment too far!
Whilst on coach trips in Austria the would shove us about rotten. I have no foreign language skills, but my raised voice shouting "Nein Anslusch" got the message home! (I said I have no skill in German).
Those Germans who served, especially in the Kreigsmarine, were always respectful. They knew the truth.
My father was approached by a lady who was born in Germany, lived through the post war hardship. She was seeking details about her uncle who had been inn the U-Boat service. The aircraft from my father's carrier sunk it, it was the first information she had got.
She preferred to live in England.
Apart from the usual number of nutters that every country seems to have, the youth are genuinely ok. MM

[Jdsk]

But sadly POW's didn't have it easy when it came to the forced marches, the Germans weren't that much better than the Japanese!

The mistreatment and cruelty of the Japanese to PoWs and of Germany to Soviet PoWs was enormously greater than that of Germany to British and American PoWs. This is reflected in the death rates:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_ ... rld_War_II

Jonathan

[philvantwo]

16mins to kick off. I wonder if some folk have gone down the pub for a pint or 3 and line the landlords pockets!

[Mick F]

His older brother, my uncle of course, joined the Army and was captured in Greece and spent the rest of the war in Stalag something-or-other concentration camp and only came home in 1946. Dad came home at about that time unscathed, but Uncle was scarred for the rest of his life and never got over it.

Mick F. A POW camp was NOT repeat NOT the same as a concentration camp. Don't you ever dare to repeat that offensive solecism on this forum again.

My family history notwithstanding, I'm usually not keen to play the 'Holocaust' card on public forums. Should I change my practice now?

For the record, I have in the past worked with German colleagues for many years. Never felt in the least uncomfortable.

Sorry if I offend, but you didn't speak to my uncle or the family, and that's what they called it and continued to call it.
Can't comment on the facts of the case, other that what I was told.
Dad and uncle have long-since died.

I never mentioned the Holocaust or anything like it.

[Ben@Forest]

The mistreatment and cruelty of the Japanese to PoWs and of Germany to Soviet PoWs was enormously greater than that of Germany to British and American PoWs. This is reflected in the death rates

Some years ago l read a book called 'Prisoner of War' by Charles Rollings. It recounted POWs experiences including first hand accounts.

What was clear was that Italian treatment of British POWs was worse than that by Germans. This wasn't necessarily because Italians were more thuggish (though some were), but because the camps weren't as well built and the provision of food was less reliable than in German camps which meant POWs lived in more sordid conditions with a poorer supply of food.

[Mick F]

Just remembered.
Uncle and his brigade? were captured in Greece by the Italians.

The Italian army overran Greece, not the Germans, so maybe Uncle was a prisoner of the Italians for a few years and then later was moved to Germany. I know he was liberated from Germany.

[Jdsk]

The Italian army overran Greece, not the Germans

The Italian Army never "overran" Greece. They invaded but were halted, and in some areas driven back over the Albanian border:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Italian_War

That's why Germany intervened, successfully:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Greece

Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

But sadly POW's didn't have it easy when it came to the forced marches, the Germans weren't that much better than the Japanese!

The mistreatment and cruelty of the Japanese to PoWs and of Germany to Soviet PoWs was enormously greater than that of Germany to British and American PoWs. This is reflected in the death rates:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_ ... rld_War_II

Jonathan

I said that Dad didn’t speak of his experiences. He did tell us of the Russian POWs in his camp who were made to sleep outside whatever the weather.

PS there is an excellent concert from Vienna (Vienna Philharmonic) on BBC 4 as an antidote to football

[Tangled Metal]

I had a great uncle captured in a certain Med Island I can't recall. It was overrun by German paratroopers so quickly the British had to defend a retreat off the island. Officers and privates were shipped off while the non coms fought to the last bullets before surrendering.

He was a royal marine corporal. He spent the rest of the war in Germany in a stalag I think I heard a castle. It was not a good place to be. Officers got respect but non coms didn't? He was starved and reached the point his body was eating itself to me survive.

Many years later this starvation presented in serious health conditions and ultimately an emergency operation to remove a decent chunk of his intestines. He never really fully recovered from the PoW years.

I never knew that story until after he died. He never made anything of it and never talked about it. AFAIK he also never had an issue with Germans after the war. People try to move on from terrible experiences. I think that's what he did.

[Jdsk]

I had a great uncle captured in a certain Med Island I can't recall. It was overrun by German paratroopers so quickly the British had to defend a retreat off the island.

Sounds like Crete:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete

Officers and privates were shipped off while the non coms fought to the last bullets before surrendering.

In the evacuation of Crete staff officers were given precedence, and flying boats were used for this.

Jonathan