Post by connie on Jun 22, 2013 18:47:18 GMT -5
Kline, John P. Sgt 423 M Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader; POW IV-B (1 wk); VIII-A; Journey on foot
John has been an active member of the Division Association, working for years as editor of the Cub Magazine, keeping the membership lists, editing a book compiling cubs entitled The Cub of the Golden Lion Passes in Review, etc.
PERSONAL HISTORY: From John's own website,: site no longer available
ASTP-John tells of being assigned to the ASTP program following basic training. For more on this program see: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/2237/thread
POW notes from personal history: "As a prisoner I walked a total of approximately 525 miles. One hundred and ten miles from the point of capture on the German-Belgium border to Stalag 12-A (German prison camp), Limburg, Germany. We never entered the camp, but were loaded into box-cars, 60 men to a box-car. We then traveled seven days, six nights in the 40&8 box-cars (Originally built for 40 men or 8 horses) to Stalag 4-B, Muhlberg, Germany (on the Elbe River). Due to bombing raids and bad tracks our trip was much longer than normal. We did not get out of the box-cars during the whole trip. Our toilet facility for 60 men was a 5 gallon bucket. We were fed only three times during the trip. A slice of bread and a small, very small portion of cheese, water only twice. We used a can on a string to scoop snow from the tracks.
I spent one week in Stalag 4-B, Muhlberg, Germany. While there I turned age 20. I was shipped on an over-night box-car ride to Stalag 8-A, Gorlitz, Germany, along with approximately 1,600 non-commissioned officers from the 28th and 106th Infantry Divisions. Gorlitz is about 80 miles east of Dresden on the old Polish/Czech border. One month later on, Valentine's Day - February 14, 1945, we were evacuated from Stalag 8-A due to advancing Russian troops. This leg of my "POW Marching Experience" would take me 415 miles (in two months) west to Dresden, Jena, Gotha, then slightly northwest to Duderstad, then north to Braunschweig (Brunswick). After a couple of days in an old work camp in Braunschweig we were marched east. At that time I was so weak that I could not walk. I was put in a "sick-wagon" column, separated from the main columns. On April 12, 1945 we arrived at the town of Helmstedt, Germany. There we were housed in a Farben Industries ammunition plant infirmary. The next day at 10:30 a.m. we were liberated by the American Army. LIBERATION DAY was Friday April 13, 1945. I shall never forget that day."
WAR DIARY (and intro) on the Indiana Military Site: www.indianamilitary.org/German%20PW%20Camps/Prisoner%20of%20War/PW%20Camps/Stalag%20VIII-A%20Gorlitz/John%20Kline/Kline-John.pdf
VIDEO INTERVIEW with John Kline, each part running 12-15 minutes
part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9FsjRsr5I
part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=vALjEEDwzc4
part 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnRFHxlRFGc
part 4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4JmvMAh1uY
Oral History Interview (2.5 hr) with Concordia University: digitalcommons.csp.edu/oral-history_ww2/32/
NOTES ON INDIANA MILITARY SITE with Stalag IX POW Camp photos:
www.indianamilitary.org/German%20PW%20Camps/Prisoner%20of%20War/PW%20Camps/Stalag%20IX-A%20Ziegenhain/Photos/Stalag%20IX-A.htm
John's Bio on Indiana Military Site: www.indianamilitary.org/German%20PW%20Camps/Prisoner%20of%20War/PW%20Camps/Stalag%20VIII-A%20Gorlitz/John%20Kline/Kline-John.pdf
Mention in source list of a new book, The Guns at Last Light: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=books&thread=835&page=1
