Friendship with Arnold Klarbunde
by J.D.Chew
During our Final March from the Coal mines of South Poland across Germany to the Rhine we covered some 600mls from Jan 2nd to early April 1945 escorted by Guard now mainly of the older age group or wounded and no longer fit for a fighting front. As we travelled westward across country, avoiding the main roads because of heavy bombing by Allied planes, I struck up an acquaintance with one of the guards (Arnold Klarbunde) who was old enough to be my father, but who was happy to have conversation as we trudged along.
At mid day each day he handed his daily bread ration over to us to share out and apples he scrounged on farms near where we stayed the night. This gesture was much appreciated, as we were down to starvation level. Eventually we had a change of guards, so that they could rest and we to move on but before parting we exchanged home addresses.
After liberation, and getting demobbed, I received a letter from this guard and he was now living in a cellar and clearing brick rubble and I was able to reciprocate with a small food parcel with a note "In return for the bread and apples en route". We later exchanged several letters and then one arrived requesting that perhaps I could give him support upon his re-applying for his pre-army job in one of the German Banks as he had to attend a tribunal to try and prove that he was not a Nazi.
I was happy to send a statement on his behalf via my M.P to the American Embassy in London and two days before his tribunal date he received a telegram from his Bank 'Join immediately because of a statement from London'. As his pension was also at stake, he was relieved and later, on three occasions he invited me over on holiday with him. It was happy occasions that we could be now friends and no longer Prisoner and Guard.
At mid day each day he handed his daily bread ration over to us to share out and apples he scrounged on farms near where we stayed the night. This gesture was much appreciated, as we were down to starvation level. Eventually we had a change of guards, so that they could rest and we to move on but before parting we exchanged home addresses.
After liberation, and getting demobbed, I received a letter from this guard and he was now living in a cellar and clearing brick rubble and I was able to reciprocate with a small food parcel with a note "In return for the bread and apples en route". We later exchanged several letters and then one arrived requesting that perhaps I could give him support upon his re-applying for his pre-army job in one of the German Banks as he had to attend a tribunal to try and prove that he was not a Nazi.
I was happy to send a statement on his behalf via my M.P to the American Embassy in London and two days before his tribunal date he received a telegram from his Bank 'Join immediately because of a statement from London'. As his pension was also at stake, he was relieved and later, on three occasions he invited me over on holiday with him. It was happy occasions that we could be now friends and no longer Prisoner and Guard.
The photo above is of myself, Arnold and his wife, whilst staying with them.
Arnold has since died but I am in touch with his widow.
Truly a happy outcome, born out of difficult circumstances of much bitterness at the time.
Truly a happy outcome, born out of difficult circumstances of much bitterness at the time.