Thought for the week: The bravery of a British soldier in a tight situation

By Rev Jim Rea

Published 10th May 2025, 00:00 BST

I had met Eric during his later years, but I had not fully grasped his remarkable past as a World War II prisoner of war, captured by the Nazis and sent to a farm in Poland for over four years.

Every evening, he would be taken back to the prisoner-of-war camp and continually warned that any direct contact with the farmers would result in him being shot.

Despite the horrors he faced, Eric clung to his deep Christian faith, often questioning why he was there and for what purpose.

One day, he realised something terrible had happened when he saw a German sidecar rider arriving at the house. From a distance, he observed distress.

The family's son Leon, a German conscript, had been killed in action. Moved by empathy, Eric knocked on the door and bravely expressed his condolences, forging an unexpected bond with the family that resulted in their compassion towards him.

They secretly fed him, and as necessary, they often hid him.

Some time later, chaos struck when Russian soldiers stormed the farm, and the officer removed his gun.

Realising Eric was a British prisoner of war, the officer reminded him that these German people were his enemies and commanded him to shoot the family of six.

In that critical moment, Eric stood firm, saying: “No, these people have been good to me.”

His bravery surprised the Russian officer, who lowered his weapon and left everyone unharmed.

Liberation was now in sight. After the war, the friendship between the Armstrong and Springle families continued in the following years.

Reflecting on those harrowing days, Eric recognised that his trust in the Lord had transformed enemies into friends.

Looking back on what happened 80 years ago, I now understand that Eric’s presence in that farmyard was no mere coincidence. Eric Armstrong’s question: “Why am I here?” had been answered.