March 1, 2002 An Algonquin Regiment POW story

In this column in November I reviewed the book, Sons of the Pioneers: Memories of the Veterans of the Algonquin Regiment, by John Macfie of Parry Sound. The book is an oral history of ten veterans of the Algonquin Regiment in WWII. One of these veterans is Pte. B55432 Elmer Allard, of Chisholm Township, whose powerful and moving story gives a fresh insight into the perils of war. Today, in keeping with my recent POW theme, I want to look at that part of Elmer’s story that deals with his POW experience. To read the full story, and more details on his POW experience, look for the book in your public library, or order online from the Past Forward Company store.

During the Normandy invasion Elmer, who carried a twenty three pound Bren gun was advancing on the German line, and specifically on one position. Having fired a couple of hundred rounds, he was changing the magazine when he burned his hand badly on the red hot barrel. He had silenced the enemy position, so a senior officer took him back temporarily to a less active position to give the hand a chance to heal.

Captured

About a week later, the group he was now in became a part of an advance on Bergen-op-Zoom in Holland. There were three companies advancing in a coordinated attack, with Elmer in the middle group on the main road. His group got too far ahead and got in trouble. The Sergeant Major took one wounded man in his jeep carrying a Red Cross flag, and headed back down the road, with Elmer riding shotgun with the safety off. Elmer fired a few shots, and it looked as if they were going to make it. Suddenly there was a "blinding red flash" and, when Elmer came to, there was a German soldier standing over him and the Sergeant Major saying, "Come, come!" (see photo). 

Elmer Allard (seated) with the man driving the jeep (standing) in the story about when they were captured by the Germans.

On Nov. 4, 1944 Elmer’s parents received a telegram saying that he was missing in action. Elmer was in fact being interrogated and shipped deep into north central Germany in a boxcar along with many other allied POWs. For six days they had nothing to eat, and no markings on the train to keep allied planes from attacking them. The boxcars were covered with brush, and hid occasionally in rock cuts for protection. When they got near a big city the bombing was so intense that their guards let them out of the boxcars to hide temporarily in an environment where they were less than welcome.

Elmer Allard (left) with Merv Oshell (centre) and Mickey Cox (right), examining the shell holes in the tree where Elmer was captured and made a POW in Germany.

Stalag XId

Eventually, they arrived at Stalag XId near Hamburg, Germany, where they were photographed and given a metal identification plate. They were allowed to send a card home saying that they were in captivity. The POWs were formed into various groups, and slept in bunk beds stacked to the ceiling, with boards for mattresses. As the weather got colder, some of the boards were burned to keep the building warm. Watered down turnip soup was their usual meal, along with a loaf of bread for each eight men, and the occasional Red Cross package.

Bugs Galore

Elmer recalls that the camp was overrun with lice that drove you crazy. On one occasion he developed a terrible rash that raised blisters all over his body. At the risk of being shot, Elmer opened the door and grabbed some snow to kill the pain. A British paratrooper doctor told him it was food poisoning from a scratch from a can from a Red Cross package.

The Salt Mines

Elmer and about two hundred other POWs were soon put to work deep in a salt mine, shoveling salt onto a conveyor belt. He soon discovered that he was actually helping build an underground factory for the building of German war equipment. There were numerous political prisoners in the mine as well, who only came up once a week for an hour. Elmer described the intense manipulation of the Germans to find out information from the POWs.

The Allies Advance

As the allied forces advanced into Germany, the word spread that the POWs were going to be marched into East Germany to an uncertain future. Elmer learned that there was a river (the Elbe) a mile or two away, and that it led to Hanover, where the Americans were advancing. He decided he did not want to die on the road (a report in another book tells of a two month POW march, where 1300 allies died on a march away from the advancing allied forces. Ironically they were being marched to Elmer’s camp, where they wanted to get in and have a shower and a bed to sleep in).

The Escape

A soccer game was arranged with the guards as a distraction, and Elmer and another man pretended to be picking up firewood and took off as fast as they could into the woods. They ran into a German soldier, crawled around and crossed a couple of roads and soon came to the river. They proceeded south along the river, covering several km each night, climbing fences, going around guarded bridges, and scavenging for food as they went. While resting on one occasion, an unarmed German soldier approached them and tried to surrender, thinking they were American soldiers. He left when Elmer told him they were not, and they took off at a rapid pace.

They met one friendly German family who gave them some food and clothing, taking their lives in their hands if they had been caught. Nearby an American tank appeared, and they flagged it down and identified themselves. On the way back into allied territory, a big shell hit and they thought they might not make it.

Back Home

Elmer was soon back in England and on to Canada. He soon discovered that he had tuberculosis, and was required to spend two years in hospital and several months recuperating at home. He has had to live with a collapsed lung for the rest of his life. Elmer married Monica Ulrick in 1949 and they have two daughters, Gladys and Kathy. Elmer became the Janitor at the local public school for thirty years and has led a good life to this day in Chisholm Township, where he is seen regularly out and about.

Elmer has made three trips with friends in a veterans group to the Netherlands, where the Canadian military are highly honoured for their liberation of the country. In 1985 he went with John Brott, in 1990 with Allan Crawford, and in 1995 with Mickey Cox and Merv Oshell, all of whom have since passed away. There are hundreds of Canadian military men who have similar stories to tell, and they certainly deserve our respect and appreciation for their courageous efforts on our behalf.