POW

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. A frail survival, on aged and worn paper. The first page carries the 'Message', headed with the crest of the Colonial Office, and signed in type 'G. H. HALL.': 'Welcome home. You have suffered a long and bitter ordeal at the hands of a barbarous enemy. | You have never been out of our thoughts and we now know, as we had always expected, that you have borne the ordeal with the spirit of your race. | That experience is now past and freedom is yours again.

The four items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. In envelope addressed to Mrs P. E. Batt, Beckenham, Kent. ONE: 'The Last Month' by Wilmott. 13pp., foolscap 8vo. A photocopied typescript on thirteen leaves of paper, stapled together, with five original autograph annotations by Batt. The first reads '"Big funf" was one of the German Guards - had no roof to his mouth - spoke funnily' and the fourth 'We had a "Union Jack" which was used for burials when P.O.W.'s died.' Wilmott's account commences: 'There had been gun fire from the west and the south for the last three days.

13pp., foolscap 8vo. Paginated 1 to 13 and signed at the end 'Ernie Wilmott'. On seven leaves stapled into grey covers, with the title 'The Last Month' typed on the front cover. In good condition, in worn wraps. The account commences: 'There had been gun fire from the west and the south for the last three days. Friday the 13th April 1945 the usual officials did not come to fetch the men, but a little later than usual the Gaschwyz [sic] column was called, so we assembled and left for work, about 20 of us.

i + 207pp., 8vo. Perfect bound in green card wraps, with green cloth spine. In good condition: lightly-aged and a little dogeared, in lightly-creased wraps with slight wear to spine. Tipped in onto the last page is an original 'Army Form B. 104-83', signed and stamped with date 16 March 1943, informing Batt's father that he was posted as missing on 27 February 1943 in North Africa. Nine chapters: 'The Western Desert'; 'Italy'; 'Gaschwyz'; 'Leipzig', 'Gaschwyz Again'; 'Boehlen, Leuna, Wiederitsch'; 'Lager Waldfrieden'; 'Russians'; 'Latvians'.

ii + 177pp., 8vo. Each page on a separate leaf. Original typescript, not a carbon. In very good condition, in green card folder. The first paragraph of Batt's two-page preface reads: 'This transcript has been copied from original personal diaries of JOHN HEATH with whom I served in 155 Battery, 172 Field Regiment R.A.; an artillery unit of 25 pounder guns stationed at Mersham, Nr. Ashford in Kent. John and I were together through most of the happenings in North Africa, Italy and Germany described in these diaries until May 1945 when we got split up as the war in Europe was coming to an end.