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HARRY C. MCKINLEY |
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A
PARTIAL HISTORY OF THE PERIOD OF TIME FROM THE BEGINNING OF The
BATTLE
OF THE BULGE THROUGH THE PERIOD PRIOR TO MY
Capture
After being out of contact with American units as of December 16, 944, I
was actually captured on December 19, 1944, at about 4:00 or 4:30 P.M. I
was moved many places between December 19, 1944 and April,
1945. After my capture, without food,
sometime a day or so later I was loaded onto a boxcar. There were so
many of us in the boxcar that we had to take turns just to squat down
between others. I have no idea
how many were in the boxcars but we were jammed tightly,
shoulder to shoulder. There was only
one opening in the boxcar fo the removal of bowel movements and urine to
be thrown out - this was done in or helmets
and we received water in the same
helmet used for the removal of bowel movements
and urine. Our breath actually froze
on the walls of the boxcars end we dug at it for moisture and
even licked at the icy wall for the wetness an moisture.
I
was in the boxcar for, I believe, about 7 to 10 days - but I am not sure
just how long - and we were without food or water except for some water
a time or two. When I did get out of the boxcar, I was so cramped and
stiff that it was almost
impossible to walk or move. One night, which I believe to be December 24 or early December 25, 1944, the train was bombed by British bombers flying very low.
It
was believed that the
location was Limberg, Germany, but I have no idea if this is correct or
not - or
how it might have been known just where it actually was. Many car; of
the train were wrecked and blown apart. During the bombing and
immediately fallowing it,
we
were continuously fired upon by the German guards. Many, many were
killed and
wounded throughout this horrible ordeal while we tried to get to the
safety of
piles of crossties and other things. The guards were behind the crosstie
piles
and other cars and they continuously fired into the cars and the men
trying to
get
out of the wreckage. I am not sure just how long it lasted but it seemed
like eternity. There was total
confusion during this bombing and firing and trying to reach safety. I
do not know how many bombers there were or how many waves, but it
continued for some time I believe. I have no idea of how I got
out of the location or how we moved
on that night, it being around midnight as
near as I can believe. I believe
that we got off the train in Frankfurt, Germany
and were force marched up a
steep hill by road to a place known as Bad Orb to a P0W
enclosure.
At
Bad Orb we received our first hot ersatz coffee which tasted like some
kind of horrible tea. The Germans then took our helmets. I don't know
how or when
we
got a small bowl and then, later, received a hot portion of water with
what
appeared to be alfalfa leaves, thick with hundreds of white worms that
looked
like maggots. I am sure that is what they were. And one day, there were
several
little pieces of meat which I feel sure was deer, pork and horse because
of the color and texture, and also because I saw the remains of these
animals (all shot to pieces) come into the enclosure on a drag, or low
wagon, being pulled by
Germans.
After taking our helmets and anything else one may have had, I had only
a cap,
field jacket, shirt and pants, the set of underclothes I was wearing, my
boots
and
the socks I had on. These clothes were the only clothes that I
had
throughout
the whole winter until I was liberated in April. I did have a pair of
small rubber boots that I could in no way even think of wearing on my
feet. Why I had them I will never know. However, they seemed so valuable
that I had a short
round of resistance with a German until he rammed his Lugar pistol in my
kidneys until I could stand it no longer and another P0W had me give up
and he got
the boots. I have always wondered how I lived through the dumb episode,
I still
cringe and shudder just thinking of it.
I
don't know how long I was at Bad Orb, but I believe that it was sometime
in
January.
Then (time unknown), I was marched with other POW's across country,
winding
around over the countryside, generally keeping out of towns and vii ages
whenever
there might be S.S. troops in the towns. However, quite often we were
marched into villages where there were S.S. troops, etc., whose actions
made
one very nervous and shaky with anxiety. And, we were at times strafed
by
planes.
During the time from Bad Orb to Hammelburg, we had only turnips for food
- we
found those along the way. We got water at times at streams or from mud
holes
as
we traveled across the country.
One
night on the march, I got trapped in the basement of a house that later
turned out to be a place of many Germans having some kind of a party. In
the
darkness of the basement entrance, I got out by going through many
Germans in
the
dark and without saying a sound, got out into the shrubbery and trees
and
then back into an area where other POW's were being held.
On two different
occasions I was in barns where there were cows. I was hiding
under the cows and, while milking them, drank all
the milk I could get - it was warm and seemed to be a life saving food.
