European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Well, the question of desertion was obviously discussed between all the people who were active as anti-fascists.
Well, the question of desertion was obviously discussed between all the people who were active as anti-fascists.
Also, die Frage der Desertation wurde natürlich diskutiert, unter allen Leuten die als Antifaschisten tätig waren. -
Only in Africa there was no front which’s lines could have been passed.
Only in Africa there was no front which’s lines could have been passed.
Nur in Afrika gab es keine Front, die man wechseln konnte. -
In Africa warfare was mobile.
In Africa warfare was mobile.
In Afrika war Bewegungskrieg. -
You could only change fronts if a unit was enclosed by the English.
You could only change fronts if a unit was enclosed by the English.
Da konnte man die Fronten nur wechseln, wenn bei einer Einheit die von den Tommies, von den Engländer eingeschlossen wurde. -
Then it was possible to say: “I would like to run over”. Or to say: “I’ll run away”, then you avoided captivity.
Then it was possible to say: “I would like to run over”. Or to say: “I’ll run away”, then you avoided captivity.
Da war es möglich zu sagen, ich möchte übergehen usw., ich sage, seile mich ab dann war man die Gefangenschaft los, das ging also auch. -
When I came to Poland and Russia, that did not work because,
When I came to Poland and Russia, that did not work because,
Als ich dann nach Polen und nach Russland kam ging das nicht, -
as a radio operator, you were too far away from the front.
as a radio operator, you were too far away from the front.
denn als Funker war man viel zu weit weg von der Front. -
As a radio operator you are relatively far behind where the general staff sits.
As a radio operator you are relatively far behind where the general staff sits.
Als Funker ist man ja, wenn man nicht Heeresfunker ist, wenn man nicht in Frontnähe ist, sondern man ist relativ weit hinten wo die Generalstäbe sitzen -
And they sit 50 to 60 km behind the front.
And they sit 50 to 60 km behind the front.
und die sitzen ja 50 Km/h bis 60 Km/h hinter der Front, wenn es nicht ein Diversionsstab ist. -
Most of the time I was with the army, at the higher posts.
Most of the time I was with the army, at the higher posts.
Aber ich war ja meistens bei der Armee, Armeekorps, also bei diesen hohen Stellen. -
We were away from the front, so it did not work there, but the opportunity had to be taken.
We were away from the front, so it did not work there, but the opportunity had to be taken.
Wir waren weg von der Front, also da ging das nicht, aber die Möglichkeit war wahrzunehmen. -
I would have done so like many others if the option had occurred.
I would have done so like many others if the option had occurred.
Das hätte ich gemacht, viele andere auch wenn die Möglichkeit gegeben wäre -
Using codes
Using codes
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In the summer of 1938, before the Nazis marched in,
In the summer of 1938, before the Nazis marched in,
Wir hatten schon im Sommer 1938, also vor dem Einmarsch der Nazis abgesprochen, -
we agreed that we not only want to keep in touch,
we agreed that we not only want to keep in touch,
dass wir nicht nur in Verbindung bleiben, -
but we wanted to develop a secure code in which we were able to correspond politically.
but we wanted to develop a secure code in which we were able to correspond politically.
sondern dass wir auch eine Geheimschrift uns erarbeiten. Einen sicheren Code mit dem wir uns auch politisch, nicht nur allgemein und menschlich verständigen konnten. -
It was a cipher which the Gestapo was not able to figure out until the end:
It was a cipher which the Gestapo was not able to figure out until the end:
Das war eine Geheimschrift, die von der Gestapo bis zum Schluss nicht entschlüsselt wurde. -
A very shifty system, the so called „two-box-system“.
A very shifty system, the so called „two-box-system“.
Ein sehr raffiniertes System, das sogenannte „Zwei-Kastensystem“. -
When a cipher was found, you only needed to press out the sender and the addressee to find out more.
When a cipher was found, you only needed to press out the sender and the addressee to find out more.
Das allgemein bekannt ist, aber da konnte man immer noch sehen das es eine Geheimschrift ist. Wenn so etwas entdeckt wurde, brauchte man natürlich nur den Absender und den Empfänger zu erpressen um mehr heraus zu bekommen, -
That was why the code had to be masked again – that was my idea.
That was why the code had to be masked again – that was my idea.
deshalb musste also der Code noch mal verdeckt werden, das war meine Idee.