Reports of The Long March by a News Correspondent
The following dispatches seem to have been sent by Reuters war correspondent Arthur Oakeshott. Apparently his reports were never published and they were classified as secret for a long time, until released by the National Archive.
Transcribed by Kathie Mulvey
299 Paris77957
Press Reuters London
32158 Oakeshott march three stop when Germans realised Lamsdorf and Sagan likely to be overrun by Red Army they ordered Britishout camps some being allowed carry blankets others forbidden merely on whim guards and pitiful procession outset bitter cold and snow accompanied by German guards riding in horsedrawn farm wagons carrying sick and wounded stop For postday week postweek these men struggled weary journey sleeping sometimes barns often open air and on many fell by wayside clubbed by riflebutts or prodded bayonetwise until they staggered feetwards stop Doctors aid hindered by almost complete lack medical supplies only resources being few redcross parcels they managed to scrounge before setting out stop On rare occasions when they passed through towns or large villages German civilians showed utmost kindness toward prisoners giving them potatoes and other food except where Nazi burgomasters stopped this demonstration kindness by threat dire penalties stop they avoided being bombed and seldom saw bombed town though one openspace where they shiveringly rested they saw German town set ablaze paralysed by bombs more Oakeshott.
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32158 Oakeshott March five I also saw Russians including Major General, Poles, French, Belgians and Serbs these latter earning praise everyone for their kindness, adfellows? and generosity and parcels they received American and International Red Cross stop Everyone said quote as usual all war prison camps Serbs simply magnificent un quote stop There also large contingent Americans who captured Vosges December stop these who came from every state union also presented sorry haggard appearance and doctors who’d kept meticulous records each man said Americans had lost average forty pounds weight since December stop I made through inspection camp which virtually stinking pigsty despite efforts men keep clean stop sleeping accommodation consisted three tiered bunks and two men per bed subragged verminous blankets fewest straw paillasses stop Many men had sleep floor and draughty passages stop Plumbing arrangements primitivest there being one toilet for each hundred men stop There’s much sickness and several death c??p since arrival marches and I saw large number pitiful white crosses being painted preparatory being placed over graves many who’d died more Oakeshott.
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32158 Oakeshott March stop Four Deaths occurred during march Often marchers died post arrival ba??orb stop One died post seeing arrival liberators stop In kitchen I saw prison fare being prepared stop Consisted dirty grey war bread and soup of potato peelings with beanflour and water stop I tasted it and found it nauseous and on this British soldiers lived for months and years stop In one corner cookhouse I saw part carcase horse which they found dead field and cooked stop While meal cooking, a large number American of lorries arrived with rations including white bread stop With tears of joy men cheered the arrival of such food they’d unseen for years and hundreds of willing hands assisted unload stop I gave some Arnhemers few Players I’d left and they burst into tears as they lit up the first Englisher they’d smoked in ages more Oakeshott.
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32158 Oakeshott March Seven stop Most men insisted Germans been helpful since their arrival bad orb and even told them what little they knew progress American armies but those who’d lived badord? years said treatment appalling and averred they received similar treatment many other camps stop Little actual brutality but starvation, lack of sanitation, disease, dirt, vermin stop I questioned regarding arrival Red Cross parcels and met derisive laughter stop They mentioned on German noncom who’d store five thousand Players and when one British soldier asked him for one cigarette received a crack to the skull from a riflebutt and a prod from a bayonet for impertinence stop Only Red Cross gifts they received came parcels received by Serbs stop Most men seemed think that improvement German behaviour was because they saw writing on wall as one British captain put it but in all circumstances even as recently as two days ago, Russians still received worst treatment all more Oakeshott.
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32158 Oakeshott March eighth last stop In one case had men ever despaired and despite misery and privations they always cheerful stop I saw men in dirtiest uniforms but in every case they’d polished their cap badges and as officers passed group sergeant would snap out quote shun unquote and they’d click attentionward in manner which made one proud be British stop Pitiful ???? was eagerness for news progress of war and post telling one group what I’d heard BBC in morning I said listen and we heard thunder artillery and added quote that’s patch? chasing Germans unquote stop As I left those men who told me site they hated most was barbed wire which they seen five months five years ward I felt sure that impression that German treatment od prisoners had been quote correct unquote will undergo considerable revision if what I saw and heard typical for mason? Please let me know what play this gets if you consider overfiled I’d gladly pay cable tolls myself end Oakeshott.