My Dads Dixie Deans story copied from his hand written account.
Dixie Deans.
During my 15 year period as a civilian flying instructor at The Army Air Corp training base at Middle wallop many interesting stories were swapped, one in particular was brought to mind recently whilst reading the May 1995 edition of Readers Digest.
I heard the story from a guy named Les Foster who baled out of a Lancaster during an operation over a German target. He was a POW in a Stalag some fifty miles north of Hanover.
Dixie Deans was a legend, A warrant officer pilot since being shot down over Berlin in 1940. He was the senior warrant officer and had learnt how to gain privileges for himself and fellow inmates. He had also learnt much about dealing with prison commandants.
“You give them hell all the time.”
But between Deans and Colonel Ostman , commandant of his last POW camp there had developed a grudging and wary respect. Deans regarded Ostman – a middle aged WW1 officer whose paralysed arm disqualified him from active service,as a fair minded warden doing a job he disliked . For his Part Ostman knew that the slim 29year old Deans had the unswerving loyalty of the prisoners, and had been elected their spokesman. Thus on April 8th 1945 when Ostman had received orders to evacuate Stalag 357 he had immediately summoned Deans to prepare the men for the march. He had told Deans that they had no clear destination but that they would march north west. “ I’ll get instructions along the way” he said.
12000 British POWs marching behind two Scottish pipers, in columns under a light German guard. The prisoners uniforms were in tatters; they were emaciated, cold and hungry, but their heads were high RAF Warrant Officer Deans had seen to that. “When you pass through villages” Deans told the men “Spruce up even if it hurts, and lets show these bloody supermen who won the war!” On an ancient bicycle that threatened to fall apart at any moment ‘Dixie’ rode continuously from column to column watching over his men. There were 2000 men to a column and although Deans tried to cover the entire area, it was an exhausting job. The POWs were heading for the town of Gresse where trucks with Red Cross food parcels were said to await them. As Deans leading column neared a new village the Pipers prepared to begin playing again, and the tired men in the ranks squared their shoulders. “At least” said fellow RAF warrant officer Roy Mogg , stepping out smartly along side Deans “Were impressing the natives no end.” At Grebe, north of the Elbe, approx 40 miles S/east of Hamburg Red Cross parcels had arrived for the 12000 POWs. As the half starved prisoners sat there eating, nine RAF Typhoon fighters circled overhead, and then dived. Someone shouted “ My God they are coming for us!” As men scattered wildly in all directions, some tried to put out identifying cloth strips which they carried for just such an emergency. One after another the Typhoons swooped in, firing rockets and dropping bombs. Men yelled “Were your mates” Eight planes made individual attacks, the ninth, pulled up perhaps realising the mistake. It was all over in minutes, sixty POWs were dead. A score or more were injured and some were to die in German hospitals. Deans was sick with despair as he saw the carnage After the dead had been buried and the wounded moved into hospitals, he cycled to Colonel Ostman’s temporary Head quarters . “Ostman” he said “ I want you to write me out a pass that will carry me through to the British lines.” Ostman looked at Deans with amazement “Mr Deans” he said “I can’t do that.” “We don’t know who is going to overrun our group,” Deans warned.. “It could be the the Russians or the British which do you want to surrender to? Some how I don’t think you would have much of a future with the Russians.” On Wehrmacht paper Ostman wrote out a note “I don’t know how you’ll get through the front lines” he told Deans “But at least this will get you up to them.”Deans said “ I would like to take the guard Charlie Baumbach with me.” Ostman thought for a minute, and said “AGREED.” As he left Deans made one last remark. “ I will be back with Charlie to bring my men out, I promise you that.”
One morning after days of cycling with Baumbach, Deans awoke with a jolt, there was a Tommy-gun sticking in his ribs. A voice said “OK chum, on your feet!” Dixie looked up into the face of a Sixth Div Airborne Paratrooper. Overjoyed Deans explained who he was. He and Charlie were taken to Lt General Evelyn Barker, Eighth Corps Commander. “ There are 12000 RAF POWs marching towards our lines” Deans said urgently. “Our planes are shooting them up!” He showed Gen Barker where he had left the men. The General reached hastily for the phone ,and cancelled another air strike scheduled for the same area. “Everything will be alright now” he said, “ You had better get some rest.” “No sir “ Deans said “I promised Colonel Ostman I would return.” Barker looked at him in amazement. “Isn’t that a bit silly?” he asked. “After all, we shall be there in a matter of hours.” Deans was insistent, “ Well said the general I’ll give you a Red Cross car with a red flag, that might get you through.”
Two days later, Dixie Deans marched his men into British lines, his Pipers leading the way. When Colonel Ostman and his guard were taken into custody, Deans and some of his men marched with them to the compound. The two groups faced each other and came to attention. Ostman stepped forward and he and Deans saluted. “ Goodbye Colonel Ostman” said Deans” “Goodbye Mr Deans” replied Ostman. “I hope we meet again.”
Many years later I recall a TV programme which mentioned this event. It could have been on ‘This is your life’ or a somewhat similar programme. I seem to remember that ‘Dixie was a semi invalid suffering from a muscular disease..
Quite a character, and obviously a born leader of men.
Jenks
