In The Bag: Friendly Fire Kills Six

As noted previously, Camp 10029/GW was located in the Klagenfurt suburb of Waidmannsdorf, about 3.5 km from both the CBD and the railway yards. By mid-1944, air raids had become a regular event in Klagenfurt. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, anti-aircraft defenses were not permitted to be closer than 600 metres from a POW compound. This was precisely the distance between a gun pit containing a Bofors 40 mm ack-ack and the Klagenfurt camp.

About one kilometre from the camp there was a small hill covered by scrubby trees. Today's passers-by would see a few hectares of uncultivated scrub amidst an otherwise tidy light-industrial area. A closer look and some scrub-bashing would reveal a steel door covered in graffiti. In 1944, after Klagenfurt's first bombardment, a contractor using POWs and forced labourers from France, hollowed out the hill and constructed a bomb shelter. In the year that followed, it would be used by the local citizenry and sometimes by the POWs themselves.

This steel door is one of two points of entry to the bomb shelter near the Klagenfurt Camp. I am gratefull to Paul Angerer for taking me to this place.

On Monday the 19th of February 1945* the air raid sounded about noon and the men shuffled out of the camp to this very shelter - but not all left the camp. Some decided to stay in camp and take their chances. Kevin told me that some 40 men remained behind on that day, mostly because they were either fed up, depressed, or in the camp hospital. Some never believed that bombs would ever be dropped on the camp. None had fallen on the camp in the past, but this time they did.

In 2014, Australian journalist and television presenter, Barrie Cassidy, published a book called Private Bill. His father, Bill Cassidy, was also a POW in 10029/GW. Cassidy wrote:

Suddenly, a line of bombs tore open the ground along the fence line, near the camp’s front gates. Within seconds, more bombs landed and ripped through the barracks. As Bill dashed for the door, the giant stove in the centre of the room came crashing down, crushing a man beneath it – the prisoner let out a piercing squeal, then fell silent. Bill realised that nothing could be done for him and charged outside.

There was pandemonium throughout the camp as the full horror of the bombing hit home. Bill joined the group of men milling around a trench that he had been dug right outside the camp hospital. He learned that a bomb had blown out the sides of the trench, causing it to collapse on three patients. Just as he registered that that two men were wailing in pain and panic, he remembered that Alan Eason had been admitted to the hospital the day before. Then Bill heard Alan’s voice, calm and measured, informing his would-be rescuers from the bottom of the trench that he had been ‘badly knocked about.’ Alan could just be seen through the gap in the rubble. While the men dug feverishly, he asked for cigarettes to be passed down to him - he said he would be all right if they kept the smokes coming. Two hours later, the men were freed. Two of them survived, but Alan died from his injuries the following morning.

Six POWs, three Australians and three British, were killed. It was thought that a bomber was attempting to bomb the ack-ack gun but somehow the bombs were jettisoned, and inadvertently fell on the camp. Six men were killed, three Australians and three British.

When Kevin arrived home, he received this letter from a friend, Joan, who ran a newsagency in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond.

Newsagency,
162 Bridge Road
Richmond, Victoria

Sunday, 30th 1945

Dear Kevin,
First of all, I must tell you how glad I was to hear you are home and well after such a long time. Mary Cameron told me all about your “Welcome Home.” It must have been all very bewildering for you.

I am writing to you at the request of one of our customers. We have a photo framing agency here and one day a lady brought a photo into me to be framed. I noticed that the photo was of POWs and she told me it was taken at Stalag 18A and showed me her son in the group. When I was putting the photo away I noticed someone very familiar and it was you looking very fit and well.

I told her (about this) when she came back with the photo and she then told me her son Jeff never made it home, that he died whilst in Stalag. She asked me if I had your address and if so, could I write to you and find out something about her late son. His name was Jefferson Gilbert. I hope you don’t mind but I think she would just like to know whether or not you knew him, et cetera.

Jeff Gilbert was one of the men killed in the bomb raid. Kevin knew Jeff well. They were hut-mates and on occasions they were photographed together. Jeff was one of those who made the decision not to go to the bomb shelter. Kevin told me that Jeff refused to move from his bed as an act of defiance.

* It was my initial understanding that the air raid took place on Sunday, Feb 18 1944, which would explain why the men were in the camp and not working. However it has been confirmed by German documation accessed by Klagenfurt historian Paul Angerer that it definitely occurred on the Monday. It is possible that work was suspended on that day due to extremely cold temperature. However this is just a theory. If readers have an explanation I would be pleased if was passed on to me.

Those Killed

Signalman William Jefferson 'Jeff' Gilbert

Jeff was a member of 1 Corps Sigs in the Australian Corps of Signals. He was captured in Kalamata, Greece on 29 Apr 1941. Jeff was born in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote on 20 Aug 1919.

Jeff Gilbert is fourth from the left in the back row

On duty in the cookhouse. Jeff Gilbert is in the foreground.

Private Henry 'Froggie' French

Henry was a member of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.on Sunday, 19 Feb 1945.

Driver Alan Eason

Alan served with 1 Corps Troops Supply Column in Australia's 6th Division. He was captured at Crete. Alan was an outstanding Queensland sportsman. As a 21 year-old he represented Queensland as a rugby union centre. He was born on 12 Nov 1917 in Brisbane.

The Australian Tug O'War team photo taken on the annual 'Empire Games' sports day. Bill Cassidy is seated first left and Alan Eason, a champion school boy rugby player from Sydney, sits in the middle with a towel around his neck. Alan died in the bomb raid.