One day, in the kitchen, a very young, Polish chap, who just happened to be a friend of my friend, Janeck was in charge and also the go-between with the local police, the camp S.S. and the prisoners. There were also foreign workers present, girls and women who were doing the cooking, all the time! They were from the Eastern lands, mostly Poland and Bylo-Russia??.
Our Polish connection and charge hand arranged everything from obtaining bread to getting potatoes and vegetables. During the bread run, he would have us organized like a chain gang.
From the cart outside, we would get the single loaves and pass them along the line, turning the stairs and then putting them on the shelves in the cellars below. We would then have to quickly remove one from each shelf to replace the previous days one.
All this was done while the guard were still counting the loaves. The guards could never follow all of us at once when it came to carrying the heavy baskets inside. When we were lucky, we were able to throw one or two loaves behind the door before the guards noticed.
Everything was done so fast, with him quickly passing the guards at lightening speed and on a single command, us responding as he passed by us. We were never short of bread with him! Under our coats it went to take into the camp to share with our comrades in the block, first come first served! This helped the whole situation while I was busily working on my getaway!
A bit further on from us was a hill or rather curving ramp, with a slope running just above us. At this point, the trains arriving and leaving from the other points westward would slow down just enough to enable me to jump on! Being a fast runner, I would be able to make the jump if running at a good speed and pace - I was a bit off form and weaker now but still good enough.
We were now going out during the bomb alarms! The camp elders did not have to encourage me too much to make my escape. They knew I would take my opportunity with a bit of calculation and at the most opportune moment.
I now got to know a lot of the new arrivals - especially the block in which Antonio was in - he was Jewish and became a very good friend of mine. His father turned up a bit later. They were former, Spanish refugees, from the Civil War who had been residing in Brussels in exile.
Antonio had been involved in running the blockade over and back to Spain with different businesses involved - about which he had kept very silent. His involvement in the war effort had formed an integral part of our set-up as well as for the allied intelligence.
I believe he was "Cato", code name for Spanish Operator from Catalonia - he had initially presented himself to the British Embassy in Madrid and been refused. His father was a mayor in one of the suburbs of Barcelona. After the British had refused him he had offered his services to other intelligence organizations and than gone back to the British, giving false information to the Nazi's!
Camuz", was Russian intelligence and Wing Commander, Yeo Thomas, British Intelligence. Wing Commander Yeo Thomas' code was "Nathan" in Buchenwald. A Belgian dentist, Mr. De Wever, "White Brigade", from Antwerp looked after me in my block.
At this point, a German criminal, who had steadily infiltrated in the camp, tried to accuse me of stealing bread from fellow prisoners so it was especially good that I had Mr. De Wever on my side ...............................
Our Polish connection and charge hand arranged everything from obtaining bread to getting potatoes and vegetables. During the bread run, he would have us organized like a chain gang.
From the cart outside, we would get the single loaves and pass them along the line, turning the stairs and then putting them on the shelves in the cellars below. We would then have to quickly remove one from each shelf to replace the previous days one.
All this was done while the guard were still counting the loaves. The guards could never follow all of us at once when it came to carrying the heavy baskets inside. When we were lucky, we were able to throw one or two loaves behind the door before the guards noticed.
Everything was done so fast, with him quickly passing the guards at lightening speed and on a single command, us responding as he passed by us. We were never short of bread with him! Under our coats it went to take into the camp to share with our comrades in the block, first come first served! This helped the whole situation while I was busily working on my getaway!
A bit further on from us was a hill or rather curving ramp, with a slope running just above us. At this point, the trains arriving and leaving from the other points westward would slow down just enough to enable me to jump on! Being a fast runner, I would be able to make the jump if running at a good speed and pace - I was a bit off form and weaker now but still good enough.
We were now going out during the bomb alarms! The camp elders did not have to encourage me too much to make my escape. They knew I would take my opportunity with a bit of calculation and at the most opportune moment.
I now got to know a lot of the new arrivals - especially the block in which Antonio was in - he was Jewish and became a very good friend of mine. His father turned up a bit later. They were former, Spanish refugees, from the Civil War who had been residing in Brussels in exile.
Antonio had been involved in running the blockade over and back to Spain with different businesses involved - about which he had kept very silent. His involvement in the war effort had formed an integral part of our set-up as well as for the allied intelligence.
I believe he was "Cato", code name for Spanish Operator from Catalonia - he had initially presented himself to the British Embassy in Madrid and been refused. His father was a mayor in one of the suburbs of Barcelona. After the British had refused him he had offered his services to other intelligence organizations and than gone back to the British, giving false information to the Nazi's!
Camuz", was Russian intelligence and Wing Commander, Yeo Thomas, British Intelligence. Wing Commander Yeo Thomas' code was "Nathan" in Buchenwald. A Belgian dentist, Mr. De Wever, "White Brigade", from Antwerp looked after me in my block.
At this point, a German criminal, who had steadily infiltrated in the camp, tried to accuse me of stealing bread from fellow prisoners so it was especially good that I had Mr. De Wever on my side ...............................
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