Z1205/053

Male immigrant brickworker from Latvia b.15.01.1926 The Informant was born in Latvia in 1926, and the first part of the tape chronicles his life on a mixed farm in rural Latvia. He gives details of his parents' work, his own education and that of his brothers and sister. The Informant was eighteen when Latvia was occupied by the Germans in the Second World War, and he joined the Latvian Army to fight with the Germans against the Russians. He describes his training and his life as an infantryman on the Polish frontline.When the war ended he hoped to avoid being captured by the Russians and travelled West on foot through Germany until he could surrender to the Americans. He was held in various prison camps in Germany and Belgium, until he was given the opportunity to come to England. In England he lived in transit camps in Shropshire, Sutton Coldfield and Herefordshire and worked as a dairyman and farm labourer before finding a permanent post as a laboratory assistant with London Brick in Stewartby. He lived at Kempston Hardwick Hostel and in private lodgings before buying his own home in Bedford and marrying another Latvian refugee.The Informant worked at London Brick for thirty years, rising to be a Senior Technical Assistant, and is able to describe the various types of testing carried out by the laboratory staff, and some of the innovations in brick making during that time.Since the 1990s the Informant has returned to Latvia on several occasions and describes the changes which have occurred there. He has made various efforts to trace what happened to other family members and friends in the intervening years and gives details, for example of his parents' deportation to Siberia. CS053CSides A & B 60 mins Side A 5mins) Date and place of birth. Description of countryside around home village. Family size. Description of parents' background. Inheritance of land through mother. 10mins)Latvian trade and exports. Uses of horses in agriculture. Invention of machinery by uncle. 15mins)Mixed farming and forestry in pre-war Latvia. Production for German occupiers. Types of bread, then and now. 20 mins)Brother's education (sponsored by aunt). Father's and brother's work as German translators. Informant learns German. Use of languages in Latvia today. 25 mins)Sister's education. The Pioneers. Communist influence on education. Attempts to encourage atheism. Organisation of Latvian schools, class size etc. 30 mins)Organisation of education continued. School holidays. Examinations. Death of brother.Informant's career plans, agricultural college.End of side A Side B 5 mins)Agricultural college and plans to be an agronomist. German invasion. Political organisation of Latvia before and after occupation. 10 mins)Uselessness of Latvian's attempting t resist German advance. Requisitioning of goods by Germans. Position of German language in society. 15 mins)Formation of Latvian legions. Informant joins up (in Fifteen Division).Training, incidence of desertion. 20 mins)Jews in pre-war Latvia, their arrest by Germans and Latvians. Liaison with Germans in army. Role of Nineteenth Division in war. 25 mins)Fighting on Polish border. Infantry warfare. Disillusion of Latvians at end of war. 30 mins)Deportation of parents in 1948. Deportation generally. Parents' life in Labour camp. Informant's communication with sister. More about communication with home. Informant's fear of deportation. End of side B CS053C2 Side A 5 mins)Disappearance of friend who returned to Latvia. Journey across Germany towards allied territory. Surrender to Americans. 10 mins.)More about surrender. Imprisonment near Lubek, then concentration camp near Hamburg. 15 mins)Poor conditions and hunger in Prison. Cruelty of Belgian guards. Intervention of Latvian ambassador. Release to Latvian camp where prepared to fight for British against Russians. 20 mins)Prison in Belgium. Russian encouragement to return to Latvia. 25 mins)Release to Germany (Baltic Coast). Meeting with uncle and transfer to his camp. Technical education there (British sector). 30 mins)Process of coming to England, and learning English. Camp of European Volunteer Workers in Shropshire. Work as a dairyman. Other nationalities there.Conditions in camp in Sutton Coldfield. Farm work. Side B. 5 mins)Conditions on arrival in England. Organisation of camp and conditions. Relations with English and other nationalities. 10 mins)Language used in camp. Temporary work and thoughts of returning to Latvia. Advertisement and interview of job at London Brick. 15 mins)English classes at Mander College. Work, pay and conditions at Stewartby. Kempston Hardwick Hostel. Latvians at London Brick. 20 mins)Gatherings organised by Latvian Welfare Fund. Nature of work in the Testing Lab (tests carried out). 25 mins)Work in taking temperature of kilns. Thirty years work there. Thoughts of returning home. Actual trips to Latvia in 1990s. Meeting with sister in Riga. Parents' life after return from Siberia. 30 mins)More about parents. Attempts to trace brother. Censorship of letters.Promotion to Senior Technical Assistant. End os side B CS053C3 Side A only (part ) 5 mins)Meeting with and courting of wife. Hobby of chess 10 mins)More about chess. Other hobbies in retirement. Trips to Latvia. 15 mins)Latvian/Russian relations now. Possibility of return. Opinions of Marston Vale, forestry and foot and mouth outbreak. End of interview Original interview 140 mins

5 October 2001

From: 1920 To: 2001

item

immigration, brickworker, farming practice, EDUCATION, Germans, World War Two, Edmonton Latymer's School, army, Russians, Polish, Americans, dairyman, farm worker, lodging houses, refugees, horses, AGRICULTURE, forestry worker, bread, requisitioning, JEWS, surrenders, British Army, prison, LANGUAGE, Bedford Mander College, technical design and craftsmanship, hobbies, chess, cattle disease, Germany, Belgium, Shropshire, Sutton Coldfield, Herefordshire, STEWARTBY, Kempston Hardwick, Siberian Federal District