On one of these occasions a farm
woman and a very young girl found me milking the cows and I was sure
that this
was
the end, but the woman took a cup and milked for me as fast as I could
drink the warm milk. All the time, I was crouched under the front legs
of the
cow, under the manger, and the small girl watched for Germans. The
Germans
later showed up searching the barn, screaming and hollering and waving
their
weapons. I stayed put under the cow's neck, under the manger, while the
woman
and small girl stood on each side of the cow, until the Germans were
gone. I don't know what they were looking for, or what the situation was
with the woman
and small girl, but it
saved
my life and gave me that fine, warm milk. I was
so in shock
during all of this that I didn't really realize just what was taking
place. But,
after that, later that night when I got once again with the POW's,
it struck me
what had been happening and I cannot ever express m feeling and
the knots and shakes
that went over my body all night. And, I'm not sure just
how long it lingered,
but it was with me for as long as I can remember - until
a next incident would
take place. In both cases Germans were going through
the barns in search
of something, but luckily they never found me. I thought,
I'm sure glad they were city boys instead of a
country boy like me.
On
another occasion, one night when the Germans had us locked in a
building, I
crawled out through a hole in the foundation. I found German guards out
there
with lights going over the place. I lay on the ground as flat as
possible between
some bee hives. The Germans did not come at the bee hives but were all
over the place. After their searching, but staying at a greater
distance, I crawled back through the hole and into the building where
other POW's were, and
the
bees must have been friendly bees because I didn't get a sting.
During my stay at Hammelburg, our food was very sparse, we were allowed
a bowl of watery potato soup each
day. But, what we did ourselves was to get permission
to use the same amount of potatoes
but to make it in two bowls of broth and a
few potatoes twice a day. We had one
bowl before 11:00 A.M. at which time the
American bombers went over our camp
every day on their way to other parts of
Germany (if anything went wrong with
the timing that the broth was late coming,
then we had to wait until later
afternoon when all the bombers had made their eastward trips and then
returned home westward from their missions), and another
bowl at about 4:00 P.M.. About once
a week we got some carrots in place of
potatoes and, occasionally, every
week or so, we got a bowl of barley which was
a real treat. One time at
Hammelburg, we received Red Cross boxes which were divided into
either four or six parts for each of us.
While at Hammelburg, General Patton sent a special task force into
Hammelburg to the POW camp where we were being held as prisoners.
The
task force
arrived at the camp blowing up the
fences and some buildings, giving us a chance
to escape. I got on a tank and was
lying back against the turret during the fire
battle. I was so weak and exhausted
that I will never know what power came along
to give me strength to stay on the
tank, lying against the turret, when a terrific
explosion hit the turret and I was
unconscious for a time. But, later I found myself dazed though not
actually hit by the explosion. I remember nothing about
what was then happening except that I
later found myself in a building all alone
with noises outside. I staggered
outside and thought that I must be with POW's. It turned out to
be POW's being thrown together by Germans. I was so exhausted
and weak from the long siege of being
with so little food, that I just moved
along wondering at each step
if the next one would be the last - both from weakness, exhaustion,
fright and fear - through the complete darkness. I had only the
several pieces of clothing on me that I had the entire winter of my
ordeal.
Also while at Hammelburg, we used a couple of buckets for urinating
during the
night. During the day we had latrines which we could use at times when
there
were no air raid warnings. It was not safe at all to go out to the
latrine at
night or during the day during times of air raid warnings as the guards
shot
many of our buddies and always with the excuse that the orders were
changed. Thus, one just could not take a chance of going outside the
actual building
which we were in at most times. I do not know where we got dark, filthy,
mixed salt at times - but, I remember eating pure salt for something to
eat until it
actually came out of my forehead in little beads, of course we had to
stop eating
at
such times.
At
another time, sometime during our cross-country marching in our movement
eastward into Germany as the American troops advanced, I was pushed in a
pitch-dark building sometime in the night. I could feel other men all
around on the
floor and, in my searching for a place to get down or lay down, I felt a
warm
place in some kind of dirt-like material, it was about three feet high.
Feeling
that warm place was the last I remember until I was being pushed,
dragged, and
pulled all around with a bright light in my eyes. I could
see nothing but the
bright light. Upon becoming able to see by the light, I found that I had
been
lying in a blacksmith forge with perfect warmth. I was pushed out of the
building
and pushed in with other men who I later found out to be POW's . I also
found
out the next morning from the other POW's that I was almost completely
black
from the blacksmith forge soot. It was a very, very, long time until I
got the
soot removed from my face and body. I don't believe that I ever did get
the
filth out of the few clothes which I had been wearing all winter.
Sometime in either late March or early April, during the time of larches from Hammelburg past Schweinfurt and past through what we understood to be Furth, Germany, after passing through Furth and I believe a canal or waterway, we were moved into a wooded area along the roadside. While there, we head American bombers which I believe to be B-17's in the first flight. As we watched and listened to the bombs falling not too far from us, they hit an oil storage, I think, and flames and smoke were going sky high for as long as we could see that day. Then, immediately following the first wave came a second wave a greater distance in our direction, and again I watched the bombs falling and the whistling from them falling. They hit much nearer to us and landed in a railroad yard which apparently had an ammunition train or some type of high explosives in it which continued to explode. Fire and smoke rose again as far away as we could see.
