大象传媒

This story was submitted by the people's war website by a volunteer from the Peabody Trust on behalf of Gerard McCauley and has been added to the site with his/her permission. Gerard McCauley fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

DATE: September 1945

Once the war finished I was called into the army and travelled to Greece.
Two months prior to entering the army I had sadly lost two brothers. One in the air force and one in the Navy and it was a traumatic experience for me.
During Christmas later that year I had a letter from my sister telling me that our mother was having a Christmas dinner and she had invited (guess what?) Eight German prisoners of war! As you can imagine I was inwardly outraged. Three months later when I returned to the UK on leave from the forces (army) I spoke to my mother and enquired that if her Christmas was enjoyable; however I understood that she had invited some Germans.
You can realise my frustration and bitterness; then for my mother to invite these Germans to our house. I said to my mother 鈥淚s it true that you invited these Germans?鈥� I kept my voice controlled. She looked at me and said: 鈥測ou must remember these were some poor German mothers鈥� sons.
I was speechless鈥�.

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