大象传媒

This story is about my fathers family and begins after my Grandfather, Walter Vellender survived the trenches during the WW1, (something he would seldom discuss). After demob he spent a lot of time working with as a groom working with polo ponies across Europe.
On one of these trips he met and married my Grandmother who was the eldest of nine and came from Konigsberg in what was then East Prussia. They settled down in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire and became parents to three children one being my father who was born in 1930. They then moved in the early thirties to Woodlands St Mary, in Berkshire
Rex Walter Vellender, my dad, recalls long trips to visit his grand parents in Konigsberg during the 30's and having to perform the Nazi salute as spectators at before soccer matches.
With the onset of war Grandfather joined the homeguard who were led by the local vicar and Grandmother joined the red cross as a nurse and worked at Membury Airfield from where members of the U.S.101st left for Normandy. Dad tells of the rows and rows of tents being there one day and gone the next.
During this period the family had little or no contact with the family in Germany, and grandmother would receive red cross letters informing her of the deaths of three of her brothers, who were killed on active service as conscripts. One of these I know was killed during the invasion of France and the other two on the Russian front.
The family were displaced after the war to escape the Russians and the family farm was never regained.
Visits to Germany resumed afetr the war and Dad spent most of his national Service in Germany.
Dad says the family farm ended up in the east Zone and was farmed by russians. I am curious as to wether we have rights to claim our land back after the re-unification .
From time to time we visit germany and see the surviving aunts and uncles but I am yet to go to Prussia to see where my ancestors come from.
It must have been very difficult fir my grandmother to live in one country that was waging a war against your own and to receive letters telling her of family tragedies. I am surprised that she was not interned for the period of the war and I am sure other villagers must have considered her as a spy or been very suspicious of a german in their community

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