European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

But the conscription ...

We had to report, somewhere here in Kreuzberg.

Another man and I were deferred.

We got the order to take the train to Heuberg the next day or the day after.

We just were two overdue ones, spare ones, who went there on that day.

I got to know Otto Linke’s wife then, as well.

Before he had been in the SAP (socialistic labour party), and so we quickly got in contact with each other.

So we went to Heuberg, that training camp in Wuerttemberg.

Something else that you can never really forget:

In the crew shack was also a bible student.

He refused to take a weapon.

One evening you sat together with him, during the night he was sentenced to death.

The next day, the company had to muster

and then watch, as he was murdered at the stake.

“That will happen to you, as well,” said the chief of the company

“if you don’t do as you are told.”

Gestapo-interrogation, release, support

In January 1940 I was taken on a transport.

I was not released.

During the war it was standard practice that many would not be released.