The Lamsdorf Clarion - Philip Baker

On the last page of the Christmas 1944 edition of The Clarion prisoners of war at Stalag VIIIB (344) Lamsdorf were invited to take part in a competition to design the cover of the Spring 1945 edition, entries to be submitted by 31st March 1945. On 22nd January 1945 the German guards began evacuating the camp, and indeed most of their POW camps westwards, away from the rapidly advancing Soviet army. Thus began the terrible Long March in extreme winter conditions, that the POWs had to endure with inadequate clothing, footwear, food and medical supplies. After more than three months and up to 1,000 kilometres, those who survived were liberated by allied troops. The men could not have imagined where they would be on 31st March 1945. Many didn’t make it. Somehow all 17 editions of The Clarion did survive and they have been collected in this book. They provide a fascinating and sometimes astonishing insight into life as a POW, in the words of the men themselves.