'POW-Diary'

On 4 September 2010 the 'POW-Diary' was presented in the Old Church of Oosterbeek.
 

This is not a military account, but a tribute to the allied prisoners of war after the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. The book contains the diary of Kenneth Grayston White, which was written in the POW Camp Oflag IX A/Z at Rotenburg, Germany.
 

Ken, lieutenant at the time (C Troop, 2nd Airlanding Light Battery, Royal Artillery) was wounded near the Hartenstein Hotel at Oosterbeek, was transported via Arnhem (St. Elisabeths Hospital) to the King William III Barracks at Apeldoorn, and from there by train via Fallingbostel to Rotenburg. In the diary he wrote about his experiences and feelings, starting 13 October 1944. He and the other prisoners were forced to march to another camp on 29 March 1945 until the American spearhead of 3rd Division unexpectedly came across on 13 April near Eisleben.
 

In the book you'll find pictures of this march, taken by Lee Hill, a war correspondent from New Zealand, who was a POW at Rotenburg too. Also a series of photographs was printed which were taken by Ken in 1952 when he visited Oosterbeek, walking along the Airborne related places of the Battle of 1944.
 

The book is written in English and in Dutch, and was compiled by Marion Gerritsen-Teunissen from Oosterbeek. It is for sale in the shop in the Airborne Museum 'Hartenstein', Plantage Bookshop Meijer en Siegers and Bookshop Romijn, all on Utrechtseweg at Oosterbeek. The price is 19.95 euro (ISBN/EAN: 978-90-815884-1-6).