´óÏó´«Ã½

This etching was given to me by my Belfast-born neighbour. It was made by a German soldier called Oberhaus, who fought at Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in southwestern Russia. It took place between 17 July 1942 and 2 February 1943, and is often cited as one of the turning points of the war. The German offensive to take Stalingrad, the battle inside the city and the Soviet counter-offensive was the first substantial German land defeat of the war. It was amongst the bloodiest in the history of warfare, with casualties numbering nearly two million.

The German soldier gave the etching to my neighbour while she was living in South Africa and this is one of many objects she had in her collection after a fascinating life. As a young woman she climbed the Matterhorn and she even had a go at flying a WW2 aeroplane - solo. She now lives in County Down.

Contributed by Corwen Rogers.