European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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And characteristic for this time was that we had a teacher who was a real bully.
And characteristic for this time was that we had a teacher who was a real bully.
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When the lesson was about to start, first two or three pupils were given a good thrashing, with the cane.
When the lesson was about to start, first two or three pupils were given a good thrashing, with the cane.
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Maybe another thing: I was malnourished and was given 'Quaker feeding'.
Maybe another thing: I was malnourished and was given 'Quaker feeding'.
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That was from the United States, from the Quaker association
That was from the United States, from the Quaker association
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and there I got half a litre of milk soup and a bread roll.
and there I got half a litre of milk soup and a bread roll.
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You have to see that this was 1920/21, where a lot of problems occurred in this post-war period.
You have to see that this was 1920/21, where a lot of problems occurred in this post-war period.
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Post war period – deserting the army
Post war period – deserting the army
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They wanted to keep me in the army when the war ended.
They wanted to keep me in the army when the war ended.
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I had some sort of Partisan rank,
I had some sort of Partisan rank,
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something like second lieutenant, but I had no intention of building a military career.
something like second lieutenant, but I had no intention of building a military career.
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I deserted the army in September 1945.
I deserted the army in September 1945.
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I wanted to study and I believed that I fought for that too, for my own personal freedom, for the right to decide for myself what I would do.
I wanted to study and I believed that I fought for that too, for my own personal freedom, for the right to decide for myself what I would do.
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I didn’t want anybody else deciding for me.
I didn’t want anybody else deciding for me.
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I wanted to study Slovene; as I had never attended Slovene schools, my knowledge of the language was deficient, and I was a poet.
I wanted to study Slovene; as I had never attended Slovene schools, my knowledge of the language was deficient, and I was a poet.
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That was all just retold rather harshly, but they understood. There were no charges brought against me.
That was all just retold rather harshly, but they understood. There were no charges brought against me.
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I had deserted in September and it was December before I received my certificate of discharge.
I had deserted in September and it was December before I received my certificate of discharge.
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For three months I had been de facto, and I might very well have been charged with desertion before a military court.
For three months I had been de facto, and I might very well have been charged with desertion before a military court.
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It was another of my crazy maneuvers that had simply worked out well.
It was another of my crazy maneuvers that had simply worked out well.
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They had understood this powerful desire of mine to study
They had understood this powerful desire of mine to study
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and they turned a blind eye towards the fact that I had broken the law, that I had deserted the unit without anyone’s permission.
and they turned a blind eye towards the fact that I had broken the law, that I had deserted the unit without anyone’s permission.