http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Pris.html This is an excellent site, not just for the P.O.W. coverage but for New Zealand's involvment in the Second World War.
Hi David and Spidge, Thanks for the link. I dipped into a fair few of the POW sections of this well written material. What I find hard to reconcile is the descriptions of well fed POW's in comfortable, well resourced camps. Unless the NZ POWs were very lucky? Whilst I accept Officers had a better time if it, I wonder where the research for these archives came from? For example, I know my Uncle, who was in XXA was already thin and unwell when the Forced March of 1945 began. And how about this description from a "Goodreads" review of the book, "Dunkirk, the men they left behind" - by Sean Longden - "The plight of the POWs continued over the next five years of captivity. The narrative employs the words of the survivors to recreate their experiences. The Germans were totally unprepared to house the massive influx of POWs, particularly as it related to their medical condition. What resulted were years of depravity, continued malnutrition, dysentery, gastro-intestinal issues, lice and a host of other problems. Emotions were shattered as they witnessed the shootings of their comrades and the total disregard for humanity exhibited by their German guards. The lives of the prisoners “revolved around forced labor, inadequate food, disease, violence and death.” B.
I notice that the site linked above has been totally revised and no longer contains any real facts about Odessa. Previously it contained a full list (or a link to the list) of ANZAC ex POW's who were repatriated via Odessa (I have a copy), and all the problems they encountered including how several of them were eventually able to have their 'war wives' shipped out of Poland. It also contained some brief information about what they saw when Russians were returned 'home' Some of the POW's who worked on small work camps or farms often lived on the farm for example and through time had 'relations' with some of the females locally, and in fact lived with them as 'man & wife' Sounds like an email to Bill Rudd is required TD edited to add The old link I have shows this subject was in Chapter 9 (http://www.aifpow.com/part_5__free_men_elsewhere_in_europe/chapter_9_-_odessa) in the new site it is chapter 11 ??
