Arthur Burkett – Long March Diary
5th March – 31st March 1945
Author’s notes.
I never met Arthur as I met his son just after his death in 1971.
It’s ironic the many references of trying to get cigarettes, as Arthur died of lung cancer.
His son recalled that even twenty years after being freed, if the door bell went to interrupt Arthur’s meal, he would take his plate with him to the front door, rather than leave his food with his wife, Elsie or his son Alan.
Copyright held by Linda Burkett.
Arthur’s War Diary C
Monday Mar5 1945.
Trying to cover the whole sky with condensation streaks. Heard rumbling n the far distance but whether bombs or AA we can’t tell – raid lasted about 11/2 hour stopped marching at Littmite and snow started again- got into a gasthaus (guesthouse). Ernie in charge but it’s the warmest place we’ve had over a month. Had a cleanup I missed yesterday directly. I entered & met a barber who gave us, Ernie & I a haircut (which I needed badly) on the promise of a cig when I get some. Feet a lot better for clean up but outlook for food looks grim. There is a man in front of me eating raw potato peelings that he has been given by someone – I asked him about it and he says he likes them –(Or is he just very hungry ?)We got a turn on the stove & cooked the remainder of the spuds and we had a good meal. Skilly came up at 9.30pm and Ernie ducked so we shared mine (about 3 spoonfuls each) We have no straw and had to lie on wet boards went to bed about 10.30 and it was snowing heavily although its not very cold German’s commented on “Englanders Kameradschaft “ (English camaraderie) to the men that took all the straw.
Tuesday March6 1945.
Reveille 7.15 on the road 8.30, after a bread issue of a 2k loaf between 7 men. It’s not cold but the snow stings your ears. Marched about 10kilo’s then stopped at Falkenau in an old brick factory. Rumoured that BAB have gone straight on to the Stalag but we must wait here for a day or two- Fires were allowed in the basement (or rather the Germans couldn’t put them out) So wehad some porridge & a brew (There was an air raid last night at 10o/c we watched AA & flares for a while we heard planes flying very low overhead) Skilly came up about 9pm and as our company (6) was last Ernie & I ducked our soup. Ginger promised to get us some if it took all night but we got more nevertheless after lying most of the night & rushing out twice on false alarms. The men are definitely starving & fall on potato peelings as if it was currant cake. Blondie pleaded to be allowed to scrape the Dixie we cooked the porridge in. It’s very cold & draughty and the filth here is hardly creditable.
It‘s still snowing.
Wed March 7 1945.
No marching today Roll Call 8 or 9am – after we had a brew and finished what bread we had later at about 12o/o we got a mug full of corn on the boil for about an hour and this made a mug full each of good grub. In the afternoon we had a number check – it lasted about an hour and about 15-20 men fainted on the parade. Skilly came up about 9o/c and we got the skilly we ducked last night. Bags of rumours of Stalag near here & parcels may arrive but personally I haven’t much faith in them. Went to bed, feeling pretty poorly & cold.
Thurs March8 1945.
Reveille at 6.15 and were marching at 7.30 Ernie & I rushed about and lighted a fire and got a brew of coffee to start the day. Plenty of time to spare and there was a search before we went. Put some seed into out pockets to stop our stomachs from gnawing and get started. Roads icy again and going pretty hard. Passed 5 men, who had collapsed at the side of the road. About 11am the weather got warmer and the ice & pressed snow thawed under a warm sun and we walked easier on a muddy road. Marched about 13kilo’s and stopped at a farm in a village 2 kilo’s from Konigsburg. Party of 130 and Ernie in charge but prospects of food none too promising. A Russian worker here gave us some turnips. Ernie & I got one chew. A woman coming out of a barn with 2 bucket of filthy pigswill raided by some of the boys, who grabbed handfuls of potato peelings and other swill and ate it in front of her. The farmer later sold us 4 barrow loads of turnips for 30 marks, so we got a decent skilly up at 10o/o pm and some to eat now, Ernie got another for eating on the road tomorrow although chaps seem to think it’s a rest day.
Friday March9 1945
Awoke for roll call at 9o/o as there’s no marching today got back into bed after a brew of coffee and piece of turnip with salt on it no rations came up so Ernie got a skilly made with turnip husk(?) Later on about 2o/o some of the chaps broke into the spud cellar and got potatoes. Ernie was on of the first in and we got about 10kilo. After a while the boys were going into the cellar in dozens and spoilt it as the Frau saw what was going on – there was a search and we were all thrown out of the barn- there was two hunks of meat missing and there were the biggest concern but the potens found one and the other one was given up on the promise that they’re wouldn’t let the incident going any further and as we had hidden our potatoes well. E & I came off well. We got one half of them cooked right away and ate them, and saved the other half for the road. No rations at all come up today as the wagon went down to draw rations and took all day, so its just as well we pinched the spuds. Went to bed full of hopes for the morning as the BAB MO said there’ll be a parcel issue of 1 between 20 men tomorrow and possibly a bread issue.
Sat March 19 1945.
