| Notes: | CMP. POW. 26/5/1930 he enlisted in the Scots Guards for 3/9 years, 7/12/1929 transferred to CMP. Casualty List 288 BEF France, 18/9/1940 previously shown on casualty list 288 as POW. Casualty List 450, BEF, France, shown on casualty list 288 as POW, previously reported wounded and missing, 18/9/1940, now not missing. POW. Stalag XXA, Thorn, Podgorz. Casualty List 651. BEF, France, previously reported missing now not missing, list 450, 18/9/40. 24/8/42 Discharged. James Snodgrass Allan.Extract from the Yorkshire Evening Post, 22/2/49. I was flogged by Russian Guards. Grim facts from Bradford DCM.The Evening Post article last Friday about Russian slave camps had drawn confirmation from a person peculiarly well qualified to give it - a Bradford man who has had personal experience of Soviet prison conditions. He tells his grim story in the following interview.Dreams of the inhuman treatment torture and floggings suffered during 13 months imprisonment in the hands of the Russians during the Second World War still awakens former Lance Corporal James S Allen, DCM of the Military Police who lives in Southfield Square Bradford. Mr Allen told us of his experiences in six prisons from September when he gave himself up to the Russians in Poland after escaping from Germany, until October 1941, when he was handed over to he British Ambassador in Moscow, then Sir Stafford Cripps. Of the treatment in all the prisons, Mr Allen said, "It was awful, inhuman. We ere treated worse than dogs. We were spied on, beaten, starved and interrogated times without number. The Russians I saw had not the manners of a pig. They were a lot of illiterate ignorant beggars." During the 13 months he existed on two meals a day - one of 250 grams (about 2 oz) of bread and a bowl of dry porridge, the other fish soup, both served "when the guards felt like it." Of the soup, Mr Allen said: "There were fish heads, fins, skin and guts in it, but because we were hungry we ate the lot.The First Flogging. His first flogging was for refusing to sign a statement in Russian, He received it at a camp near Moscow. He was stripped to the waist and a whip was used while he was lying on the floor. "Every time we went to a new place we were interrogated by the prison chief, and all kinds of things were alleged against us." he said. "If we did not agree, guards standing behind us used to club us until we did. So it was best to agree. "I said I would sign the statement if it was written in English. Even if they had translated it I would have refused again. "They flogged me, but it wasn't too bad, as I got five days solitary confinement to get over it.""That Finished Me" Mr Allen was flogged the second time at Saratov, in Caucasia. "This was a very different thing. I had learned two Russian phrases, and I used one of them - "I want to see the Prison Chief to try to help one of my friends. That finished me. "As soon as I said that, they accused me of being a spy and an enemy of the Soviet. I was interrogated, beaten up and charged with all sorts of things." " I was stripped completely naked and the flogging was wicked. There were five of them and they did everything they could think of. The whipped, beat, kicked, bit and ran over me. I was starving at the time, but I was in such a terrible state that I could not eat for three days. I still dream of the flogging." At Lubianka prison in Moscow, Mr Allen told me that each morning about 4 o'clock he heard banging noises. "I did not know what these were until one morning I saw ten dead bodies in an outhouse. I could see the bullet holes in their heads and bodies. Then I knew what the what the banging's were." When he was finally released - three months after the Russians had entered to war as our ally - Mr Allen told Sir Stafford Cripps that he would willingly walk back to captivity with the Germans than stay another minute more than stay in Russia. He was still puzzled as to why he was kept a prisoner after Russia became our ally as other British prisoners were released as soon as Germany invaded Russia. He thinks his release was due to the efforts of Lord Beaverbrook and the first mission to Moscow with whom he returned to EnglandDCM for "sticking it out." He was awarded the DCM on his return - "I do not know what for, I think it was for being able to stick it out with the Russians.." he said. Another reminder of his stay ten months in hospital in this country, recovering from the after effects of his imprisonment and the ill health he still has because of it. Mr Allen's advice to anyone who thinks Communism is good this is "Get it out of your head - quick." .Article has small inset picture of Mr Allen in the full dress uniform of the Scots Guards. |
| Citation: | BEF. I received a head wound near Lille on 18 May 40 and was taken to the hospital at Camiers, which on 20 May was taken over by the Germans.On 1 July, with other wounded, I was moved, in a lorry through Hesdin, Lille (2 July) and Renaix (4 July) to Loekeren (6 July), where we were packed like sardines in barges and, after 3 days reached Emmerich. We were then taken on to Dortmund. While I was there 7 Irishmen and 4 Welshmen were interviewed by a German official in the presence of an individual who bore, on the lapel of his coat, a badge with the letters IRA. None of the men interviewed subscribed to these efforts to win him over and all of them rejoined us.By this time I was convalescent and on about 16 July was taken by rail, a 4 days' journey, to Thorn (Poland), Stalag XXA.After a fortnight I was transferred to a working camp (No354) at Pischnitz (Popolaska) also known as Hoch Stublau. This camp was about 50km south east of Danzig and prisoners were employed on roadwork on a new road which is to run from Berlin to Danzig. Although an NCO I was compelled to work, but prisoners who were unfit, at the instigation of a British Medical Officer Major Tucker, RAMC were excused from this levy. This officer did magnificent work in attending to sick prisoners, although he had little equipment and constant hindrance.By contrast at Thorn, RSM Davidson (the camp leader) and a Private Puttinger (who wore the crown of a Sergeant Major) curried favour with the Germans and were