Homecoming for returning POWs

Full of praise for ladies who sent out parcels

Prisoners of war began returning to their homes and villages across Stirling area following the Armistice.

Although most were critical of their treatment by the Germans all were full of praise for the ladies of Stirling Work Depot who had kept them supplied with parcels of food and clothing.

Back home in Dunblane was Sgt John Brown,A&SH, who was the first soldier from that area to be taken prisoner in the war.

A regular soldier and son-in-law of Mrs Kennedy, Sinclair Street, Dunblane, he went to France with the Expeditionary Force and was taken prisoner near Lille on October 21, 1914. He was held in a number of camps during his 49 months’ captivity before in March, 1918, being sent to Holland for internment, with 300 others.

The Observer said the sergeant was in ‘excellent health’, despite his confinement, but he spoke of how prisoners lived within an atmosphere of ‘pronounced hostility’.

This, he added, applied even to German children, who when they passed the camp had painted on their school bags and embroidered on their pinafores ‘Gott strafe England’ (May God punish England).

There was also a homecoming for brothers George and William Milne, both privates in the Black Watch, who were taken prisoner in April, 1918. Their parents, who lived at Ramoyle, Dunblane, had another son killed in action.

An insight into the life of prisoners during their incarceration was given by Pte George Henry Stewart, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who lived at 44 Baker Street.

Pte Stewart joined the KOSB (Territorials) in November, 1914, and after doing duty at home went to France in early 1917. He was captured during fighting at Gavreile on May 3 of that year and spent most of his time as a prisoner in a camp at Frederichfield, a town with a population of about 9000 .

He was employed in heavy work loading and unloading wagons in a zinc factory and, said the Observer, some of the men involved were “pretty badly knocked about”.

He was working alongside other British POWs and soldiers from other nationalities including 40 French, five Russians and two Italians.

The town in which they were held was about 25 miles from Cologne and, said the paper, the `hearts of the Britishers were gladdened on more than one occasion to witness the airmen bombing Cologne and other places in the vicinity, making them aware ‘Fritiz’ was not having things all his own way’.

Food consisted of either cabbage or cabbage soup and ‘but for the parcels sent from this country the prisoners would have practically starved’.

Even the civilian population was in ‘sore straits’, existing on a diet of potatoes, soup and black bread.

Following the signing of the Armistice, Pte Stewart spent a week in Holland before returning to Britain. He was a former plasterer but for the seven years before the war worked as a watercolour artist and was well known among the town’s art dealers.

•Sgt J Kidd, A&SH, whose family lived in Broad Street, Stirling, was also back home. He joined up in 1915 and was captured by the Germans during their offensive in March, 1918.

During his detention, he engaged in farming and cutting down trees behind enemy lines. Said the Observer: ‘In the most direct of language, he describes his treatment by the Germans during his period of imprisonment as ‘rotten’’.’

•Pte William Murray, Highland Light Infantry, whose wife lived at 48 Baker Street, Stirling, was back with his family after two years as a POW, while Pte Andrew Cumming, Royal Scots Fusiliers, was in ‘good health’ when his period of incarceration ended. Pte Cumming, son of Mr Andrew Cumming, grocer, Baker Street, Stirling,joined up in 1915 and was taken prisoner in March, 1918.

He was held in Belgium and employed by the Germans in a post office and later as a stretcher bearer. He said he had ‘fairly good treatment’ during the time he was a POW.