[Photocopied typescript; PoW Stalag IV] Entitled THE LAST MONTH" [of being a prisoner of the Germans]

'The Last Month' by Wilmott. 13pp., foolscap 8vo. A photocopied typescript on thirteen leaves of paper, stapled together. The first reads '"Big funf" was one of the German Guards - had no roof to his mouth - spoke funnily' and the fourth 'We had a "Union Jack" which was used for burials when P.O.W.'s died.' Wilmott's account commences: 'There had been gun fire from the west and the south for the last three days. Friday the 13th April 1945 the usual officials did not come to fetch the men, but a little later than usual the Gaschwyz [sic] column was called, so we assembled and left for work, about 20 of us. There was a lot of activity in the station yard, German military vehicles were coming and going, and a contingent of unarmed Russian fatigue men were on parade.' A typically vivid passage reads: 'In the morning of the 24th April I heard chaps reporting prisoners passing through and our guards not interfering, a lot of Indians were going through without any guards. Chaps with kit got up early because of being cold. I got up after seven and went outside and saw the Indians going through. A column of Russian prisoners appeared with guards and were halted just outside. The German guards were standing about in groups talking to each other, and taking no notice of the prisoners some of whom were already making off. A man got up on a cart and addressed us, he said he couldn't advise us to go, he couldn't advise us to stay, the German commandant had said that if we stayed he would do his best to obtain food for us, there was a horse dying in the next village, and he had the first refusal of it if it expired and we should have it.' The account ends on Wilmott's return: 'At London I bid my comrades of the last 2 years goodbye and got on a train at Paddington. It was a noisy journey, ex P.O.W.'s one side of the compartment, civilians the other, we all talked at once. At Bristol I had to catch a bus home, and suddenly realised I had to pay the fare, it was more than 3 years since I had paid a fare anywhere.'.…