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244019 Pte Dougas Bell Jardine British Army 2nd Btn. Seaforth Highlanders from:Lockerbie   From the local Lockerbie newspaper on Douglas' return in 1946:
Lockerbie Soldier's Return,
Welcome to Pte. D. Jardine
Pte. Douglas Bell Jardine, 2nd Batt.
Seaforth Highlanders, whose home is
at 6 Well Street, arrived in Lockerbie
on Wednesday night after five years
in a German prisoner of war camp.
Pte. Jardine, who is twenty-five years
of age, joined the Army in 1938, and
he crossed to France in October, 1939.
He was captured at St. Valery in 1940,
and most of his period of captivity
was spent in Southern Silesia, where
he was a member of a working party
in a glass factory. For the first two
years and the last six months Pte.
Jardine states food was very scarce,
and the prisoners were kept alive
with parcels received from the Red
Cross. When the Russians advanced
the prisoners in Pte. Jardine's camp,
which included several soldiers of the
Red Army, were marched across the
Czech mountains to Sudetenland, a
distance of four hundred miles. The
march started in February and con-
cluded on Easter Monday at Brux,
where they were put into another
camp. An explosives factory there
had been bombed, and Pte. Jardine
was employed clearing up the debris,
having to work twelve hours a day on
rations which consisted of half a litre
of soup and three slices of black
bread. He was liberated by the
Americans on 8th May, and was
brought to this country by air, arriving near London on Monday of last
week.
After supper Dr. G. H. Sinclair, The
Green, chairman of the Local Welcome
Home Fund Committee, who presided,
in the course of a few remarks, extended a welcome back home to Pte.
Jardine. He had known their young
friend for sixteen years, his father,
the late Mr. Robert Jardine, having
been for eight years his faithful and
trusted henchman, and for a quarter
of a century before that chauffeur to
his predecessor, the late Dr. Bell. Their
guest that night had during the past
few years undergone many hardships,
but his spirits had never been broken,
and they were glad to have him back
amongst them fit and well. On be-
half of his many friends in the town
he had great pleasure in asking him
to accept of a wallet of Treasury notes
with their best wishes for his future
wellbeing and happiness. (Applause.)
Pte. Jardine, in returning thanks for
the gift, said he was overcome by the
warmth of the welcome he had received
on his return to his native town and
by the many kindnesses that had been
shown to him. He was particularly
grateful to those who had subscribed
to the handsome gift which they had
given him. He assured them all their
kindness was much appreciated. It
was nearly five years since he was captured by the Germans, and he could
assure them that he had often during
that time looked forward to the day
when he would be back in Lockerbie.
He was glad that day had come, and
he wished them all good luck and a
speedy return to their normal peaceful lives.
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