How Charlestown's Gerry Radeckis was forced into the German Air Force, captured by the US Army and became a POW

Gerry Radeckis of Charlestown told his story to Lake Macquarie historian Doug Saxon. In his Probus Club role as editor of the club's Bulletin, Doug interviewed 94-year-old Gerry about his war experience.

Here's what Gerry told him.

I WAS born in Kaunas, Lithuania. Before I was one, we shifted to Buenos Aires in Argentina. My father then got a job offer in Brazil, so he went there to see if it was worthwhile. While in the jungle he got sick and died.

My mother was in Buenos Aires and didn't get any messages or money. She didn't know if her husband had found someone else and shot through. She wrote to her father and he sent her the money to get back to Lithuania.

When we arrived back in Lithuania, we got the message to say that my father had died. My mother was pregnant with my brother. My mother eventually remarried and had another child - a boy.

I went to school in Lithuania. When I was 16, I was taken to a building with other men who were 16 and older. On the stage were two German Air Force officers. They said we had all volunteered to serve in the German Air Force. I told them I had to go home and tell my mother, but they said my mother had already received a telegram.

I thought I'd escape but outside in the street were buses and two lines of German military with automatic weapons, so we had to walk straight on the bus. They carted us away and took our civilian clothing and gave us uniforms.

I was then in the German Air Force and designated to give basic training to Italians, Ukrainians, Russians and all foreigners who had joined up. I wasn't involved in any shooting - I've got a cleanskin and didn't kill anyone. It was 1944.

I finished up in Italy training young Italians. Every month one of us had to travel to Berlin with a briefcase of documents that had to be delivered and then we had to come back with answers. In February 1945 it was my turn.

I went to Berlin and was lucky to get out because the Russians were at the city gates. As I was travelling back to Italy, General Patton [of the US Army] broke through.

We were at a farmhouse when we saw American troops. I thought I would get civilian clothes and depart but, before I could do that, two American soldiers walked up towards the windows.

We had a major with us and he went to the window with a white towel and stood with his hands in the air. I went behind him to take a look at the Americans, but then one of them shot the major. The first thing I thought was, 'they don't take any prisoners, they shoot them'. I had to hide.

There was a steam engine there and I opened the door, but I couldn't fit in and there was no room to shut the door. There was also a large wheel and I tried to hide behind it.

Then the Americans started shooting and, after two shots, I jumped up and yelled. They yelled, 'Come out with your hands up!' I went through the door and there were machine guns pointing at me. I smiled at one of the Yanks and got a rabbit punch to the back of my head. When I fell to the ground, one came up and gave me a few kicks. I was then told to join the others from my group.

They were all standing in a paddock and there were two tanks nearby.

The men were getting undressed and were naked, so I had to undress also. It was early spring and it was cold. When we were all standing there naked, they stole our watches and other valuables. Then we dressed and I put my coat on.

One Dutchman wasn't allowed to put his coat on - he just had a big singlet. The next day I bumped into him and he was blue from the cold. I found him a blanket and gave it to him.

We were transported to Reims in France. I worked in an office where only American officers were allowed to enter.

Then all the prisoners 17 and under were transported to Attichy POW [Prisoner of War] camp - called the "Baby Cage". There were 10,000 of them. The youngest was 10. He had found a weapon used to knock out tanks. He was playing with it.

An American spotted him and the boy became a POW. They took away our uniforms and gave us American stuff.