Charles H Warner – Evacuation route from E594 Königshütte Ost

Charles Henry Warner
E594 Konigshutte (now Krolewska Huta, Chorzow, Poland

Jan 23 – Set out from E594 did about 42kms, stayed at a place called Bels

Jan 24 -Marched Rybnik and left at am
waylain.English 28 men, Russian 104 men, Greeks 6 men. Lost all kit

Jan 25 – Still here, done quite well regarding food.

Jan 26 -Attack started between 7-7.30, lasted twenty hours. Russians thrown back. We had no water and no heating. Temperature something like minus 20. Shell came through Russians —- killing two of them. We were found by the Germans and taken to the school.

Jan 28 – Tonight we received front line rations. Bread, meat, jams, soup, tobacco and coffee.Expecting to move away tonight, have been separated from the Russians.

Jan 29 – Still without water, guard brought two plates of snow in tonight between 34 men. One loaf between 34 men. 6.3- another English boy brought in, A Levison Gower

Jan 26? – Guns opened up this afternoon. Only light stuff. Joe’s planes have been over several times with loads to drop.

Jan 30 – Left Rybnik at midnight. Marched about 6 kms got on trucks and left them at Roslan. We marched altogether 34 kms to Hultschin quartered at a farm. Good treatment from civvies pulled one man on a sledge the whole of the way.

Jan 31 – Rode 22 kms to Troppan today. L Gower blew. Joe got here about 2 o’clock. Brewed some tea. At eight we had soup and a couple of biscuits each. May move on tomorrow. Had a medical orderly who bandaged the men with boils and blisters etc.

Feb 1 – Diphtheria total black out.Got put on a train at Troppan with three other Englishmen, I know them, They were from E22. Was pleased to see them. Later we were joined by three more. I was very ill and we were on the way until
the 11th when we arrived at Muhlberg.Stallag IVB. I was taken into hospital. They said that I had not got dip but I had scarlet fever ague encephalitis and bronchitis which is enough to be going on with. Had a very tough time here. Got put in a small room with Sgt Lowndes from Walsall he looked after me very well.
On the 20th we were evacuated and came onto Leipzig near Muhlberg—– my had two toes taken off through frost
bite, Leipsig.

Feb 24 – We are leaving here tomorrow probably to a place called Halle….

Feb 25 – Had quite a hectic night in the siding about four hundred metres away an ammo train blew up. The large Hospital building between us and the explosion saved us from the full blast. A lot of the boys in the big building were injured by glass when the windows blew in. Apart from a shaking we were alright in our little ward. Left at 6 pm for Halle. Arrived here at 1 am

Feb 26 – Slept outside in the open air not bad for sick men. Taken for baths 6 men at a time. This took quite a while. We landed for our bath about 2 pm. While I was still in the nude a raid started. They had kept our clothes for disinfection. I managed to get a shirt but it was not very warm stood there. The raid was on this town so this
building fairly rocked. Definitely uncomfortable.

Mar 5 – Received half a parcel today.

Mar 14 – Sent card home.

Mar 18 – Half parcel

Mar 28 – Half parcel

Note: There are no more entries after this date. Charles Henry Warner is believed to have died on the 31st of March 1945.