South Yorkshire Times June 3, 1944
Pioneer Repatriated
Pioneer George Moore (54), of 8 Wadworth Street, Denaby, who has spent five and half years as a prisoner in German hands during two wars, arrived home On Tuesday night, being one of the repatriated party from the “Gripsholm.”
Pioneer Moore volunteered in the early days of the war, though he had served in France with the K.O.Y.L.I. from 1914, and received shrapnel wounds when he was taken prisoner near Arras and spent 18 months in German prison camps. On May 25th, 1940, he was again captured at Boulogne. With the men taken with him he was marched more than 300 miles across France and Belgium. The French and Belgian prisoners were placed at the head of the column so that they could get the food villagers offered to them, but the German guards beat back the British soldiers with the butts of their rifles if they attempted to accept anything. The Germans gave them practically nothing but foul potato soup.
They ‘were sent to Poland. Pioneer Moore was later transferred to Turin, then to an officers camp In Bavaria, and camps at Warburgh in Germany, He was set to work on the roads and in quarries, but after a week refused to continue, was transferred to another camp and then given duties at the officers camp.
He was at Rotenberg when the RAF bombed Castle, 12 km away. They were locked in their thoughts. As a reprisal for the bombing all privileges were stopped and the Red Cross parcels in which the business depended were withheld. At one time they were issued with two blankets each, but later one was taken for the German troops on the Russian front. Food was so scarce that prisoners were offered as much as 200 marks a tin of cocoa, while he paid only hundred 50 marks a set of false teeth to replace the one sad loss when captured, while he paid only hundred 50 marks for a set of false teeth to replace the ones they had lost when captured.
Our bombing was getting more severe every day. Most of the Germans were fed up with Hitler and the Nazi salute seen everywhere three years ago, was hardly given now. On the other hand, the state of the prisoners was wonderful. The Germans are treating them better now than at first.
Pioneer Moore has been repatriated because of rheumatism and a leg injury he received while working in a Polish mine during his imprisonment during the last war. His arrival home was on the eve of his daughter third wedding anniversary. He has only seen his son-in-law Private William Feeney, who is serving in Burma, twice.
Pioneer Moore has lived in Wadworth Street for 35 years, and was given a tremendous reception.