Day 111 - Goethe Quote about Hope!

"I have about 10 more blogs/pages to complete from my Dad's war experiences.  My Dad, simply named his last chapter, 
 - "Conclusion"!

I began my Dad's memoir/blog talking about Goethe, the great German philosopher, who it is said, spent a lot of time sitting by a tree in what eventually became Buchenwald.  This spot now seems to me, a good place to put this quote:   

Those who hope for no other life are dead even for this.
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE, Conversations with Goethe

Day 110 - Self-Imposed Amnesia!

I believe it is likely that people with the same type of  background and ideals would have been naturally attracted to each other and would have been looking out for similar beings!!"After the war, like myself, George and Daniel both went their own way to fight again for their existence"!

It seemed to me, that after their war experiences they both operated with a self-imposed state of amnesia.  Mostly, as a cover because few people would be able to understand or comprehend their plight and inner conflict. 

My opinion is, even if it has to take a lifetime to accomplish, one has to find the strength to overcome and persevere with ever changing world values!  Now, more and more,  I think I understand!  Gradually, everything is fitting together for me, like in a puzzle!  

During the war, people like my sponsors,  formed an integral chain  in trying to keep the Last Empire together by participating in patriotic actions.  Whether achieved secretly or officially or within the confines of the concentration camps themselves - it made no difference!  Each contribution was just as effective and contributed to the whole. 

So, it was thus, we were all used, because we had something to give and the strength, faith and stability to fulfill things.........

My memoir, "To Each his Own",  is a tribute to the vindication of all survivors and an honorable memory to all absent brethren alike, who I hope, have not departed in vain........................

To be continued

Day 109 - Belgian Friends Reunited!

"I went back to ordinary living and fighting and competing for my everyday existence. I didn't accept any charity, I only accepted my lawful rights and earnings.  My status was recognized by Counter Intelligence and government departments.  

I passed the Commission, with flying colors and received, from the Prince Regent Albert, "The Distinguished Cross for Political Prisoners, with four stars.  Madame DeNile and Mister Van Alderwerelt eventually received recognition as well.  I saw both of them quite often as well as Antonio, who's family were well established in Brussels.

Daniel returned six months later, liberated at Gross-Strelitz by the Russians.  Daniel never received recognition as a political prisoner but that is entirely his own fault!  I tried my best to help him but when he had to face, "The Commission of Inquiry", he ran away!   Of course, there is a lot about this I do not understand but let bygones be bygones! 

George was, "another cup of tea", after many cumbersome adventures, he managed to get to England via Germany, Finland and Sweden.  Unlike us, his voyage by transport, was quite different.  He was bombed out of a wagon somewhere in Northern Germany but than made it to Hamburg by hitching lifts.

His papers had been burnt so he made himself out to be a, "Free Worker", which was voluntary, so, in this way, he was able to keep going until he found a suitable cargo ship that needed a deckhand.  From there he made it to Finland and then up to Uppsala, Sweden to load magnetic  ore.

Whilst there, it was "short work", to make himself scarce until it was time to sail with the supply barges.  He hid in the hold until his ship was out of sight.  He sailed to Stockholm, where he worked for the embassies on their "listening in" service and so on to England in one of those light, mosquito planes.  George came back home with, "The Invasion", but just seemed to want to forget!!!!

As in Daniel's case, I did all the groundwork for George in relation to convincing him and others of his  genuine, legal status as far as receiving official recognition for his war effort.  However, neither George nor Daniel pursued it and consequently, did not receive  any official recognition!  It is beyond me to understand .............!

To be continued ...  

Day 108 - Health aftermath - concentration camps!

"We now found temporary accommodation with my Aunt Helen such was her genuine hospitality until we found our own way about!  Antonio stayed on at my Aunt's house until his Dad and the others arrived from Buchenwald which was about a month after our arrival in Brussels.

Antonio's family had a wonderful reception, we couldn't get anywhere near them, the party was tremendous.  It happened on the old Town Square in front of the Town Hall.  My parents were informed, after my aunt had made me a bit more respectable to look at!.  Also, my grandmother was one of the family party and so our family reunion was complete in the best of traditions.  

My grandmother had been sure all along that I would survive and return to them all, how right she was.  In the meantime, my little brother had grown to a decent size.  After the party I stayed on in Brussels to arrange some of my affairs before moving on to the fresh salty air of the seaside.

We were very thin and emaciated, so the order of the day was be careful with food and our general condition! My English cousin who was in the Intelligence Corp (MI5 or 6!!) - he visited me in Ostend and didn't think I was going to make it to survive even at that point!  My grandmother's breed thought differently, being tough and strong and having a survivor mentality!

At this time, I was in the process of being rehabilitated and had to build up my body again to an acceptable level of health - it turned out I had a lot of false fat and water in my body that I had to get rid of  before becoming "normal" again!

