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Re: Allied airmen in Buchenwald
I scanned this from "Footprints in the sands of time"by Clutton-Brock, page 81.
Two airmen would never make the journey trom Buchenwald to Sagan: Flying Officer P.D. Hemmens RAF and Lieutenant Levitt C. Beek USAAF. Hemmens had contracted septic aenemia, rheumatic fever and pneumonia . . . When he first developed septic aenemia he was placed in hospital, but nothing was don except that his joints were opened up using a knife. He didn't have the strength left to fight off the subsequent infection.. . .' Though his official date of death is given as 18 October, the tru date is believed to have been 27 September.
Beek 'succumbed to purulent pleurisy . . . on the evening of 29 November 1944' . Both were remated, their ashes lost forever.
Five weeks after the main party had gone to Stalag Luft III the ten remaining at Buchenwald (apart trom Beek) - one Australian, three Canadians and Six Americans - were considered fit enough to travel and had all arrived at Sagan by 29 November 1944. Flight Sergeant TA. Malcolm RAAF had no recollection of his journey there, being dangerously ill with the disease erysipelas. Ed Carter Edwards had been sent to work on the railroad. I was to weak to work and with the help of a Belgian doctor managed to evade the working party.' The doctor, Kurt Barrs, having managed to manipulate the camp records to show that Ed was dead, told him to keep out of sight, which was not to difficult in the large camp. Flying Officer H.D. Bastabie RCAF had pneumonia, and stayed in the Sagan
hospital until the first week of January 1945
Hope this helps,
Dennis
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