Written to his family after encountering the Gardelegen Atrocity
Germany
9th U.S. Army
102nd Division
544th Anti-Aircraft, Automatic Weapons Battalion
April 19, 1945
Dear Dad and Mom,
Now that they've sent the V-mail, it's about time I write and answer your letters number 23 and 24. The clippings and stamps were enclosed in your number 24 envelope. Thanks. I am enclosing our 102nd Division patch. This is the Ozark Division. And if you look at it from the proper angle, the large yellow band encircling it is the "O." You can see the "Z" and the half-moon below is the "ark" part, making it "Ozark."
Our weather isn't too worse here. Had the regular March winds and the coolness today. Had a washing machine here, so I managed to get my clothes clean once again. Washed them in gas first, and then in the machine. Turned out cleaner than I expected. One thing I can say – that I got all the grease out of my O.D.'s [Olive Drabs] and fatigues – which is better than the quartermaster laundry can do.
Golly, Jeanette Motzko [which is a cousin of mine] writes a pretty regular and a nice letter. I answer them as often as I find time.
This last week is the first time any of us are doing any writing since we crossed the Rhine. The architect's home in Krefeld was a plus and all comfort. We just got our PX-rations this evening, which is the first rations of this sort for quite some time. We got candy, gum, peanuts, and fruit juice – even some film, but I was unlucky in the lottery or hat draw.
We are eating very well lately. We found 10,000 fresh eggs, and we are in a creamery. Eggs fried in butter, are darned delicious to us. Just don't seem to ever get tired of the combination. The German butter is minus the salt, and it isn't near as good as ours.
No, you won't have to fill out those forms, unless you move from your present address. then you send it to the Adjutant General.
Well, here's something that isn't fit to write home about, but probably by now you have heard and read all about it. All censorship restrictions are released about this terrible incident, so we are able to write about it. This concerns the horrid, gruesome Nazi atrocity that happened at Gardelegen. I saw it, and there aren't words appropriate enough to tell of its terribleness. The Nazis are ever bit as cruel, and even with more beastly habits than we actually realized.
To get on with the Gardelegen Flaming Death House, there were approximately about 1,000 various war prisoners that lost their lives here. They were mostly Russian, Poles, Jews, and their own political radicals, and one American Negro soldier has been identified thus far.
To get on with the story, this group of PW's numbered 2,000, which were in Prussia. With the Russians putting on the pressure, they marched this group1,000 kilometers – or 600 miles – to this front. This journey took about 20 days, with meager food and water rations. Hanover was to be their destination, but with this same city being taken by the 9th Army, Gardelegen was next in line. About 1,000 completed this forced journey. The balance died or were killed en route. During this time they were being guarded by their own fellow prisoners, which were clothed in the Wehrmacht uniform, and equipped with Nazi rifles, etc. They were overseered by these terrible SS troopers, and were to be granted their freedom because of their previous-mentioned duty.
This group was herded to a large brick barn on the outskirts of Gardelegen, which was prepared with two feet of straw, saturated with an inflammable material which covered the entire floor. After all were herded in, they forced in the guards at the last moment, too.
At 6 p.m., Friday, 13th April, a German SS non-com came in and ignited the straw. This attempt was soon beat out. Resorting to their beastly habits now, they opened up with machine gun fire to make them lie down, and during this time they tossed in various grenades, especially those of the incendiary and phosphorus types. There was no quelling of the blaze this time. Those who attempted escape from the four large doors were soon mowed down by machine gun fire.
The fire burned all Friday evening, and the next day, slave laborers were forced to dig large ditches for their burial ground. The burial was well under way, and another Nazi atrocity being covered up, when our division captured this town and found this death house. I visited this horrible scene yesterday, and two piles of human torsos were still smoldering.
We were allowed to take pictures, so I took one whole roll of film, but the memories will vividly portray this ghastly scene with greater meaning to me. It really makes one's blood boil!
Here's practically a miracle that goes with it. Sunday a.m. a Frenchman crawled out from under one of these piles, very much alive to tell of his past experience, which was all torture. We never heard of his exact condition. I don't think there will be words appropriate to describe some of the ghastly scenes inside. Some tried to dig under the dirt, and in their vain efforts, they wore flesh and bone up to the second joints of their fingers, in their futile attempts. Some were blown to pieces by grenades. Phosphorus burns added to the terribleness. There were some that seemed to be so very young, between fourteen and sixteen years old.
This is not the makings of a good letter, so I will end this here. It just goes on to prove that the Nazis need no sympathy whatsoever. No treatment or punishment can be too cruel for these people. They deserve many more hardships than they are now receiving.
Well, it's getting nigh on bedtime, and I can't think of too much more to write about for the time being. I had planned on writing to Buddy this evening, but I will have to postpone it until tomorrow. No more now.
Your son,
Edmund
© 2007 Edmund S. Motzko, used with permission.