Johnstone Advertiser - 15th January 1960
Sixteen years ago (1945) Karl Heil of Germany was spending an enforced holiday in Johnstone as no doubt a reluctant guest of the british army. Wearing the denims and distinctive patches of a prisoner of war, Herr Heil, in common with many others of his countrymen was billeted in the (Johnstone Castle) camp on a site now included in the Johnstone castle scheme. It so happened that Herr Heil was not only a soldier but an artist of considerable ability and this fact soon came to the ears of a local British army unit who occupied buildings on the Craigends estate. as a mess hall they were using the covered tennis court. When they heard of the p.o.w.s talent they approached him with the suggestion that he might decorate their mess with mural paintings. Herr Heil was only too delighted to assist and was driven out to Craigends and given the materials he required to do the work, which has thrilled and astonished visitors to the estate for the past 15 years.
When the time came for repatriation Karl Heil had to leave this considerable work of art although in the intervening years he wondered what happened to the paintings. He settled down to civilian life, entered employment of the Volkswagen motor company in Wolfsburg, near Hanover and eventually became deputy director of public relations for the firm. In this capacity he was at present oraginising an art exhibition in Wolfsburg which was to include many paintings lent from museums and art galleries throughout Europe.
Last week this entailed a visit to the Glasgow art galleries for the purpose of borrowing several valuable works of art from that collection. This gave Herr Heil the first opportunity to make some record of his war-time artistry and he seized it eagerly. With the co-operation of Messrs Cameron and Campbell ltd, Glasgow Volkswagen agents and only one day to spare he dashed down to Johnstone on Friday to try and find his long lost paintings. What with the changes in the local scene, however, and the passage of time playing tricks with memory Herr Heil eventually arrived at the "adverstiser" office having failed to locate the Johnstone Camp or the country house where he did the work. here he was soon put on the right track and set off again. with the help of Mr Cunningham of Craigends who has taken a great interest in the matter, he was the murals once more and was delighted to find that, although some damage and deterioration had occurred, there was still a considerable area capable of reproduction.
Although he had to return home almost immediately it was arranged that the murals should be photographed in colour and black and white and this was done on Monday afternoon. Mr Cunningham is very keen to preserve these paintings as long as possible, but as the building is a very old one it can only besaid that their future is uncertain. however Herr Heil has his photographic record to remind him of what was perhaps the happiest part of his former sojourn in Johnstone and we hope that the memories it evokes will contain some pleasurable thoughts of the town and its people.