- Contributed by听
- Leicester Reference Library
- People in story:听
- A.E. Grogan
- Location of story:听
- Crete
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A2453942
- Contributed on:听
- 23 March 2004
"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Anne Squires of Leicester City Reference and Information Library on behalf of Mr A.E. Grogan and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
In 1934 at school to improve my German, I was given a pen friend - Hans M眉ller from Stuttgart. He wrote in English, I replied in German. When we left our respective schools we lost touch.
In World War II, I was in the battle of Crete (May 1941). Having blown our heavy guns to pieces in the evacuation of Greece, I was on Crete as a "spare body". I was detailed to guard some paratroopers we had caught and tied to individual trees. They all spoke perfect English, and incredibly one of them was Hans M眉ller.
I tried to contact him after the war through the Red Cross at Stuttgart, but was told it was impossible as "M眉ller" was a common German name like our Smith, Brown or Jones.
It was an amazing coincidence and I always regret that I was never able to subsequently re-establish contact, but it wasn't to be.
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