Then,
came the third wave, B-24's I believe, coming farther
than the first two waves - which must have put them on us. And,
as
the
bombs
screamed and fell toward us, I was in a squatting position and there was
an old
bomb crater about six-to-eight feet in front of me and my buddies (there
were
hundreds of POW's in the exact area). I remember saying to myself,
lightning never strikes the same place twice - and I remember starting a
leapfrog jump
toward the bomb crater. That is the last I remember until I later came
to
consciousness. I could not move or breathe. As I became more fully
conscious
I
realized I was buried. Trying to get free, I got my head out of the dirt
which covered me and eventually got my breath. But, something was over
my
lower body and legs - but I couldn't seem to understand or know
what was wrong.
I
thought tree limbs were over me but upon getting loose I found that I
had
a
small piece of metal in my leg from the bombs. My one buddy was lying
under
my
right arm beside me. Upon realizing it to be him, I also saw that my
buddy
had
been hit with a very large piece of metal in the middle of his back and
had died
instantly as we dove for the bomb crater.
I have no idea how many. All were in a daze
and as Germans arrived we got out of the area. That was the last of any
friends I had met during the imprisonment. From there I just move
to this day and
remember how I got to the prison enclosures
skirts of Nuremberg, Germany.
The next few days were generally without food, or at least I don't
remember of
any food - except, I believe, a part of a Red Cross box. These days were
too
busy to think about anything except a small group of British POW's and a
couple
of others with myself were checking guard times, checking every nook and
corner
of barbed wire and fences, making plans for escape. I can't remember the
plans
but we had to change the time set at the last
minute for some tea on. We had
pliers, wire cutters,
etc. and where they came from I was never told and I didn't
ask any questions.
Several days later we were released when American troops
came into our camp and smashed fences and got us
out. I believe that it was
armor of the 45th
Division or armor attachments with the 45th Division, I am
not sure of this but believe it to be correct.
Miscellaneous final
comments and thoughts:
Throughout this whole time of being a POW, it must
be remembered hat there were guards over a person at all times -
especially when we were on the marches throughout
the country. These guards just seemed to be endowed with the mind and
desire to
kill and maim POW's to their hearts content - and, I must be sure that
they were under
strict orders about any escapes from the guarding that they
were in trouble. With
this fear in them, and their animal desire every second
was a very traumatic
experience and all must be assured that constantly one was
trying to survive
while at the same time there was always a ray of hope, of
prayer, or fear and
the constant mind demanding the love of home, family, children,
food - along with the human demand for survival.
It must be understood that time was lost throughout much of the ordeal
and as
such the length of times at various locations and of different matches
is remembered
only partially.
During the period January 19, 1944 and April ?,
1945 I received parts of
seven Red Cross food
boxes,
all were divided by from two to eight persons per
box. This was very little, but was a delight beyond reproach if given
for just
several minute snacks.
Much activity and
many episodes are without time and detailed remembrance now,
but many come back to
one's mind constantly over the years in the form of dreams; just
thinking back so often with ones mind wondering; in one's daily and
nightly
prayers, and just about any time when pictures, comments, or
conversations may
take place. One can
be assured that the experiences never leave the mind throughout
the course of each day and night.
There were constantly searches, lineups, interrogations and harassment -
at
all times and without reason. One was constantly on
edge and on
nerves - while getting through one episode
and awaiting the next move.
At different times, especially at Hammelburg, many POW's were killed
because
the guards claimed that the orders were changed. One was not allowed out
of the buildings for latrine or any other purpose, that only a certain
number
It must be remembered that at all times and at many times throughout
this time our buddies were shot or just taken away, never to be heard of
or seen
again. The pressure of this constant harassment was at times beyond a
person's
caring about anything and then each time the remembrance of home and
family and friends and
of the buddies
disappearing would give strength to
keep going just a little farther.
On
the many, many lineups at anytime both day and night for the Germans to
make counts of the POW's, we stood until I was sure that I couldn’t
possibly stand another second - and, many times I was certain that my
feet were frozen.
However, with care, I managed to get back to being able to line up again
the
next minute or the next time.
It must also be noted that
through
the battle period from the beginning of
the
Battle Of The
Bulge
and through the continuous period
following as a
prisoner
of war of the Germans we constantly kept hearing along the lines about
the killing
of American Prisoners of War just several miles north of our positions
which
was to become known as The Malmedy Massacre. One must be assured that
these
actions weighed heavily on the mind continuously throughout each day and
each
night and continued all of the time while I was a prisoner of war of the
Germans. It kept the nervous system in a constant terrific uproar of the
mind
and body all of the time.
It should be remember that the things here named of were very horrifying
and it must also be remembered that at every second and every minute
through the
hours and days that the threat of death and treatment controlled a man's
mind. |