Looking Back, But Not in Anger The Story of One who Eluded the Holocaust by the Skin of his Teeth

Herbert Paisley was born on December 26, 1921 in Berlin, Germany. His father was born in Lissa, Prussia, and his mother was born in South Africa, but was sent to Germany for schooling. In early 1935, Herbert's parents sent him to school in Malmedy, Belgium. He left school in 1937 at age 15 1/2, first working as an apprentice in Vierviers in the wool trade and then in Brussels studying brewery engineering. After the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940, Herbert was arrested as an enemy alien and taken to St. Cyprien. He was transferred to Gurs in October 1940. In the spring of 1941, he was transferred to do forced labor south of the Dordogne translating German articles into French, and was given quite a bit of freedom. He spent over a year doing this, until August 19,1942 when rumors of deportation led Herbert to flee and hide in the woods. He attempted to cross the Swiss border and failed, finally deciding to join the French Foreign Legion. He enlisted as a Belgian under a false name and was sent to Sidi-bel-Abes, Algeria. The FFL came under the Free French and Herbert was taken to England, where he joined the Pioneer Corps. He was employed as an interpreter at the German POW camp in Newmarket. After the war ended, he was taken to Norway, where he also worked as an interpreter. He became a British citizen in 1948 and married his wife Ruth the same year.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Herbert P. Paisley

Herbert Paisley donated a copy of his memoir to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2014.