"Ostend and area was now flooded with German ferrets asking all kinds of questions and opinions, with the barges with their fronts cut off, to allow vehicles to be taken on board from the installations along the banks were appearing everywhere, to take on the military paraphenalia....
All peace and quiet had gone and our allies the British had to bomb all this in return, without choice, and we would be in the midst of it again. I think we had more than enough of it and moved away into town where we got bombed instead as a convoy moved throughout and an articulated gun was chased by a flyer. Also, to remember the bombs that most of the time missed hitting the flack team nearest and above us which was placed at an old hotel called the Canon Hotel. Eventually, they blasted them out of position on the rooftop into oblivion.
We then thought it safer to ride to the countryside and a stricken plane proceeded to drop its bombs right next to us in a field. We just couldn't win! For a time no matter where we went the bombing was following us. We decided to take a rest with an old aunt of my Dad's in Beerst near Diksmuide and that was alright for a while. Enough to eat there and we could still take long rides into the surrounding countryside and look for apples and vegetables.
Slowly our funds where running out and my Dad had to go back to town to live, with us following him. Restrictions were really biting and hard now with the end of the war nowhere in sight. We were placed in good homes from Doctor friends my Mother knew very well, but the Germans requisitioned it all in turn, even my bike, as soon as we became nicely settled in.
I hid in trade schools where most resistance and information was gathered and given out from there too. I was offerred a chance to join, somebody put my name straight on a list which was the last straw as I thought it was unwise thing to do, "fancy giving the enemy a chance to get you through a list", so I didn't join. Many were caught this way and one of my friends even lost his head because of patriotic fervour when he was captured and spat in their faces. This was too simple an action and not for me to be extinquished.
I had another turn in the countryside with another good aunt on my Mother's side near the border, so I had the opportunity to make a crossing near there, it was pretty easy for the daring again! Total starvation was relieved on the coastal region by miraculous events such as the herring and sprats becoming stuck near Dunkirk and Calais, backing right up to Ostend. The little boats were still allowed to catch them. They came in loaded to the brim and near to the danger point of sinking through the shear weight of the catch.
We ate herring morning, noon and night and exchanged them for food with the farmers which we smuggled in from the countryside to keep ourselves and boxers alive for the sake of the sport, the only entertainment available which came to the peak of revival. It was a shame the German propaganda got hold of them to elevate Flemish nationalism. After the war they had to pay the wages of sin for that with a five year jail term and self exile afterwards, mostly to Argentina.
My Great Aunt's husband, Maurice was with the "White Brigade", Maurice was a secret silent man who deigned to talk to me. I still wonder whether he wanted me to join but I went back to Ostend and found other means of work instead.
The coast was on full alert now and put on the defensive after they lost The Battle of Britian, having tried their reign of terror there too, the Germans started losing so many planes there, they never achieved the superiority to make a landing remotely possible considering those barges! They attempted a small raid from France, we heard all about it, the Hitler Youth, who were fully involved got burned and extensively hospitalised in St Omairs afterwards.
The three walls of fire in the possible landings on the English coast were not fully envisaged and anticipated indeed but secretly unknown they got a partial inkling at that time, considering all things were possible but not advisable. They intended to drive the attention off this idea and direct it instead eastwards destroying at once the myth and the unholy alliance with Stalin, the main "Blitz'" Barborossa, the invasion of Russia.
Little did the Germans know that their quick temper would cloud their judgement and distract the leader of the "Luftwaffe", namely Goering, from the destruction of the air fields in Britain ...,
At this time, my Mother sacrificed a lot in rations giving up her share to us ... Sometimes, we stayed with my Aunt Ray and she managed to get things from the Railway Guards but eventually we had to do without extra helpings of food. We even went to funerals in the countryside just to eat and bring back something. You could get a pass for family business and we had a good fill up on such occasions but now we were unable to stock up and take things with us anymore. Somehow, the enemy gave you no choice, even to breath after a time.
About this time I felt it was about time to make a go of it out of the encirclement. The best way was a well prepared overland crossing via the three "S's", Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. The more contacts we could gather the better, that was my my ultimate aim" (Go Dad Go!)
To be continued ...
No comments:
Post a Comment