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…certainly behaved in barbaric fashion. A few Germans were killed (hung or shot or beaten) others they set to to desecrate & pillage the farms. Chaos reigned supreme. A pal & I discovered a German family with 2 Frenchmen in a farm surrounded by Russians who were plundering wholesale & slaughtering livestock ad lib. We found they were hiding a German farmer (the head of the house from the Russians so I clapped my great-coat on him and took him back to camp. When I arrived Lt Jessop approved my action & detailed my pal and I to carry on the good work of escorting these outcast families to the camp. They were overjoyed to find the Russians were going and to learn the Yanks were coming. It was pitiful to witness them. A young French girl with them had been a prisoner for four years and she was nigh delirious with joy at her liberation. She’d no love for the Germans either.

At midday Russian Officers in staff cars appeared also despatch riders on motor cycles. We’re all expecting news of importance tonight. Roll on our side so we can get moving from this miserable land.

Some German prisoners came in this afternoon, having given themselves up to our boys in the village. They looked pretty green, but it’s their turn now the Swine! I feel sorry for the women & kids although God knows they’ve allowed themselves to be led like sheep in the war, but the men I’ve no sympathy…cont