"It seemed to me that there wasn't much time for romance and idylles,!! it had to wait until the war was over, the eternal moving didn't help. All the girls we grew up with were biding their time waiting for the most eligible of the young men to return. Security was a big thing for them. Most love affairs had to evolve by impulse and need, nature's way. The meeting places like dance halls were closed by the occupation powers, but we held claundestine drinking parties with an advanced warning system operated to warn us of the patrols, then there was the eternal curfews to deal with...
In addition, the constant bombing and increasing flights over us to destroy Germany at night kept us fully awake by the flak! alone, we slept as much in shelters as at home. Also, the Royal Navy had a go at the submarine and speedboat base which soon was completely blocked. Because of this the submarines went more from their northern bases and St. Nazire straight for the open Atlantic: the speedboats quickly monitored as soon as they left their mooring got strafed.
My brother Gerard was born in all this turmoil and was called a typical war child. We were moved out of our house to accommodate the Luftwaffe personnel. Mostly it was for the generals and officers which enabled them to hold their Roman-orgies in the best houses available. Later those ladies of ill repute would run away with the best furniture, if they had not already been caught for doubtful practices, collaboration with intended theft.
Physically, I kept up with my training and morally was more determined than ever that I had to make it to England for the best of reasons. The secret radio broadcasts kept encouraging us to go, come what may, instead of being sent to Germany. This was another restriction not being allowed to tune in to the B.B.C. To be caught meant certain deportation to the camps as an enemy of the state.
One of my biggest disappointments was when a family quarrel broke out, lets say between husband and wife and she gave her husband away, in spite, which could cause the man to lose his life through it. Vice Versa too and so many other pitiful cases one heard about...
With the war on all fronts in full swing the communists brought in their groups of resistance too which was an asset. This uneasy alliance was competitive but nevertheless an additional force. Little groups came together to achieve breakthroughs with the aim of harrassing the enemy as much as possible and results increased with leaps and bounds. We stripped what we could before the enemy could get near. Once we were nearly caught as we contoured the Atlantic Wall right behind the back of a guard and then got chased off the roof by another couple of soldiers who had watched us from a hidden place across the road. We hid in a vent dug near the roof but eventually got flushed out at the end of the line. To our great surprise the soldiers let us go! This was the only long view we had had since the beginning of hostilities of our beloved seaside!
Jewish people were getting the brunt of the German's revenge, the rational for such behavior was explained in "Mein Kamph". For us it was rather a strange experience, Jewish children had been to school with us, amongst us, and nobody had ever thought about it they had been blending in with us for centuries. They kept their own traditions which they had preserved and practiced at home to keep the Jewish faith.
There was a synagogue behind one of our central churches and they seemed to enjoy all the freedom of worship. We didn't really understand what all the big fuss that was made about it at that time. The first thing that happened was that they made them wear the yellow star with "Jood" on it, then they were gradually transported, they just disappeared......!
Some went into hiding fearing the worst. Those were the wise ones of course".....
To be continued ...
No comments:
Post a Comment