WORLD WAR II DIARIES – Sgt. N. H. ‘Harry’ Martyn (1919-?). Autograph diaries, Stalag Luft I & Stalag Luft VI, 19 August 1940 – 10 May 1945, with additions in other hands, some volumes containing sketches, one a collection of the autographs of other POW, six volumes in total , along with a collection of POW camp ephemera including photographs, camp magazines, theatre programmes and Christmas cards, in two archive boxes .
WORLD WAR II DIARIES – Sgt. N. H. ‘Harry’ Martyn (1919-?). Autograph diaries, Stalag Luft I & Stalag Luft VI, 19 August 1940 – 10 May 1945, with additions in other hands, some volumes containing sketches, one a collection of the autographs of other POW, six volumes in total , along with a collection of POW camp ephemera including photographs, camp magazines, theatre programmes and Christmas cards, in two archive boxes . Sgt. Harry Martyn was flying over Holland with RAF 101 Squadron, on a mission to attack channel ports in occupied France, when ‘without warning a searchlight on our port side’. Shot down, his Bristol Blenheim crash lands on German soil and the crew is pulled from the plane ‘by what we expected Tommies but no they were Jerries!’. The dawning of the reality ‘that I was a prisoner for how long I couldn’t say and to think that a short time beforehand I had been a free man’ comes quickly on his journey to Stalag Luft I, where he was held until his transfer in 1944 to Stalag Luft VI, though Martyn adds: ‘still it couldn’t be helped…so why kick!’. The man known in camp as ‘the Nightingale’ for his singing voice details the everyday occurrences of camp life, during which the inmates attempt to recreate some semblance of life back in England – watching films, producing concerts and plays, and playing sport, as well as keeping abreast of developments in the fighting – but which is also punctuated by escape attempts, mostly unsuccessful, and the deaths of companions, whether from illness or in failed bids for freedom. The final volume contains an account of the forced march from Stalag VI in 1945; despite losing companions on the gruelling journey, Martyn finally records his liberation. In addition to the diary entries, one volume bears the signatures of 306 of Harry Martyn’s fellow internees, another features sketches – ‘The Luft Gangster’ is one – and entries by eight P.O.W. reflecting on their experiences in the camp. The camp ephemera is testament to the humour and imagination with which the P.O.W. bore their imprisonment, such as the ‘Want Ads’ on the reverse of a theatre programme reading ‘Wanted! Ice for One Ice Rink’ and ‘Good Slip Trench for Summer Vacation’. Along with this collection of photographs, hand-decorated magazines, programmes, dinner menus and other documents is a small group of post-war documents relating to Harry Martyn.
WORLD WAR II DIARIES – Sgt. N. H. ‘Harry’ Martyn (1919-?). Autograph diaries, Stalag Luft I & Stalag Luft VI, 19 August 1940 – 10 May 1945, with additions in other hands, some volumes containing sketches, one a collection of the autographs of other POW, six volumes in total , along with a collection of POW camp ephemera including photographs, camp magazines, theatre programmes and Christmas cards, in two archive boxes .
WORLD WAR II DIARIES – Sgt. N. H. ‘Harry’ Martyn (1919-?). Autograph diaries, Stalag Luft I & Stalag Luft VI, 19 August 1940 – 10 May 1945, with additions in other hands, some volumes containing sketches, one a collection of the autographs of other POW, six volumes in total , along with a collection of POW camp ephemera including photographs, camp magazines, theatre programmes and Christmas cards, in two archive boxes . Sgt. Harry Martyn was flying over Holland with RAF 101 Squadron, on a mission to attack channel ports in occupied France, when ‘without warning a searchlight on our port side’. Shot down, his Bristol Blenheim crash lands on German soil and the crew is pulled from the plane ‘by what we expected Tommies but no they were Jerries!’. The dawning of the reality ‘that I was a prisoner for how long I couldn’t say and to think that a short time beforehand I had been a free man’ comes quickly on his journey to Stalag Luft I, where he was held until his transfer in 1944 to Stalag Luft VI, though Martyn adds: ‘still it couldn’t be helped…so why kick!’. The man known in camp as ‘the Nightingale’ for his singing voice details the everyday occurrences of camp life, during which the inmates attempt to recreate some semblance of life back in England – watching films, producing concerts and plays, and playing sport, as well as keeping abreast of developments in the fighting – but which is also punctuated by escape attempts, mostly unsuccessful, and the deaths of companions, whether from illness or in failed bids for freedom. The final volume contains an account of the forced march from Stalag VI in 1945; despite losing companions on the gruelling journey, Martyn finally records his liberation. In addition to the diary entries, one volume bears the signatures of 306 of Harry Martyn’s fellow internees, another features sketches – ‘The Luft Gangster’ is one – and entries by eight P.O.W. reflecting on their experiences in the camp. The camp ephemera is testament to the humour and imagination with which the P.O.W. bore their imprisonment, such as the ‘Want Ads’ on the reverse of a theatre programme reading ‘Wanted! Ice for One Ice Rink’ and ‘Good Slip Trench for Summer Vacation’. Along with this collection of photographs, hand-decorated magazines, programmes, dinner menus and other documents is a small group of post-war documents relating to Harry Martyn.
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.jpg "Quelle: Christie's")
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