Nigel Clayton

This Pestilence, Bergen-Belsen Nigel Clayton

By April, 1945, there were sixty-thousand prisoners housed in a camp built for no more than ten-thousand, a testament to Hitler's viciousness.




The camp was liberated by the British on 15th April, 1945, and over the next 30 days the death rate dropped from 500 a day to less than 100 a day. More and more people continued to meet with death in the face of their liberation for many reasons, some of which has been needlessly blamed on the British, despite their heroic efforts.




The fight to preserve life was a constant battle but one that was often lost. In total around 14,000 of those imprisoned died in the four weeks after their liberation.




On 21st May a ceremony was held where the last of the memories were purged by flame: symbols of the Nazi Regime, and the last of the huts were torched and burnt to the ground in one huge emotional wave of relief.




This story is but one of many, which commences in the latter part of 1944, and concludes in May of 1945.