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From Newfoundland, Richard Brinston served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
Transcript
I never seen much action, really. I occupied; but we seen a lot of hungry people, children. When we got to Germany, we had a camp there, about 13,000 prisoners from everywhere, I think. So that was our job. We then looked out for the people on the outside as well because they had no water. They had practically nothing; and they got sick, of course. Then you tried to do what you could because they’re in British hands and American hands at the time. British hands especially, in our case. So that’s what we were there for. Done a pretty good job, I think. One morning, we were called out about 4:00, says there’s a lot of trouble going on up at the camp, so we had to go up and try to keep the peace because they would have killed one another, you know; because they were stealing and different things, from farmers. This was a terrible task to have to do. Something you never forget; and something you don’t like to talk about, to tell you the truth. I mean, you had to get out at 2:00 in the morning and stand guard. You knew the Germans was all over the place and everything is… It was terrible.
