This is the story of my father, William (Bill) Greig, after he had escaped from Stalag 8b (344 Lamsdorf), at the end of WW2. It has been picked up by both the Czech authorities and posted to a website. It has also been published in some UK newspapers a few years ago. Unfortunately my father passed away in 2007. At that time his health and memory was failing, so we have a mixture of stories to us when we were children and his recollections from the time, late in his life.
William Christie Greig was born in Aberdeen on December 15th 1921. He enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders in on 10th August 1939. We do know he 'doctored' his birth certificate, so that his younger brother Ben could join at the same time. This was later discovered after the war.
He did his initial training until 19th April 1940. After training, he was sent to France in 1940, as part of the 51st Highland Division. After some combat, the forces found themselves being surrounded and retreated to St.Valéry-en-Caux, on the French coast. He recalled ditching his anti tank rifle after seeing the shells pinging off the outside of the German tanks, during the retreat. His troop was pushed onto the beach and eventually into the sea by the superior German forces. Eventually General Fortune ordered the surrender on June 12th. My father was always amused when the Dunkirk evacuation was celebrated and shown on television. "There wasn't a single boat in sight at St. Valery when we could have done with them!" was his comment.
Bill was marched to Poland and ended up in the POW camp Stalag 8b near Lamsdorf, Poland. He was kept there through to 1945, in really tough conditions. He would only talk of his comrades and any funny occasions at the camp. We do know he became (as did many) malnourished, with raw turnips being a staple part of the limited diet. He never ate them again after returning to Aberdeen after the war and couldn't stand the smell of them being cooked. This poor diet nearly killed him later in life when the stomach ulcer he developed burst and required major surgery to save his life.
Most soldiers consider it their duty to try to escape. Few managed it but my father and 3 mates did eventually escape. On a march to nearby Glatz, Bill, his friend Tommy Vokes and two others seized an opportunity to hide under some bushes before rolling into a ditch to escape. Foraging for food by day and sleeping in a local cemetery by night, they managed to avoid capture. Eventually, they were befriended by a Czech family who took them in. They were fed and clothed and then taken to the local railway station, to catch a train to Prague. The head of the family, Frau Babca arranged for them to be met in Prague and given a place to hide. Tommy and my father split from the other two soldiers to go it alone. The family in Prague took good care of the Bill and Tommy, who were probably expecting to wait out the end of the war in some safety and comfort.
However, their arrival coincided with the Czech Uprising. This started with the capture of the Prague Radio building from the Germans in late April 1945. There was then a radio broadcast for all Czechs to take up arms and to liberate Prague from the German forces. With the Nazi's grip weakening, the Uprising leaders were frustrated by the lack of support from the Allies and their failure to move into the city, despite being just a few miles away from Prague. They were not to know that a deal had been struck with the Soviets that the Red Army would be the liberating force, with Czechoslovakia falling under Stalin's rule after the War. Meanwhile the Germans attempted to take back the Radio building with fierce fighting. Throughout Prague the Czech resistance movement built barricades and engaged in may street battles to defend strategic parts of their city.
My father and Tommy volunteered to help the resistance movement and were asked to help defend the precious Prague Radio station building , that was their only real link with the outside world.
They were given a rifle each and spent may hours lying on the stairs, defending the station from German attacks. With the threat of the Radio Station being overrun and the likelihood of the Germans defeating the Uprising, my father was asked to make a very important radio broadcast in English. He remembers being taken down some stairs and through a tunnel to where the broadcast equipment was housed. He was given a script and made a number of broadcasts
"The Germans are attacking us with tanks and planes. We are calling urgently our allies to help us. Send immediately tanks and aircraft. Help us defend Prague. At present, we are broadcasting from the radio station and outside there is a battle raging"
He made a number of broadcasts and it's obvious the Czechs (and my father) were becoming more desperate.
“Hello, hello, hello! This is Prague calling London. Once again we repeat what I have already said three or four times. The Germans did not keep their promise. Prague is in great danger. The Germans are attacking with tanks and planes. We’re calling urgently our allies to help. Send immediately tanks and aircraft. Help us defend Prague. Do not let Prague be destroyed. We don’t know how long we can hold out. We are hoping for the best – that English, American or Russian troops will reach us in the next few hours. It has to be very quick and very soon. Good night!”
The broadcasts had the desired effect and Allied aircraft destroyed an approaching German column and effectively ended the conflict in Prague.
With the Russians approaching, my father and Tommy helped an old Jewish couple escape to the west and in return the couple game them their car. They attempted to travel to Northern France but the car broke down halfway. Luckily they were 'acquired' another car and were given fuel by the Americans. They eventually made it back to Aberdeen.
For his actions, my father was awarded the Czech Military Cross and also a civil honour of the Radio Memory Distinguished Order, in 1948. Communications from General Ludwig Svoboda from the Czech military and The War Office are attached. Interestingly, the War Office sent the initial letter to the wrong William Greig, who informed them he had nothing to do with the Prague incident. They contacted Tommy Vokes who had my father's correct address and they managed to get the MC medal to him safely.
My father returned to the Army to 'see out his time' and was transferred to the Cheshire Regiment, until he was demobbed. Bill married my mother Ann Milne Rose in 1947 and went on to have my two sisters and me. My mother passed away in 2010.
I'm very proud of my father's bravery in a situation where most would be looking to avoid further conflict after 4 tough years in one of the Nazi's notorious POW camps. He was always very modest and refused to accept he was a hero. The recent interest shown by both the Czech and British media clearly demonstrates the small (but hugely significant) roles my father and Tommy played to end the conflict in Czechoslovakia. Letters from those he met and helped in Prague show their gratitude for his actions and bravery.
Recordings and transcripts of my father's broadcasts can be accessed on the following website:
A Scottish Hero of the Prague Uprising.
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