Name: The Melancholy State: A History of South African Prisoners of War - S. G. Wolhuter
SKU: 1569
Availability: InStock

The Melancholy State: A History of South African Prisoners of War – S. G. Wolhuter

R250,00

“The Melancholy State” by S.G. Wolhuter is a memoir recounting the author’s experiences as a South African prisoner of war during World War II. Wolhuter, an Intelligence Sergeant in “Die Middelandse Regiment,” was captured at Tobruk and recounts his experiences in POW camps in Italy and Germany. The book offers a personal account of the hardships and conditions faced by South African prisoners of war. Condition: Excellent for a vintage book. A name is inscribed inside.

1 in stock

Description

The title is taken from Winston Churchill’s description of the status of a prisoner of war.

The author was an Intelligence Sergeant in Die Middellandse Regiment and was taken prisoner in June 1942 with the fall of Tobruk. The war in the Western Desert with its harsh conditions, rough soldiers’ humour, victor” and defeat is nostalgically recalled.

Incarceration follows in the prison camps of Derna and Benghazi in North Africa and Laterina in Italy a period of 15 months of privation.

After the capitulation of Italy in September 1943 prisoners were forcibly removed to Stalag IVB at Mühlberg-on-Elbe in Germany. This camp had a population of 20 000 men of various nationalities including 700 South Africans. Life in the Stalag, methods of escape, the Germans as detaining Power, other nationalities and in particular the Russian prisoners are described with intimate Knowledge.