大象传媒

It was the evening of the 8th May 1945. The cessation of hostilities was due to come into force at 00.01 hours the following day (in effect from midnight that very night). All the airmen, who were off duty, assembled outside the Hitler Youth hostel. Here we built a huge bonfire and we sat around drinking beer. The on-duty wireless operator sat just outside the W/T truck in an armchair, which had been "organized" from the Gasthaus. With a Sten gun at his side he was doubling up as a picket as well as maintaining a radio watch.

A few minutes before the very moment of the cease-fire, the festive atmosphere was shattered by a burst of gunfire. What appeared to be a hostile attack caused us to scatter and dash for cover in the hostel. Airmen appeared at the doors and windows armed with their personal weapons at the ready.

In that tense moment our flight sergeant shouted the order for everyone to stand down. There had been an unfortunate accident. The wireless operator cum armchair sentry had spotted a movement in the woods. He had therefore made the necessary challenge. At that time, a curfew had been in operation. There being no response to the challenge, he had opened fire only to discover that the target was a friendly one. It was Jock, the W/T corporal. Several rounds had been let off, but luckily only one bullet had found its target. Yet that was serious enough because Jock had been hit in the chest just below the right nipple. The celebrations were abandoned. Jock immediately placed on a stretcher and loaded into the back of the Fordson. A party of four airmen led by our CO, Joe Forrester, started the journey to the nearest military hospital.

Our destination was the nearby military hospital, which happened to be located alongside one of Hitler's notorious baby-farms. Set up by the Nazis, these were maternity homes for those selected "Aryan" women expecting babies by SS men. At that time this one was still operating to meet the needs of those women already admitted.

Our driver, seeing the red crosses marking the entrance to the maternity unit, turned off the road before reaching the reception area of the military hospital. Unaware that we were in the wrong place, we took Jock out of the Fordson and carried him on the stretcher into the maternity unit, very much to the surprise of the sister on duty. However she rose to the occasion. I accompanied another nurse sent to fetch the duty doctor from his quarters on the main road. An escort was necessary because the curfew was still in force.

The German doctor's examination revealed a nasty exit wound below Jock's shoulder blade and the doctor advised that he be taken to the proper military hospital where the facilities would be better. So Jock was placed on a hospital trolley and five of us, together with the German nurse, wheeled Jock the hundred yards or so to our military hospital. Here treatment was immediately available. Jock was whisked away on the trolley while we all waited outside the treatment room to hear the outcome.

Eventually, an RAMC captain and QARANC lieutenant came out to say that Jock was comfortable. We were told that there were always risks with chest wounds but apart from the lung injury, no other vital part appeared to have been damaged. At this point the German nurse said to me, "Tommy, ich muss den Wagen zur眉ckbringen." (I have to take the trolley back).

She was naturally concerned about her equipment that had vanished into the treatment room. I translated this request to the British sister, the lieutenant of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. Her reaction was quite unexpected. She stormed away to fetch the trolley. Returning at great speed she shoved it towards her German colleague. For a few moments, the two women stood facing each other, their faces blanched and their lips tight-pressed. I grabbed the troublesome trolley and I wheeled it away, with the smouldering German nurse walking at my side. Back at the maternity unit, I did my best to repair the situation, telling the nurse how grateful we were and asking her to pass our thanks to the Herr Doktor, whose night's sleep had been so disturbed.

I was never to know the reason for that display of hostility. As far I know the non-fraternization rule had not then been implemented. In any event it was one that was always more honoured in the breach than in the observance. Some thirty years earlier, in 1915, another nurse had said, "I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone."

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