European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

They walked back and forth outside, with big guns slung over their shoulders.

Before we left we had grabbed a small bag of things. I had the mess tin we used to eat in.

I asked the German if I could go to the fountain in the station. We had not drunk any water for two days.

I probably wasn’t thinking about escaping. I was just really thirsty and desperate.

The German said “Ja, ja, ja”. I got off the train and headed towards the fountain.

The German joined another soldier further away and started eating a peace of watermelon with him.

I threw away the tin and started to run as fast as I could. I was skinny then and 23 years old.

The soldier took out his gun and started shooting at me.

But, when I started running, a friend of mine tried to come along.

He was hit in the thigh and fell over the tracks.

The number on the arm

Often the children ask me why I don’t have the number removed.

I tell them, I could have it removed, but I won’t.

It was done by the Nazis, the people working for the Nazis.

We weren’t called by our names but by a number that we had to learn to say in German.

It doesn’t bother me to have it on the arm. I don’t carry it around for advertisement. It’s just reality, that’s all.

Distinguishing between Germans and Nazis

We tried to go undercover as much as possible during the German occupation,

even though I was not totally undercover. I still lived with my parents.

We thought about how we could distribute our leaflets.