European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

When we arrived in the moor and got off, the constable,

who was accompanying us, said: “Poor boys.”

He knew what was going on in the moor.

We were then handed over to the SA.

It already started then – the yelling: “Face Left! Who steps out of line will be shot.”

Then we were taken there by a narrow-gauge railway.

We were newly clothed

and the quartermaster who was a SA man, too, asked: “Why are you here?”

I said: “Because of sports”.

“Well, then do 25 sweet ones.”

Those were 25 squats.

Well, I did them.

“And, did you do well?” I said: “I hope so, Mr. Officer.”

“Well, then do another lot.”

After that they took away our leather shoes and gave us wooden ones like those worn by the Dutchmen.

And then they plunked down foot rags for us and the wooden shoes.

“We have a nice sports ground here we would like to show you. There you can do sports.”

On the sports ground they chased us around.

Squats in a group, endurance run;