大象传媒

This story was submitted with permission of the author, Bert Sergeant, on behalf of of Age Concern Durham County.

I was a vehicle mechanic in the York and Lanch in charge of lister generators in Sheffield, London, Derby and Bristol. In the London blitz a bomb dropped and broke the main water main, flooding an underground air raid shelter. 2 women and 3 children were drowned in the panic. Later went with BLA to France, Belgium, Germany. Saw German Luftwaffe shooting refugees from Belgium. We shot at them with .37 anti aircraft guns and destroyed quite a number and drove them off. Later finished in Germany at BAOR.Non fratin stationed Lunen near Munster.Concert at Munster, most members were taken in trucks, I was on duty and could not go.Cook came to me and said 'What shall i do with all this', I said 'What is all this?' He said 'I have made supper for everyone and they have all gone to Munster.' I rang the duty captain and asked what to do with the food. He said 'Get rid of it and dont waste it' I said 'But what shall i do with it' he said 'you've had your orders' and put the phone down. A young boy named Hans always looking for food or coffee. I told the cook to give him supper and then i said 'Hans, bring me a groot teller'(a big plate) he brought a small one, i said 'neun Hans, a groot teller.' The cook gave him supper and some to take home.I said 'Hans bring me alles Kinde'(all the children) at the end of the line were four girls about 13 or 14 i said 'anyone speak english?' one said 'I can' i said 'go into the kitchen you'll have a good supper, just clean the kitchen, no-one will hurt you and you will have a big plate to take home.'Next morning as i went through the village as i passed German men or women they all said morgen solder. At the end of the street i saw a bottle of beer on the doorstep with a note behind it that said 'for the englande solderien' the captain never asked me what i had done with the food, but he must have known.It altered the feeling of the people in town, we were no longer oppressors, but friends.In February 1946 i was demobbed and returned to England.

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