Day 33 - To me it looked like a place of no escape!

"Everything was coming to an end, we were only a few left.  One day "Discipline" took us to a corner of the kitchen.  I could see that there was a way to get out, the walls were old like an ancient castle, at a slight angle, and roughly hewn and would be quite easy for someone like me to climb.

As I was studying the walls, I suddenly felt "Discipline's eyes on me and I felt like he was guessing my thoughts.  He had a smile on his face, almost daring me to try.  That plan would have been alright if I could get away from the inside and had sufficient time to climb unhindered, but with someone watching all the time it would be imposible.

Shortly after that incident a "Secherheitsdienst", security counter intelligence of the Gestapo came to see us to check our papers.  We were also inspected as to our general condition and cleanliness, very much like army procedure.  When he looked at my hand he said, "that is healed now you can go on transport".

"Discipline" was in charge of the inspection.  He spoke to the prisoners very sternly and told them off if he found dirt or any crinkles, like a father figure.  The protestant vicar we never so again but somehow I think he had a chat with the S.D. man about us.  The vicar was a tall, dark eyed, silent type of a man moving in the mysterious way of mysticism that he portrayed.  In contrast, the S.D. man looked silent and strict, mostly sharped face too, a nervous snappy man in movement and manner.

The S.D. man was a prototype of one of the teachers I had know who had turned traitor.  To me inquisitors and turn coats seem to inherit the same look and ways of undertakers.  Even their uniforms and signs symbolised the dark side of the regime.  At the end of the inspection the only thing he said to us, in a shrill croaking executioners voice was, "You lot are due for transportation, first you go to Fort Du-Ha for preparation".

I didn't know whether this move was for better or worse.  What I did know was going to transportation would get us out of the rut we were in now and maybe there would be another opportunity to jump or roll off the trains.
It also meant, that after Fort-Du-Ha we would still be alive and well.  How much so, after that, was the question!

We departed the same way that we had come in, handcuffed from Caserene-Boudet annex to the old fort of Du-Ha.  We were sent to the political section,  we entered through a big ancient gate resembling the entrance of a fortress.  We then came upon an enormously wide, ugly round tower in the centre, behind which was a square with buildings extending in all directions resembling an octopus.

To me that looked like a place of no escape .....


To be continued