Quick story from my dad about POW's he knew

[Helmuth8thSS]

Thought I'd share a story my dad told me from when he was younger and lived outside Manchester.
My father worked on a farm during the war and one day a load of German POW's came along to help out with the work on the farm.
My dad only being 10 years old war a little scared of them and ignored them for a few months but one day the young guard who was only about 17 decided to go and see why his girlfriend was not replying to his messages. The guard turned to my father and said '' right lad I'm going up to my girlfriends farm I'l only be 5 mins just point the gun at them and they will carry on working.. '' and handed the Lee Enfield to my father..
As soon as the Guard had gone a German POW walked up to my dad '' Give me ze gun '' in a calm voice with a smile ''
Obviously my dad only being 10 years old he handed the rifle to the German, the German soldier pulled back the bolt and laughed
"How are you supposed to win the war with no bullets " turned around and shouted to the other POW's in German walked up to them shouted and they all lined up at attention. He then walked to the front and they started singing '' its a long way to Tipperary '' In perfect english and marched so far my dad couldn't see them and expected, he would now be in a lot of trouble for letting them go with the gun. About 3 mins later he saw them marching back still singing but now a German song....
They walked up to him and gave him the gun back, then started working again
My dad realizing that they were nice, he starte talking to them and became friends with them all.. they gave him bits of uniforms and carved wooden toys and knives and taught him German fighting moves to defend him self in school.
But were always careful as they realized not everyone would like my dad being friends with the Germans.
He was closest to '' Otto Adler ' a german paratrooper captured during the British withdrawl from france during the Blitzgreig.
There was also a few panzer division soliders and a few normal Wehrmacht soliders.
They had a massive laugh together and in 1945 my grandfather and grandmother invited them over for Christmas dinner.
My father visited otto in the 1970s but.. since then lost contact.
Last year he found his daughter and found out Otto has gone mad due to finding out what the Germans did during the holocaust and is mentally unstable now :/ they found a letter in his room adressed to adolf hitler asking why he had done such things...

I thought I would share this as its good to know that German troops were just like British and allied troops and were also heros and normal men!! RIP to all of you!!

[Foam]

Hi Helmuth,

I am writing up the history of prisoner of war camps in Cheshire and especially Marbury Hall which was the main camp controlling satellite camps, including camps at Warburton, Mobberley and Sale, close to Manchester. Where was the farm location where the prisoners were and the date they were there? Any further information you can give would be most helpful. Thereare other posts on Marbury elsewhere on this web. I may have information to help you.

Cheshire cheese

[Annelie]

Thanks for sharing Helmuth.

Just now saw this post. Nice to have people realize that not
all Germans were evil Nazi's.

[army group south]

My great Uncle was also a POW in England. He later came to Canada, but even went back with his family to visit the farm where he worked as POW. He was sent to Darlington POW camp and worked on the Robinson farm, where he returned later to visit. He was released in 1948 but stayed on with the Robinsons before coming to Canada. Yes, they were not all evil.

S.
Trying to figure out more about his service in the SS. All ICRC could tell me was the units he was a part of, but no dates as I am not immediate family. This is what they passed along;
Erkm.: S.S. Kav. Ausb. u. Ers.Abt. 6789,
H.J.
Reg.25, Batl. II, 6. Komp.
Obergrenadier