The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-18
BY EDWARD W. BEATTIE, JR.

Strasbourg, Germany-(UP)-We arrived here at g a. m. from Ger ardmer and Colmar just as six American fighters appeared over the switchyards, calling forth a burst of ack-ack and loud wailing of sirens. We are now 52 Americans. Every one is in remarkably high spirits, and 1t seems to me the average G. l. or officer is perfectly able 10 take in stride the severe emotional shock of finding himself prisoner in a country whose prisons have been pretty malodorous in the past Il years,
 During the lapse between this en- try and the last, I thought that this diary the longest consecutive chronicle l ever managed to keep was going to die in it's infancy. The Germans had the book and there was no guarantee I'd ever get 1t back.
 This afternoon a small, mild Eng Hsh-speaking Nazi who agreed to try to censor 1t gave 1t back. He said he thought ought to try to be little less open in future en- tries and, instead, rely on hints of what I thought or what happened a q then I would recall the events later in my mind when was in happier position" I will take his advice.
 On arrival there was no room for us in the underground works Of the old Notifications where the old pri- soners of various nationalities shouted greetings and threw cigarets at us through the barbed wire as We marched past.
 We are living in an old military hospital about two miles inland from the western end Of the famous Kehh bridge across the Rhine. We are likely to remain here until transport can be scraped together for the big permanent camp at Limburg g-an-der-Lenne east of the Rhine near Koblenz.
 The officers are separated from the men who are living in pretty crowded conditions on straw sacks on the floor. We each have a bed with one rough sheet and two blankets and sleep three to room.
 We are deloused here the first day and given a shower while our clothes were in the process of the much needed disinfection. The Germans took all our remaining money, in- cluding my string of short shorter bills.
 Major Hansen was relieved of a lovely heavy gold ring set with a big ruby, a family heirloom. When he protested he was told it might be used 10 bribe his way out of pri- son. My nailtle was taken as a po- tential escape tool. When We asked for receipts we were told they were not yet printed but would arrive in due course-which We doubted
 No, l event since our arrival-a daylight raid on the center of Strasbourg-came on our third day about midmorning through fairly heavy overcast. The bombs were falling before sirens could work up full pitch.
 l happened to be looking out the window and saw the blotchy gray streaks Of target indicators and then suddenly the bombs themselves pitch out Of the clouds.
 We all hit the floor of the bar racks. The air was filled with the familiar whooSh Of falling bombs. For the next couple Of minutes the whole building went through naus- eating spasm after spasm. Several windows shattered.
 When We looked out again there were great fires already starting. some oi which lasted through the night. Within an hour huge columns 9f smoke were pouring across the town.
 One building near us was hit. sev- eral people. including two Russians were killed. It wasn't very big rsid as such 90 nowadays but 1t seems to