Recollections of Moosburg April 1945

We had been moved out on foot from Stalag XIII D at Nuremberg and were marching south through Bavaria in April 1945. At that time, we had no idea that we were heading for Moosburg. During this march we were issued with a Red Cross food parcel and were also able to barter with Bavarian farmers, trading soap and tobacco for additional food. Apart from this we were also impressed by the gifts of food left out for the prisoners by the Bavarian people as we marched through their homeland.

Disaster struck on the third day out of Nuremberg. The weather had turned somewhat warmer and at that time the column was on a nice straight road through a forest of pine trees. Suddenly three FW 190s appeared overhead with three American P47 Thunderbolts in hot pursuit. Shortly afterwards we saw the same three Thunderbolts heading our way with their noses down and looking anything but friendly. They had obviously mistaken us for a troop column and opened fire. The column broke up immediately and everyone dived for whatever cover there was. I found myself in a shallow ditch but we could feel the bullets thudding into the ground very close to us. Several POWs were killed. I put the number at about fourteen but this may have been an exaggeration. Whatever the final total, it was a terrible blow to all our morale that having had the good fortune to escape from blazing bombers the fate of falling victim to “friendly fire” awaited us.

Finally, after sixteen days marching, largely wet, cold and very hungry, we arrived at Stalag VII A Moosburg in Bavaria. Ironic really that we had come from the Moose squadron [419 Squadron RCAF was nicknamed “Moose”] to Moosburg.

Conditions at Moosburg were similar to Nuremburg and the only food available was what could be sourced from Red Cross parcels.

Whilst the camp at Nuremburg had been relatively well organised, by the time we arrived at Stalag VIIA the camp was crowded and the organisation had broken down somewhat with the rapid influx of so many prisoners. Food was extremely short and we seemed to be relying on the food provided by Red Cross parcels. There seemed to be no organised cooking. Every prisoner seemed to have his own “Kriegie burner”, a rudimentary stove made out of an old milk tin and it appeared that each prisoner was responsible for his own cooking.

During the day I cannot recall any formal roll call [unlike XIII D, where it took place every morning]. We spent the day gathering fuel. We would try and steal floorboards from other huts to burn and while we were doing this someone else would be stealing the boards from our hut.

We were placed in a compound with Commonwealth and American aircrew. I believe that we were in the Oflag. The Russians were in another part of the camp.

Our stay there was of short duration because one Saturday night there appeared to be a pitched battle with our compound in the middle. I remember hiding under the hut that night as bullets were passing overhead. As far as I know there were no casualties in the compound itself. The very next day, a Sunday, General Patton himself rolled in with his tanks and we were liberated.

Stan Instone, Sergeant Flight Engineer with 419 Squadron RCAF shot down on 20th February 1945 over Dortmund.

Stan Instone	Stan Instone	Crew	Log
419 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force	Airfield	Airfield	Airfield
Barracks Moosburg 2010	Barracks Moosburg 2010	Barracks Moosburg 2010	Barracks Moosburg 2010
Barracks Moosburg 2010	Stalag Fountain Moosburg 2010	Stalag model 2010	Military Cemetery

Source:

• E-mails by Mark Instone, United Kingdom, to Moosburg Online, March, July 2010