Gnr. George Wilfred Wyatt
British Army 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
This is the writing of George Wilfred Wyatt, written in the mid 90's about his experience
"Courage and Determination"
In 1939 after working down the mines for four years, I joined the army and served as a gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery. I was posted to France as part of the 51st Highland Division B.E.F. and was taken Prisoner of War at St. Valery in June 1940. We marched to Holland and then went onto Emerich in Germany by barge. We then travelled by train to Scubin in Poland where we were put into working party camps. Whilst at this camp we were sent to work on farms, in factories and on the railways and roadworks. We were also sent to build camps for P.O.W's.
About two years later in 1942, we were sent to work in the mines in the Katowice mining area. At this mine, a young Polish girl was working in the lamp cabin. Her job was to hand out checks and lamps to the miners working below ground. This was the beginning of my friendship with this young Polish girl named Halinka. As our relationship blossomed daily to eventually corresponding and meeting occasionally whenever possible during the following years. Halinka's father was a Polish Resistance leader who lived throughout the war never knowing whether that dreaded knock at the door would ever come, (i.e. "Gestapo"). Halinka obviously kept her friendship with me a big secret, knowing that any relationship with a P.O.W. would be against her father's wishes.
During the last few months of 1944, we moved to another mine, 20 kilometres north of Halinka's village and later still yet another mine, 15 kilometres south of her village. However, every few days I would see Halinka walking near by the camp. Sometimes, we could have a chat and other times it would be impossible, but she never complained. In January 1945 along with a friend, we escaped from the camp and made our way with the help of Polish friends to the village some 15 kilometres away. Knowing the Russians were advancing to the area, local people hid us until we were liberated. We then decided to get married. So we travelled to Krakow airport where the R.A.F. had a base travelling on top of a cattle truck 80 kilometres to receive permission from an officer, which he granted and signed my pay book, escorting me out of the base, against the will of the Russians. We made our way to the city of Krakow 5 kilometres away and found a church with a friendly priest who willingly agreed to marry us and also kindly found us accommodation for our wedding night. We returned to my wife's home in Niwka and after the initial shock, her family accepted us with open arms and gave us their blessing although with a little doubt. (Was I true or false).
Our happiness did not last long, as the Russians put out an order that all P.O.W's must report to military headquarters within a week or be treated as spies and shot. A party of eight reported to Krakow where we were given hard rations, mostly dried vegetables, for 4 days journey by train to Odessa. They would not allow girls to travel, however, between us we managed to smuggle my wife Halinka with us, hiding her under top coats in our sleeping compartments. On arrival at Odessa, the British Military Mission, who had to escort her back home, held my wife. I was sent home by merchant ship, via Italy, Gibraltar and Scotland. On my arrival, I informed my unit and the British Red Cross of my marriage and received only acknowledgement. Later my wife came home from Odessa with a British Military escort and was told to wait until later and to get in touch with the British Embassy, which at this time did not exist. However, Halinka being very impatient decided to make her own way to Prague in Czechoslovakia with papers or passport. At the British Embassy, her good luck still held out. After being checked, she finished up in the office of a Major Wyatt whom was delighted at meeting a namesake and looked after her the time she spent in Prague. Halinka arrived in London on VJ Day, unable to contact anyone owing to a public holiday. However, the police found me and informed me that Halinka was on her way to Nottingham by train and that I should meet her when she arrives. Courage and determination played a big part in our romance throughout.
George Wilfred Wyatt
I hope that I have done the right thing for my uncle Wilf. He was a kind man and did tell me one or two anecdotes about life in the camp. If I remember rightly, he told me how they used to make fish soup by tying the fish onto a piece of string and passing it across the top of the boiling water. They didn't eat very much as the rations the Germans gave them were very meagre indeed. I suspect probably just enough to keep them going. He also told me of the time when he was out with some of his POW mates. I think he worked nearby in a mine or a farm. They had been given some eggs and they were looking forward to having something more substantial to put into their stomachs. One of the guards stopped them and when he went to search the knapsack, uncle Wilf gave the bag a huge clap and smashed all the eggs, so then the Germans couldn't take the eggs either. He had a very dry sense of humour and was a genuine good man.
