Page 18 - Cecil Thomas Weir

In late April, 1945 as the war in Europe was nearing its end, the Russians were
approaching from the east and the British and Americans from the West in a race to
get to Hitler's headquarters in Berlin. Stalag Luft I was North of Berlin, so it was
unsure at first which of the Allied fronts would reach them first. As the reports came
in and the fighting got closer and closer to Barth, they soon realized that the
Russians would be the ones liberating them. They soon began to hear the heavy
cannon fire sounds of the Russian artillery getting closer and closer to them.

At night the POW’s would lay in their darkened barracks and there would be shouts
of “Come on Joe” (for Joseph Stalin - the Russian leader) coming from all over the
camp. At this time it became apparent to the German Commandant and the guards
at Stalag Luft I that the Russians were at their doorstep and they must make a move.
So they approached the senior Allied officer of the camp, Col. Hub Zemke, and told
him to prepare his fellow prisoners to march in an effort to escape the approaching
Russians. Col. Zemke refused to do so.

He informed the Commandant that even though there were over 200 camp guards
with guns, that there were 9,000 POW’s and they were prepared to fight rather than
march. He told the Commandant that he realized this may cause high losses among
the POW’s but ultimately they would overcome the Germans and with the Russian
Allies so close he knew this was an acceptable risk.

The German command evidently realized that the end of Germany was near and so
he accepted this decision by Col. Zemke. The German Commandant then informed
Col. Zemke that he and the guards would be leaving the camp at midnight that night
(April 30 1945). Col. Zemke had made plans in case such a scenario arose to take
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over the camp, as it was evident to him that as senior Allied officer he would be
responsible for of the safe return of the POW’s to Allied control. He had already
organized a group of hand selected men which he called the 'Field Force' to help him
keep the camp in order until they were all safely back in Allied hands.

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So when the POW’s at Stalag Luft I awoke on May 1 1945 they looked around and
noticed that all the Germans were gone and now there were POW’s with armbands
that said 'FF' manning the guard towers. Col. Zemke explained that the POW’s
could not just start leaving the camp on their own, as there was a war going on all
around them and they could be shot. He felt it best to keep the camp secure in an
effort to protect the POW’s. (You can imagine not many of the POWs liked this idea,
they were tired of being imprisoned behind barbed wire!).