Awoke remembering I met P on this day a long time ago. Bread was issued 2 loaves between 7 men. Ernie & I ate it at once, moved off at 10o/c and about 500 yards down the road we were issued with parcels & between 4 men ! each French, Yank, & Canadian – Yank one was opened at once & the 140 cigs it contained were split, agreed to muck in with the other 2 men for the time being and keep together to save splitting everything – Froggie (?) parcel had also 2pks tobacco & 20 cigs too. Marched about 20 kilo’s to Irnerkun (?) Reuth on a very decent road no ice at all but muddy in places. Got into a party of 100men Kiwi in charge and started eating the parcels and got skilly 10 o/o (we arrived at 5.30) went to sleep after nearly smoking myself to death but E & I have decided to keep 60 YK cigs for bartering later on (Air raid of Eger)
Sunday Mar11 1945.
No marching today so after a brew of coffee we have a fire & made skilly with dried veg & Beans from 1 parcel and spuds we had – then buckshee parcels came up I parcel for 10 men and some cigs (E & I got 15 cigs and ½ tin State Express tobacco each) and some biscuits, chocolate bar, cake and odds & ends from parcel. Everyone is smoking well.
Had a shave & gen clean up and listened to rumours (?) of more parcel issues (The convoy that brought these parcels has dashed back to Switzerland and is expected with another load in 8-14 days.) We are mucking in with Lewis & Brown still and everything seems very rosy except the storage of bread. Put the rest of the beans and dried veg in soak for tomorrow and went to sleep.
Monday Mar 17 1945.
Again,’no marching‘ but got up early for a wash etc ate the Canadian biscuits which is the last of the bread slices and enjoyed it. (Dawn tomorrow) with sweet milky coffee. The Ernie got the beans & veg stew on with ½ turnip and about 12 potatoes. Lewis got of a Froggie for a cig. We ate this, nearly a bowlful each at 12 o/o midday and then the Hamtman came round on inspection and immediately stopped the fire we had despite the fact that we all washed, shaved and cleaned up at his suggestion. Then skilly got spoiled by the party next door wanting the vessel and we finished up with ½ mug of watery pea soup. We managed a brew later (1/2 cup) and then learned there was a bread issue and were moving tomorrow so we cheered up a bit. There was no community singing like last night though and I snuggled down to a nice sleep.
Tuesday 13 Mar 1945
Up at 7.00 a brew of tea at 7.30 and all ready to go at 8.30 despite we’re not moving until 9.30. Bread issue came up in time to have bread & pilchards for breakfast.( 3 loaves per 11 men) and after waiting till 9.45 for the lieutenant we marched off after he shouted “Salbermachen” (make clean) to nearly everybody & pointed to straw & hay on the men’s clothes. He got a mixed replies of “Give us spring mattresses and we want get straw on our clothes” & “Have you a clothes brush to lend me” etc.
The road was dry and good its very mild weather & nearly all the snow has disappeared and I’m hoping that the spring has come at last. Feel much fitter and healthier after the parcel feed up, and everyone looks better. Marched about 12-14 kilo’s very easy and stopped at Thiersheim – put in a huge barn with 350 men and no prospects but things looked up and after we had bread & meat roll & jam for dinner and then Ernie took over & after putting Brown in the cookhouse he got us a brew. There’s tons of parcel rumours about the lastest being “there’s parcels at the end of tomorrow’s march” but of course - ? Jerry rations came up about 3 spuds per man plus a few we managed to buy which made it up five per man. Brown in CH Bartered choc for 2 k of bread and ½ bucket of spuds & the woman in the house gave him about 1 ½ k bread so we came off OK.
Had supper of spuds & butter and went to bed contented with enough spuds for breakfast.
Wed 14 March 1945.
Up at 7.0 had a brew & about 10 spuds each for breakfast amd moved off about 9am, lot of stoppages on the road at first but soon got cracking and marched about 14-15 kilo’s to Unterroslau in very fair mild weather. Put in a party of 60.Ernie & I in a nice barn, actually sat outside in warm spring sunshine after.
Ernie got detailed to go away boot repairing and came back at dusk and says he repaired 2 pairs of boots and there’s prospect of bartering – skilly came up about 8pm.
Thursday 15 Mar 1945
Had brew, and bread & sardines. Ernie went to work at 7.30 took chocolate, soap & 20 cigs so we waited in anticipation, Later, boiled up some rye seed we got yesterday. Had a mug & half of this and put a tin of M&V (meat & veg) into a skilly of mixed stuff the boys are making. MO came and gave us a talk on eating raw vegetables and seed, and general cleanliness. Day is very sunny & taking the bags downstairs we sat in the sun for a while. The skilly came up about 12o/c and was smashing. Then we got a bath of water and had a cold bath. It’s the first bath I’ve since we left the lager (warehouse) and its nice to be clean but I’m looking like a skeleton – and so is everyone (10pm last night the sirens sounded and almost immediately planes were over. Flying very low – 3 formations went across over a period of 3/4hr no bombs or AA heard)Siren’s sounded at about 1o/c but no plans heard or seen. Ernie, who has been cobbling today came back & he has sold chocolate, soap & 20 cigs for about 5k bread but we sold roughly 11/2 for cocoa as this is always worth at least 2k. We decided to keep the 2 tins of salmon for selling & that leaves only bread in the parcel box except for ½ tine of Yank marg. Later we had a brew with some bread & butter and then although the sgt’s denied it rumours of a bread issue persisted and were justified at 7pm when a loaf between 2 cme up. We were offered 6 tins of white meal for 2 tins salmon but we refused it as we have enough to carry for the time being.
