"Evil British Bastards"
Today, an elderly German lady came to visit one of my patients. The patient wasn't up for conversation (better living through sedation), so I ended up chatting with the charming alte frau (old woman in pidgin German), which turned into her holding me spellbound while she told WWII stories.
Her father was an engineer who travelled throughout Europe as "a consultant for the construction of large bridges". He had worked extensively in England, Holland and Russia in the years leading up to the War. He took his wife and young daughter with him, all of them learning Russian, Dutch, and English. While in Russia, a Englishman became a very close friend of the family, hosting them often in his home during their trips to England, and visiting them in Germany. When war broke out, her father was commissioned in the German army, but fell under suspicion when a letter from the Englishman was brought to a superior's attention. He was imprisoned for over two years, and after his release, was sent to the Russian front where he died.
During the fall of the Third Reich, Alte Frau and her mother lost two homes to bombs, and she told me, "We were amazingly fortunate to be found by American soldiers, and not the Russians. The Russians were like demons who raped or killed every German they found". Alte Frau's mother worked as a cook in an American officers's mess, which provided them some security, and ample access to food. "But when the Americans turned our area over to the British, my mother said it was the first time she'd wished Hitler had won. The Evil British Bastards cut back on the rations for the Army prisoners, and then they quit feeding the people."
Alte Frau went on to recount a story of a group of British soldiers burning a large supply of ripe vegetables instead of feeding them to the Germans, brutal beatings and rapes, and all manner of acts perpetrated by British soldiers against the German citizens (not soldiers) under their guard. These stories may have been isolated incidents, and they may not even be true, but I found Alte Frau's stories, and her different perspective, fascinating.
My generation was raised to think of the Germans as twisted nutjobs, and of the Brits as our friends and (along side the G.I. Joes) the true heroes of WWII. From the Germans that I've gotten to know, the first part seems to be true, so, I'm guessing the second part probably is, as well. Still, I loved listening to "the Tales of Alte Frau", and I hope to hear more.
Today, an elderly German lady came to visit one of my patients. The patient wasn't up for conversation (better living through sedation), so I ended up chatting with the charming alte frau (old woman in pidgin German), which turned into her holding me spellbound while she told WWII stories.
Her father was an engineer who travelled throughout Europe as "a consultant for the construction of large bridges". He had worked extensively in England, Holland and Russia in the years leading up to the War. He took his wife and young daughter with him, all of them learning Russian, Dutch, and English. While in Russia, a Englishman became a very close friend of the family, hosting them often in his home during their trips to England, and visiting them in Germany. When war broke out, her father was commissioned in the German army, but fell under suspicion when a letter from the Englishman was brought to a superior's attention. He was imprisoned for over two years, and after his release, was sent to the Russian front where he died.
During the fall of the Third Reich, Alte Frau and her mother lost two homes to bombs, and she told me, "We were amazingly fortunate to be found by American soldiers, and not the Russians. The Russians were like demons who raped or killed every German they found". Alte Frau's mother worked as a cook in an American officers's mess, which provided them some security, and ample access to food. "But when the Americans turned our area over to the British, my mother said it was the first time she'd wished Hitler had won. The Evil British Bastards cut back on the rations for the Army prisoners, and then they quit feeding the people."
Alte Frau went on to recount a story of a group of British soldiers burning a large supply of ripe vegetables instead of feeding them to the Germans, brutal beatings and rapes, and all manner of acts perpetrated by British soldiers against the German citizens (not soldiers) under their guard. These stories may have been isolated incidents, and they may not even be true, but I found Alte Frau's stories, and her different perspective, fascinating.
My generation was raised to think of the Germans as twisted nutjobs, and of the Brits as our friends and (along side the G.I. Joes) the true heroes of WWII. From the Germans that I've gotten to know, the first part seems to be true, so, I'm guessing the second part probably is, as well. Still, I loved listening to "the Tales of Alte Frau", and I hope to hear more.
posted by Paul at 12/13/2004 08:16:00 PM
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