LESLIE ANGUS McIVER

Leslie was the third son of Murdoch and Anna McIver. Born at Mohaka, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand 22nd February 1914.

At the outbreak of World War II Leslie was a taxi driver in Wairoa and on the 9th. June 1940 he signed up for the army. On the 3rd. October he entered the New Zealand Army and on the 19th. December he embarked for Egypt, eventually arriving on the 30th. January 1941.

Leslie served with the Long Range Desert Group and was a member of "T" Patrol.

Between 18/11//41 and 13/12/41 he became a Prisoner of War; Believed to be the 23rd. November; Aug '42, Known to be in Campo PG 85 - Sept '42; Campo PG 65 - Jan '43; and Campo PG 57 - Nov '43. Stalag VIIIa.

He must have escaped from Stalag VIIIa when the Russian advance could be heard. He was obviously in the company of Dvr. J. Powell, Pte Atkinson (Both in the Royal Army Service Corps.), and F.C. Alley, a New Zealander, who all gave accounts of what happened to Leslie.

Their reports tell us the following:

• In the dark hours before dawn on 9/2/45 Leslie was badly wounded in the right thigh during the fighting between the Russians and Germans at Rudkenwaldau.
• He lay in the snow for 7 hours from 5am. until noon, with agonising stomach pains. Along with Pte Atkinson, he was picked up and taken to a house where he received first aid from a Russian army girl.
• On the 11th the Russians requisitioned another house and converted it into a field hospital in which Leslie underwent an operation and comfortable treatment was given by a Russian Army doctor.
• On the 14th Leslie and Pte Atkinson were moved by ambulance to another converted hospital at Modlau. (This is now Modla, and is part of Poland.) Leslie appeared quite well and in good spirits.
• The 15th at appoximately 8pm he complained of wind in the stomach, but no one could make the Russians understand.
• At 10pm. Pte. Atkinson met a Russian orderly who could speak German, and he understood what the problem was. Leslie was given some sort of powder and at midnight he was sleeping and breathing normally.
• At 2am (now the 16th) Pte. Atkinson was wakened by a thud, and in a state of semi-consciousness he witnessed Leslie's body being taken out of the room on a stretcher with his face covered.
• Pte. Atkinson tried to find out what happened to him, but all he could get from the Russians was "Kaput", which he took to mean that he was dead. He never saw him again.
• Pte. Atkinson says records of their cases were kept. I can remember Mr Alley visiting our home when I was young. He was in the bed next to Leslie in the hospital in Modlau, and he witnessed the same events.