114538: Return of Prisoner of War

Summation of an interview conducted by Carloway Historical Society with Norman James Macleod, recounting his experiences as a prisoner of war in the Second World War; a recording of the interview is held in the archive of Carloway Historical Society:

Lance Corporal Norman James Macleod, Heatherview, Carloway, Camerons, arrived home in Carloway last week after nearly five years in German POW camps. One of a mobile group of 14, he was captured near Rouen on 9 June 1940 and was marched and barged through France, Belgium and Holland into Germany. After only two days in Germany, he was moved to Stalag XXA, Thorn, East Poland.

In hospital with diphtheria in August-September 1940, he was attended by British, French and Polish doctors with a weekly inspection from a German doctor. Hospital rations were meagre but in hospital he met the first Lewisman he had seen since his capture – Angus Macleod, Stornoway (Doyle’s son).

Recovering from his illness, he was put to work on a new railway near Bronberg and then demolition work. The civilian taskmasters or overseers here were not too severe but they worked long hours. His last two years were spent on a farm, ten miles from the East Prussian border. Here, he took his meals with the farmer and the quality of the food was none too good. He cannot speak too highly of the Red Cross parcels which he received fairly regularly since January, 1941.

In January 1945 they started their great trek west, on the near approach of the Russians, who at one time, were as near as six miles. Through Stettin, along the Baltic coast they marched, sometimes in 26 degrees of frost. When within 20 miles of Hamburg, they were switched south in cattle trucks towards Hanover and Hamelin. Here they set to work repairing bombed railway lines. The bomb damage was terrific and they had been split into groups of 100-150. They had only started on the repair work when the shift was strafed by US bombers. Norrie was not on this shift but Jack Macleod, Breasclete was and in the confusion of running for cover, made his escape.

Two days after this, a German Corporal offered to take Norrie and three of his friends through the German lines to the Americans but before the time agreed on for their start, the anti-Nazi German was transferred elsewhere and the prisoners were again marched east. After five days on the march, they were mistaken for German troops and strafed by US fighters on April 11th. In the scramble for cover by guards and prisoners, Norrie and a Uist friend made their escape and hid in a cellar on a farm nearby. Four hours later they were discovered by the farmer’s wife who notified the guards. Taken back to the main body of prisoners, the two made their escape half an hour later. This was somewhere near Brunswick.

There weren’t many people about but they met a Polish slave worker and asked him if he could hide them, which he did by taking them to a loft. After two days here, they were compelled by hunger to come out in the open. Seeing no one about but a German girl looking through field glasses, they approached her and asked what she was looking for; “Americans coming”, she replied and sure enough, half an hour later, the first US tank appeared. What a joyous welcome for the fugitives. They were directed back to divisional headquarters and from there taken on lorries to Munster whence they were flown to Brussels. After two days stay, they were flown to this country.