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German POWs

Sue Dougan : Radio Cambridgeshire

By January 28, 2015No Comments

Yesterday I joined Sue Dougan on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire at mid-day.

We talked in particular about how the German POWs were gradually accepted by most members of the British public.  I’ve always felt that this says a great deal  for the Germans themselves: they are generally remembered as reliable workers who were respectful towards British civilians.  After five years of war, the Brits – understandably – had a bad opinion of Germany, and the prisoners had to make positive efforts to overturn that opinion.

The British, too, showed remarkable generosity and forgiveness.  One former POW told me how he was invited into an Englishman’s house not long after the war had ended, and was warmly received.  And the first thought to enter the prisoner’s mind was, “Why did we fight?”

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