From Fire to Faith and Freedom

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Jimmy's PoW papers he took after the Germans had left the camp

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Jimmy explained: "We were asleep one morning when we were woken by one of the prisoners who announced 'If anyone is interested the Russians have arrived'. We got up eagerly at the news and went to have a look. What we saw was one

us said 'We have no food for you. Get it

yourselves'. We went on the scrounge and found quite a lot of stuff which actually made quite a good meal."

Despite the hardships their spirits had

been given a big boost. "There was

Cossack sitting on a donkey! The main

force wasn't far behind:'

some good news and that was that the Americans knew about us and sent a convoy to take us out of the camp. We all piled into the transport but then the Russians told us to get out and go back into the camp. There were now five of us because Johnny Forward was in hospital:' had to stay in the camp - they were pawns in the Russian/American power struggle - acted as an incentive for the fearless five. They decided to take matters into their own hands and make a break for it. The disappointment of being told they

With the Germans gone Jimmy took the

opportunity to go into their offices to

retrieve his PoW papers which he still has to this day. His ID card with photographs shows he was 21 years old when he was shot down and captured. And the number on his papers is forever etched in his

memory. "It's 1653092;' he said.

Jimmy carried on with the story: 'The Russians had now arrived. I was weak and frail but the troops who had liberated

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