LETTER: Past and present horrors in a worldwide plague of land- mines

From Mr John Dee

Sir: I refer to the article in respect of the use of German prisoners of war during the Second World War in clearing minefields in France.

As an ex-British prisoner of war in Germany, I feel that the Geneva Convention did not mean much to my captors, or to the Second World War conflict generally.

I have first-hand knowledge of PoWs of various nationalities being used in Munich in such jobs as digging out victims of Allied bombing (very dangerous) and others working in the north and south cemeteries burying the air-raid victims (not very dangerous, but not very healthy either). In fact, very mentally unhealthy.

Yours faithfully,

JOHN DEE

Earl Shilton,

Leicestershire

23 May