Friday 16 Mar 1945.
Up at 7.0am had tea & bread & butter & on the road marching at 9.00. Feeling a bit chilly as I left 1 shirt & 1 pullover off when I bathe yesterday but the sun shone all the time and it was warm marching. We were warned about Yank planes may strafe us as we were entering dangerous country for this sort of thing. People actually threw bread to us at one place and this seems a good sign. The people here are good to us, they are Bavarian. We only marched 10 kilo’s & stopped at a small village of Voitsuma. We got in a party of 120 and there was tons of arguments over cooks etc but we had a brew & bread almost on arrival. They managed to scrounge some kartoffelen (potato flakes) and skilly was done in two shifts. We were on the last one we got ours at about 11.30pm. It tasted like boiled veg (it was dried veg) and Posten (guard) crept up and caught me and another chap smoking in bed and as a punishment made us stand out in the open. He said we’d stay there all night – we stood there talking about different things and smoking and eating hot potatoes the cooks gave us until at 2.30am they relented and sent us to bed.
I crawled into bed cursing all Deutsche people.
Sat 17 Mar 1945.
Up at 5.30 and after a brew & bread & butter and issue of 5-6 spuds the men & I who were strafe last night had to clean up the leavings of other people. We were on the road by 7.00 (early start due to air activity) This morning is cold & dreary, we marched about 13-14 kilo’s. It rained a bit and hailstones fell but we arrived at Metglersremte at 10.30.In a party of 100 men , Ernie was voted in charge & bought spuds for men. Had a bit of a row with Brown & Lewis over them laying in bed while Ernie tries to feed us. Had skilly at 2o/c and then another at 5.30. Then a spud issue about 5 per man. E got us 3 mugs of buckshee, I had one and gave the other to Brown & Lewis, then E got some buckshee spuds which I ate.
E flogged 3 bars of soap for about 10/12 lb of white flour & some new spuds. Went to bed after another brew, feeling very contented. Ernie was praised by everyone on the way he ran everything.
Sunday 18 Mar 1945.
Very unorthodox but were raised at 6o/c and after a brew & bread were on the road marching by 8o/o on very stiff hills and rough tracks at first, but we hit the main road after 3-4 kilo’s and going got easier. We got a very long rest about 9.30 probably because of air raid, we could hear in the distance (Bay seth) (?) We marched about 18kilo’s and stopped about 5k from Baysenth at Bindlatch in a party of 100.Ernie was not in charge but we got 1 & 3/4 mugs of skilly a bit watery but tasty & 2 spuds per man. The posten told us we’d get parcels tomorrow, but sgts denied all knowledge. We are very low on bread & tomorrow will see us without any but we have flour still. We ate the salmon for lunch. Rumoured that we stay here for 3-4days and when we move we get a train.
Monday 19 1945
Awoke to no marching, again. After a brew & bread we had a n issue of bread which was green right through & 3 months old, a spoonful of jam & a spoonful of sugar. We got 3 pancakes each cooked, by the Farmer’s wife but it’s a job to get any cooking done. Skilly came up about 4.30 and I got more than I could eat which makes a change. After agitating a bit, we got the cook to cook a dumpling for the morning, and went to bed listening to therumours for parcels and now wondering where our next smoke is coming from. At midday air raid warning sounded and planes were heard in hundreds then bombs & AA about 20k away. Eight Yank fighters flew across very low overhead with no opposition whatever. About 40-50 Messerschmitt 10 gunners (German planes) along the woods & bushes, where we had marched through the other day near Reichbker.
Tuesday 20 Mar 1945
No marching today again but we fell outside at 9.15am with all our kit for a search. Postens (guard) just ran their hands over our bags and then we were allowed to go back into the scheune (Barn)again. After a while the brew came up and we had 2 slices each of the dumplings we cooked yesterday and then we flogged the rest of it and the Klim (?) that was left for 12 fags between us.
After a wash & clean up Cpt Lewis came down & told us that tomorrow we move by train and parcels will be issued 1 per man as we entrained. Then sugar was issued. We got 18 pancakes cooked and after eating these with the spoonful of issue sugar. We sold the rest of the flour for 22 cigs and had a smoke, because if we move tomorrow on a train, flour is a dead loss. There was an issue of buckshee parcel stuff but there wasn’t a full parcel per 100 men, we got a fag a man out of it and a cup of milked, sugared tea. Skilly came up a mug & half of thick stuff and then there was a bread issue, 3 loaves per 4 men but most of it was green right through. After cutting the green mould away we got about 1 loaf out of 3. Sgt Ryan says we go by train tomorrow at 12o/c & collect a parcel as we entrain, we got some spuds we had cooked and had them for supper.