very harsh with prisoners. Similarily, CSM Dean, at the working camp, insisted on our working, to the limit of our capacity, in order to placate and win personal favour from the Camp Commandant.The guards at both camps could be divided into two categories, those who were over 25, who treated us fairly and those who were younger and brutal. As far as I know no guard would accept a bribe.While I was a prisoner at Pischnitz (4 August - 17 September 1940) we received a parcel on 28 August, which was divided between 41 men; my portion being 12 cigarettes and half a tin of kippers. Camp rations were poor; we had two meals a day. All money and valuables were confiscated. Each man was given one blanket and all overcoats and spare clothes were taken from us. There was no issue of soap or towels, so that we were generally lousy and filthy.The first requisite for escaping is a large scale map of the vicinity of the camp. I was able to make a copy of a map, which had been brought into the camp by some white Russians who were awaiting repatriation. Poles came into the camp and worked alongside us on the road. They did not give us any escape materials but were practically to a man, willing to help escapers.On the 17 September 1941, 20 of us were out working under one guard. We were digging up bombs, made of iron and concrete. The guard left us and we remained under the charge of a German Pole. Myself , Lance Corporal Green and Gunner Clark seized our opportunity and slipped away and, once out of sight, made off in an easterly direction. (I was wearing a Polish Uniform, Green had a Polish tunic and British army trousers and Gunner Clark was in battledress.)Our course was Gostynin, Borazanov and Kenpa.At Kenpa I was parted from the other two as the Poles thought it better to split us up.On about 1 October 1941, I was guided by way of Sochechiev to Warsaw, where I was sheltered and looked after by the official Polish organisation. Later I was taken by train to the Russian frontier, passing through Siedlice and Nemmoijki. I crossed the river Bug in a boat, while Polish scouts kept a watch for any German patrol. I climbed over the barbed wire fence into Russia and handed myself over to the authorities within five minutes of crossing the frontier. I was searched very thoroughly and everything was taken away from me. I was put in a small cell for one night. I was taken on to another place ( I did not know the name) and stayed there for 10 days in company with Polish prisoners. The food was terrible and the conditions were extremely bad. There was no room to lie down in the cell at night. I then went to Minsk where conditions were just as bad. On the 6th January I was sent to Moscow where the conditions were better. I was in a room with 25 English and French. The food was good and cigarettes were provided.While I was at Minsk I had leant two Russian sentences. 'I must speak to the prison governor.' and 'When can I speak to the prison governor?' which I used in the Moscow prison but with no result. With me at this time were: Lovegrove, Briggs, Bateman, Boughton.We were given paper to write to England, but I did not avail myself of this opportunity as I thought the letters would not be sent. In order to force the Russians to allow us to see the Governor we went on a hunger strike for five days. On the third day of this strike I was taken away and put in a cell by myself as I was considered to be the ring-leader. At the end of the five days my friends were moved to another room where I joined them. This was about the 6th February. Three or four days later my friends were taken away and from then on I did not know anything about them. The following day I was taken from my cell and put in another room with three Frenchmen. I stayed there until about the 25 February when I was taken out and put in a cell alone. I was there for five weeks and, at the end of the time, was beaten up by the prison guards, During this period I was perpetually interrogated and asked why I had come to Russia and also questioned concerning the Secret Police organization in England. I told them the story of my escape and asked to see the British consul. I stayed another nine weeks alone in the cell, during which time I was again beaten up. The Russian-German war then broke out and we were taken to Capatob to a very bad prison; 10 men were packed into one small cell and there was scarcely room to stand. I stayed there until the 7th September, when the deputy governor came to my cell and brought me out. I was then placed in the first class part of the prison and given cigarettes and all the food I could eat. My clothes were washed and they made a great fuss of me. The following morning I was taken to Moscow under escort of two Lieutenants. I stayed in the Lubianka prison for one night where I was extremely badly treated. The following morning I was taken back to my old prison, but put in a third class part where I stayed alone in a cell for three weeks. They then came and gave me a bath, haircut etc., but refused to give me any food. They then took me before two civilians who questioned me as to my name, etc. and then told me I was free. I asked for some food and this was brought immediately. They told me the address of the British Embassy but as I did not know my way about Moscow they had to take me there in a car. They pointed out the Embassy to me and then stopped the car 300 yards away from it. I rushed straight in.During the period I was in prison I was forced to sign certain documents in Russian which, naturally, I could not understand. A revolver was used in order to persuade me to do this.On board HMS London a full account of my experience was taken down in shorthand under instructions from either Lord Beaverbrook or Lt General Ismay, in Lord Beaverbrook's cabin. It took about two hours. I told them the story of my escape with particular emphasis on my experiences in Russia. I mentioned the name of a Pole who had helped me but was immediately warned by General Ismay that I must, on no account, mention names.(The above details were taken from the book, 'No Citation' by J Allan and published by Angus and Robertson in 1955.) The official citation was never released. |
