March 27, 1945 - Dulag Luft Evacuations Continue

With the Allied and Russian forces advancing into Germany, camps around the perimeter of the country continued to be evacated being evacuated towards the centre of the country, notably to Stalag Luft XIIID and Stalag Luft VIIA. The first group of POWs to be evacuated from Dulag Luft left on March 20th.

In the early hours of March 27, 1945, a second group consisting of all remaining POWs fit to walk were evacuated from Dulag Luft.  It was terrible timing for Kelleher and Yemen, when just two days before Dulag Luft would be liberated, they were marched out of the camp, each with a modest box of Red Cross food stuffs to sustain them along the way.  In addition to 169 British and 88 Commonwealth POWs, the group would include the Camp Kommandant and the bulk of the guards.

Hicks and Nicol remained back at Dulag Luft, Hicks, due to his burns, Nicol possibly due to an injured ankle.

143 permanent staff remained at Dulag Luft to continue operations, including Colonel Stark and his staff, German administrative personnel, a few German officers, a doctor and the small number of guards.  With the Allies closing in and it being too late to evacuate the remaining POWs, the camp’s Leutnant asked Stark to take charge of the camp.

The Wetzlar camp log for March 27 described heavy fire between German and US forces throughout the day.  In the evening, Colonel Stark sent an American flight lieutenant with a German and British sergeant out of the camp to make contact with U.S. forces.  Within about an hour, the trio met up with members of the U.S. forces - The American Seventh Armored Division, First Army - and none too soon.  It transpired the Americans either had no idea about the camp at Wetzlar, or else did not realize it was still housing prisoners and were to begin shelling the area later that same night.