Magyar News, 2002. szeptember-2003. augusztus (13. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2002-11-01 / 3. szám
shackle collection of battered buildings, only three of which could possibly be rehabilitated. And in these there were no heat, toilets, windows and not a stick of furniture. In a couple of weeks, they had new windows, "privies" and a heating plant installed, a makeshift kitchen and were putting up rudely-built wooden beds. When we arrived, the camp was in a state of chaotic efficiency. Refugees were arriving by the scores without warning and somehow or other the small Canadian Red Cross group was managing to get them settled with minimum of fuss and bother. First, the escapees are allotted ration cards that entitle them to blankets, a dish and a tin spoon. They are then assigned barracks. Family groups are billeted together, single men and women in bunkbed dormitories. The camp can’t afford the luxury of mattresses, so the refugees are handed burlap sacks which they fill with straw. Walking through barracks, you have the impression you are in a stable. However, within a short time the Hungarians have their temporary homes brightened with wild flowers, pictures cut out of old magazines, crucifixes and the few children’s toys with which they were able to scrape. Food is cooked in mammoth soup pots, transferred to buckets by a huge ladle and spooned into the Hungarians bowls, which they shove through a slot at the front of the kitchen. The refugees queue up, sometimes a hundred deep, for their meals. There is no dining room, and when they have their bowls full, they walk back to their quarters, about 40 yards away, and eat in their rooms. The menu has an unmistakable sameness about it, day after day - goulash, goulash and more goulash, interspersed with the odd meal of salt pork and beans. There s a ration of dark bread, and children receive an adequate supply of milk. We ate a meal with the refugees and found the goulash excellent. It is highly spiced, particularly with paprika which the Hungarians love, and you hear no grumbling about the food from the camp inmates. The monotony of the food parallels the monotony of the daily life in the Kaserne. There is little or nothing to do, other than wait and wonder when you will start on the long journey to Canada. Baetz has an almost unlimited labor supply, as practically all the men are eager to work to show their gratitude to the Canadian group for what they have done for them. Within moments after we arrived, a band of Hungarians was hard at work, helping our drivers unload the semitrailer. According to the Camp Director, the supplies couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. They had very little in their warehouse and, by the next day, refugees were at work prying our cases open. We were there at the time, and it was a treat to the ears to hear them exclaim over the quality and quantity of the Canadian donations. Baetz volunteered the opinion that the Air Force clothing was in better condition and cleaner than any other contribution they had received. And he was also grateful for the efficient manner in which the Air Division supply staffs had carefully sorted the clothing and marked the contents of the crates in three languages - English, German and Hungarian. It saved a great deal of valuable time for the hard-pressed Red Cross workers. Within a few days of our visit, 600 of the refugees in the Kaserne were scheduled to leave for Canada via Genoa. Baetz assured us that many would be wearing the Air Division gifts, and as a matter of fact, before we left, RCAF trousers and raincoats were becoming conspicuous around the camp. One Hungarian youth was proudly marching around in a black leather wind-breaker with a No. 4 Wing crest on the back. The food was also appreciated, as it would give some variety to the humdrum menus, and provide much-needed canned milk and fruit for the younger children. One Hungarian had never before seen bouillon cubes, which 2 Fighter Wing had sent by the case. Baetz had quite a time explaining that all you had to do was pour hot water on them and you had nourishing soup. When he finally got it across, the Hungarian was delighted. Our next port of call was the Finnish camp, and there we ran into the same enthusiastic welcome. The camp director, however, kept thinking that it was an error; he couldn’t get it through his head that the Canadian Air Force wanted to help a Finnish camp. But he didn’t argue, and in a few moments, our truck was backed up to the warehouse and being unloaded. Most of the refugees in this camp were being processed for the United States. While we were waiting for our truck we were introduced to a group of reporters and photographers from Boston, New York and Washington. When they heard what we were doing, and how much had been donated by such a relatively small outfit, they immediately scratched out notes for stories. One photographer from National Geographic Magazine took a series of photographs of the unloading and requested that we provide him with a complete story; which, of course, we did. The British camp was a former Luftwaffe barracks and was much the poorest of the three we saw. The British Red Cross team was cheerful and cordial, but even more overworked than the Canadians. One woman, in her fifties, told us that she was up every morning by 7:00 am and rarely got to bed before 1:00 am. The camp director, Mr. George Bolton, referred to our donation as a "God- Send" and took us to the warehouse, where we saw that all that remained were a few dilapidated cardboard boxes of usable clothing. Lines of Hungarians soon formed outside the warehouse in hopes of receiving a share of this unexpected bonanza. Wherever we went in the three camps, we were besieged with questions about Canada. Usually, the questioners could speak only a few words of English or French, but they managed to convey their enthusiasm for and curiosity about our country. In the British camp there were 110 Hungarians whose only desire was to get to Canada. While at the Canadian camp, one of the Red Cross women had mentioned that they had a big problem obtaining carrying bags. By the time the refugees were ready to leave for Canada they had accumulated a few belongings but had nothing in which to carry them. It occurred to us that Air Force type kit bags would be ideal so we put in a call to AJC Clements in Metz and within hours 4 Fighter Wing had been authorized to purchase more than $500.00 worth of kit bags. The next day we worked on arrangements for the arrival of the Bristol freighter which would bring in some of the new goods purchased in England with part of The area map of the border between Hungary and Austria. The arrow shows the general crossing of the refugees. Notice that to the West and East of the arrow there is an extensive swamp area Page 2
