Today's Date: June 8, 2012
"Toward the end we were kept in the camp and all commando's were now stopped. I had a last outing to Weimer and found myself a bit further away from the camp than normal and came across a bombed out police station with adjoining stores.
The bombing had really shaken the house to pieces, it was full of Masonic regalia and trinkets. This explained a lot to me, right up to the end it had been a secret masonic type house.
It turned out that a lot of our German connections had been ancient members of this organization, mostly in the police department. The Belgians that had helped me turned out to be masons as well.
So, the people who helped me were not all communists as some people would have liked to have made out.
My own inclinations were very much the same after the war!!
Many of the Germans went into hiding by mixing with us and trying to prepare a place of refuge for themselves. Richard Thalman, they were after him soon enough and just the same got him near the end.
When transports were assembled now the personal roll calls ceased, no more time for that, that is what we had waited for our time was coming.....................
The Russian guard went first, voluntarily, with the idea to jump their guard in unison, on one signal, they did just that successfully and got away with it. At such close range, there was no way the guards could take evasive action and shoot all of us. To accomplish such action you had to have the right people with you which I had realized all along. They offset some death transports which received the worst of it!
Instead of seeing it out with us, Wing Commander Yeo Thomas, rushed ahead which nearly cost him his life. Later on he was picked up by an American advanced column from the many dead and dying..
The camp commandent was begging us to get out - promising nice carriages, food etc. Now we could smile a bit at last!
We knew we had to refuse and stand up but not before they tried to make a last attempt to get us out with all the force they had left!
Suddenly, on the loud speakers we heard a croaking voice speaking quickly and saying, Schnell!!! Schnell!!! All to the assembly place all blocks out. This was seven days before the eleventh of April, 1945.
No more food had come and we knew the Americans were not far off, the 8th army but not near enough yet. Old S.S. now came storming down from the tower, their pistols in their hands, shooting wildly around them.
They were screaming, Jews first and anybody who was too slow or anybody who ran back down to hide was shot at; so we had to walk very slowly up to the hated square. Their forces were very much diminished now and that was the last show which was spread out to the most dangerous proportions.
Together with Antonio, we carried his Dad out between us. We were trailing along a bit too long for our own good with the old man. He told us to let him go! Regardless, we insisted on taking him out. Now and then I glanced at the murdering going on!
Eventually, we joined the ranks to be counted for the last time!!!!
To be continued
"Toward the end we were kept in the camp and all commando's were now stopped. I had a last outing to Weimer and found myself a bit further away from the camp than normal and came across a bombed out police station with adjoining stores.
The bombing had really shaken the house to pieces, it was full of Masonic regalia and trinkets. This explained a lot to me, right up to the end it had been a secret masonic type house.
It turned out that a lot of our German connections had been ancient members of this organization, mostly in the police department. The Belgians that had helped me turned out to be masons as well.
So, the people who helped me were not all communists as some people would have liked to have made out.
My own inclinations were very much the same after the war!!
Many of the Germans went into hiding by mixing with us and trying to prepare a place of refuge for themselves. Richard Thalman, they were after him soon enough and just the same got him near the end.
When transports were assembled now the personal roll calls ceased, no more time for that, that is what we had waited for our time was coming.....................
The Russian guard went first, voluntarily, with the idea to jump their guard in unison, on one signal, they did just that successfully and got away with it. At such close range, there was no way the guards could take evasive action and shoot all of us. To accomplish such action you had to have the right people with you which I had realized all along. They offset some death transports which received the worst of it!
Instead of seeing it out with us, Wing Commander Yeo Thomas, rushed ahead which nearly cost him his life. Later on he was picked up by an American advanced column from the many dead and dying..
The camp commandent was begging us to get out - promising nice carriages, food etc. Now we could smile a bit at last!
We knew we had to refuse and stand up but not before they tried to make a last attempt to get us out with all the force they had left!
Suddenly, on the loud speakers we heard a croaking voice speaking quickly and saying, Schnell!!! Schnell!!! All to the assembly place all blocks out. This was seven days before the eleventh of April, 1945.
No more food had come and we knew the Americans were not far off, the 8th army but not near enough yet. Old S.S. now came storming down from the tower, their pistols in their hands, shooting wildly around them.
They were screaming, Jews first and anybody who was too slow or anybody who ran back down to hide was shot at; so we had to walk very slowly up to the hated square. Their forces were very much diminished now and that was the last show which was spread out to the most dangerous proportions.
Together with Antonio, we carried his Dad out between us. We were trailing along a bit too long for our own good with the old man. He told us to let him go! Regardless, we insisted on taking him out. Now and then I glanced at the murdering going on!
Eventually, we joined the ranks to be counted for the last time!!!!
To be continued
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