European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

We had made sure of no others joining us.

That was important - even there.

The training: We did not have a pass. Later on, in Belgium, we did.

There was always a corporal walking along with us (with 3 or 5 men)

who had to make sure that no one started to talk to other people.

But, in Belgium – as we were not the first ones there –

they knew that in this punishment battalion 999 there were many political prisoners.

That was known.

After that we went to France and to Italy, as well.

Military service, murder of a bible scholar

I had already been mustered in Aschendorfer Moor.

There we got an army exclusion certificate; we were unworthy for the army.

Convicts and political prisoners were all unworthy for the army.

In 1941/42 we were mustered again,

due to the massive losses at the eastern front.

They needed human material now.

There may have been a decree of the ‘Fuehrer’– so we were called up.

Erwin, a collegue also working in my company,

built climbing irons. He was a toolmaker and able to do things like that.

I organized a rope, and we made this trip.