A new e-book tells the harrowing story of what is, arguably, one of the lesser known stories of WW2.
Survival, Memoir of a Forced Labourer in the Third Reich, by Belgian author George Beeston (pictured) tells the moving story of the cruel deportation of Belgians to Germany to serve as labourers.
Compulsory deportation of Belgian workers to Germany began in October 1942. At the beginning of the scheme, Belgian firms were obliged to select 10 percent of their workforce, but from 1943, workers were conscripted by age and class. 145,000 Belgians were conscripted and sent to Germany, most for work in manual jobs in industry or agriculture for the German war effort.
Working conditions for forced workers in Germany were notoriously poor. Workers were paid little and worked long hours, and those in German towns were particularly vulnerable to Allied aerial bombing.
The book’s author George Beeston was born in Australia on 27 October 1920, the son of a British father, Norman Willingham Beeston, and a Belgian mother, Marie Sophie Monsieur, from Overmere in East Flanders. His parents met towards the end of the First World War when Norman was serving with the British Army in Belgium.
The couple emigrated and were living in Hamilton, New South Wales, when Marie had George. They did not stay long, moving back to Belgium and settling in Charleroi, where Norman found a job as a steelworker. George was soon joined by two younger brothers, Joe and Newton, and the boys grew up multilingual, speaking English, French and Dutch.
George was 19 when the German Army swept through Belgium in May 1940. Within days he was on his way to France, determined to fight for the Allies. Hopes he could make it across the Channel were dashed and he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. Deserted by their officers, his unit was forced to surrender and George was fortunate to avoid being shot as a suspected partisan.
After a long forced march through eastern France, he was held in a POW camp and interrogated at length due to his Australian background. He escaped with false papers and made it back to Belgium in September 1940.
His father was sent to an internment camp in Silesia in March 1941. George took what jobs he could to keep the family going, including a spell in Abbeville with his brother Joe after they were tricked into signing a sham contract and had their identity cards confiscated.
After escaping home George thought he was finally safe but, in December 1942, he was sent to work as a forced labourer for Siemens in Nuremberg, leaving behind his mother, brothers and young fiancée Yvonne.
George suffered harsh treatment, witnessed horrific sights and was extremely lucky to survive. In the dangerous final weeks of the war, he twice went on the run. Liberated by the Americans, he acted as an interpreter during the round-up of German officers and SS.
He returned to Belgium in June 1945.
After WW2, George joined the British Army, serving for many years in the Royal Engineers.
George offered the manuscript to the Brussels branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) in January 2012, five months before he passed away on 4 June 2012, aged 92.
Unfortunately, contact with his family was lost and the publication was shelved until Dennis Abbott, Chair of RBL Brussels, managed to track down George’s son John late last year. He gave the branch permission to release his father’s memoir in the form of a free ebook.
On 13 March journalist and author Dennis will lead a discussion at a launch event along with Colin Puplett, former Chair of the Brussels RBL Welfare Committee, at the Fraternelle des Agents Parachutistes, Rue du Châtelain, 46, Ixelles.
“Publishing George’s extraordinary memoir of his wartime experiences has long been the wish of the Brussels branch of the RBL. It is an account like no other. That George survived his ordeal at the hands of the Nazis owed much to his never-say-die pluck and, on more than one occasion, miraculous luck. For the RBL, this publication is an honour and a duty,” commented Abbott.
Colin Puplett added: “On first reading his account I was convinced that such a record of courage, in the face of extreme deprivation and violence, should never be forgotten.”
Guests attending the talk are asked to assemble in the bar at the Fraternelle from 6pm (drinks and sandwiches available) with the presentation of the book and Q&A starting at 6.45pm.
If you wish to attend, register at: peacemissions@hotmail.com
Source:
www.eureporter.co