The first week back in Ostend, I developed a very dangerous boil on the back of my neck, where I had been stabbed on that scary night in Block 52 at Buchenwald!!!!It was sheer agony and there was nothing anybody could do about it, it suddenly went after a week.

My ankle would give me trouble for a further five years until all the toxins had come out.  To my consternation it would bleed profusely, especially in the summer months.  My stomach would never rectify itself no matter how many doctors I consulted with!

I learned to live with what had become a very thin stomach lining with strong acids - my stomach gave me a good deal of discomfort for the rest of my life but I learned to cope with it!  My hand sometimes reacted to the weather but I was able to get on fairly comfortable with most things!

To be continued .....

Day 107 - Finally, back in Brussels, Belgium!

"Soon we reached the old Rhine River which we crossed on a pontoon bridge which had been built very quickly!   From there, we caught a train to Luxembourg which would place us right back in Belgium territory.  


We were now in Arlon and on our way back to Brussels.  From this point on, we were provided with plenty of good food, fresh fruit, vegetables and drinks.   We were refugees so were cleared by security as soon as possible - all of us with the inherent problems that go with being  a refugee!


At this point, a tall woman began airing her patriotic feelings  -  stating what we should do to the Boche.  In the first place, I do not like that name and secondly, calling all alike people after this infamous mass murderer is wrong!  Lastly, I do not believe we will go very far if we adopt such an attitude - if we do it will be proof that we haven't learned very much from all this!


A lot of people were now waiting around in hope and, more often than not in vain, for their loved ones to come back.  Revenge wouldn't bring them back either, but hope may do it - in a firm belief of a better world!


When arriving back home, some fanatics were still  dressed in their S.S. uniforms - which hurt to hear of such a thing - their little souls had been so badly indoctrinated that they couldn't change.  The maddened crowd would either lynch, drown them, or in some cases chop their heads off before the law could stop them.


We arrived in Brussels and our arrival back went unnoticed by all - nobody had expected us back like this!  A reception party has to be prepared in order to be successful!  In the first place, we were quite happy to be back - that was more important than anything else!


To be continued ..

Day 106 - All Roads lead to Belgium!

"After we had completed our report Elmer told us that we could now return to Buchenwald.  He knew that we would not return!  There is a saying, "All Roads Lead to Rome", well in our case now,   "All Roads led to Belgium".


From a convenient view point, Elmer must have watched and observed us going the other way instead of towards Buchenwald.  That was the last we saw of him and him of us!


We went straight to Erfurt and Eisenach instead of Lower Franconia.  We got rides on all sort of odd transports including an empty tank carrier which shook us up and day and always -  especially when traversing fields and at the same time trying to avoid bomb craters and pockets in the roads.


In the process, we eventually picked up two British Prisoners of War -  armed with a pistol.  Later, we picked up a sharp, thin fellow who seem to me to be disguised.  He was dressed as a Belgian,  wearing a beret -  like the ones seen in British films. 


The beret had the Belgian colors sewn into but we do not wear berets in the way he did!  "With my first cross questioning he fell into the bag completely", !!!??  he confessed to me that he could not deceive me and he was indeed - not a Belgian!


Furthermore, he was too perfectly supplied, he had with him a small, carefully prepared rat pack, which he gladly shared among us.  We eventually passed him over to an American Commandent bivouaced along the road.


Soon enough he had talked himself out of that one!!and the last we saw of him he was walking stealthily away across the fields.  He could have been a Nazi like Eichman!


Along the way we came across a huge, Texas Ranger with a big cigar in his mouth.  He was gesticulating wildly and directing all wagons and vehicles into a parking lot in a field.  By this time,  the oddest thing we had travelled by was a fire engine!  The fire engine carried quite a lot of us!


We were now at a crossroads.  We took the road for Frankfurt which had been heavily bombed and was now enveloped in ruins!  Just walls and chimneys were left standing upright.  The inhabitants probably asking themselves whether it had all been worthwhile.


To be continued .... 













along the road

Day 105 - Eisleben - Martin Luther's birthplace!

"Elmer now took us to Eisleben, which is where Martin Luther was born.  Sporadic fighting was still going on around us, pockets of resistors were holding out and we could hear the distant thuds -   Elmer kept running back and forward to those places.


He now took us to an old farm house on the outskirts of town.  A typical old Saxon place with an old aunt in it.  Her daughter and some of her other relatives lived there as well.  In confidence now, she told us that her daughter's husband was a Nazi official.  This lady was very stuck on the Nazi culture or niche, as she called it, and she came up with a lot of excuses to justify their position. Antonio and myself told her where to get off!!!


We didn't waste any more time on the old aunt and now got on with the job that we were there to do.  Elmer had brought a typewriter with him.  In confidence, the old aunt sometimes talked to us and gave up some of her supplies while we were busy working on the report.


We were in a very historical house and I would not  have been  surprised if  Martin Luther had visited the house in a past era.  The atmosphere was perfect for it, old musty furniture, chandeliers and Dresden china all over the place!"


To be continued ...