The Long Road Home

By David J. Toynton

This narrative unfolds the life of Ernst, a young German soldier during World War II, caught at the crossroads of duty and family loyalty, stretched between Germany and England. At nineteen, Ernst navigates the tumult of his own moral dilemmas against the backdrop of a war-torn landscape, accompanied by an officer who has vowed to see him safely home.

As we journey through the pages, we’re drawn into the visceral experiences of war-torn Germany. Nightly, as Ernst and his comrades traverse the roads under the cover of darkness, the ominous hum of bombers overhead is palpable, each man acutely aware that their loved ones are in the crosshairs. In the daybreak’s light, the crimson hue of their burning cities stains the horizon, a constant reminder of the devastation being wrought upon their homeland.

The story doesn’t shy away from the shared fear and terror that grips both German and American soldiers, delving into the harrowing plight of US troops captured and held as prisoners of war. Despite the hospital’s eerie quiet, indicating few casualties are being brought in, the war’s end in 1945 doesn’t immediately herald peace for Ernst and his comrades. It’s not until four years later that they can finally part ways.

Returning to a country he can call home, Ernst confronts the suspicion and distrust from those around him. It is during this turbulent time that he meets a young woman who helps to heal the bitterness of war. Together, they embark on a life filled with hope, leaving the shadows of the past behind as they step into a shared future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: May 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9781398447257

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Copyright Information ©

David J. Toynton 2024

The right of David J. Toynton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398447240 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398447257 (ePub e-book)

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First Published 2024

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They were making good time, not the maximum speed for the tank but good enough for the French country roads. When Ernst heard in his headset from the radio the order for the tank to stop and be recognised, the order was repeated but this time it came with the tank’s ID number ‘221’. Ernst stopped the Tiger as soon as he could and looked through the driver’s viewfinder; he saw a Panzer Mk III about 400m to his left with its gun pointing towards the Tiger. Over his headset, he heard his commander tell the loader to load a shell; what on earth can we do with just four rounds, he thought as he knew that this tank was not on its own and more were hidden in the trees around them.

Then he heard over the radio the commander of the Mk III repeat his order for them to identify themselves, all the time he was hearing their gun being loaded and locked, then the turret turned and the gunner was taking aim at the Mk III, but when he heard ‘FIRE’, Ernst jumped the clutch and the whole tank jumped to one side and the round missed its target (the Mk III in front of them).

Seconds later, Ernst felt a sharp clout to the back of his head and the Sergeant telling him that if he thought that he did that on purpose, he would shoot him where he sat. The captain then shouted down to get the tank out of here, Ernst put the tank into reverse and moved away just in time to see bright flashes of light through the view finder. Ernst stopped the tank and it was hit many times, the captain ordered the loader and gunner to fire the gun twice once more and through his viewfinder Ernst saw two Mk IIIs burning and men running around outside. He thought that he must stop these madmen from getting the Tiger so he drove the tank into the middle of the field and stopped, now they are being hit from all sides.

Over his headset he heard the panic from his other crew members, the gunner loads his last round but does not who to fire it at. Ernst felt a strike in the rear of the tank and he lost all control of the steering. We’ve lost a track, he thought then another hit in the engine bay followed by a second and it was all over, some of the dials on the dashboard go out and some indicate hot oil.

The radio operator sitting on the other side of the drive unit stood up and undid the hatch above him and went to climb out, but before Ernst could shout ‘NO!’ There was a hail of machinegun fire on the hull and he fell back dead covered in blood. Ernst heard the words you bastard and he felt a pain in the side of his head just as the whole front of the Tiger was lifted and equipment fell all over him.

The Sergeant and L/Corporal who were manning the main gun struggled to climb out but foolishly the Sergeant had his handgun still in his hand and there was a second burst of gunfire and both of them were killed. The captain, now thinking all his crew had been killed, stood up and raised his arms in surrender, voices in German told him climb down and Ernst on hearing this stood up and went to unlock the hatch above him but as he stood to climb out, he heard something fall down inside of tank. Grenade, he thought and before he could take cover, there was a flash of white light and he fell down, as he fell he hit his head on something hard and he passed out. Another grenade was thrown through the radio operator’s hatch and in the explosion, the blast dislodged the radio and main control panels and they fell down onto him trapping him in his seat.

The Tank Unit commander ordered a complete search of the tank and the prisoner and the bodies of the other crew. When the British captain was searched, he was dressed in British army uniform with his rank on his shirt but when taken from the tank, he was still wearing over his shirt the black Panzer jacket with the rank of Feldwebel. All the bodies of the other British crew members were wearing their own British army uniforms with their rank chevrons sewn onto their shirts. The soldiers doing the searching also found black Panzer jackets thrown into the storage bays in the turret.

The bodies were searched for weapons and any papers to see what was the planned route of the tank, they found Ernst still sat in the driver’s seat, the control panel lying across his right leg, they checked him and said that he was still alive.

Then get him out of there, came from a voice from above, it was the Hauptmann who was in command of the Regiment. They struggled to lift the control unit and then lifted him out, they placed him onto a lorry tailboard and the Hauptmann looked him over quickly.

‘I think he has broken his right leg, Herr Hauptmann, get him over to the aid station and let the Sani look him over.’

Captain Haydon, thinking that all his crew were dead, was marched away to be questioned by the German Panzer Regiment Commander. Although he was wearing his British uniform, he was caught still wearing the black tunic of a German tank commander, this would mean that he would be shot as a spy. In the meantime, the Commander would await the arrival of a special interrogation team from a nearby HQ. At the aid station, the Sani put a dressing over the wound on his head and a splint on his broken leg they recommend that he be taken to the field hospital in the local village.

At the hospital, the doctor examined Ernst and told his Sani to redress his splint and then take him over to a small room away from the injured. When the Hauptmann arrived to check on his men, he asked about the prisoner, he was directed to the small room across the hall, Ernst was lying on a cot still unconscious, his forehead covered by a dressing. His right boot had been removed and the leg of his uniform trousers had been cut or torn up to the knee, showing a makeshift splint on his lower leg. His jacket and belt had been removed and thrown onto a nearby cot.

A doctor was treating him and adjusting his bandages. An armed soldier was also in the room, as a precaution to guard the prisoner. The Hauptmann walked in and the soldier snapped to attention, When will the prisoner be able to speak? He asked.

Not for a long time yet, because of his injuries. He won’t be going far, his right leg is broken and his head injuries have caused some sort of blindness, explained the doctor.

How long will it be before I can question him? The officer asked.

He is still unconscious at the moment, did you know he had been shot in the back of his head, just a glancing wound not enough to kill him. He is a very lucky young man it could not have been one if us as it was at close range and his scalp and hair shows signs of burning.

But just as the officer was about to leave, the doctor told him, These British are getting better, not only are they wearing a good uniform but this one has an ID disc and a Soldbuch, so his tale will be worth listening to.

The officer turns on his heels, Where, show me! He demanded.

The doctor opens Ernst’s shirt to reveal his disc, as the officer reads the details on the disc the doctor goes over to Ernst’s black Panzer jacket lying on the cot nearby and removes his Soldbuch from the inside pocket and hands it to the officer. The officer examined the Soldbuch, inside was a piece of folded paper, on opening the paper he finds that it is a part written letter written on Red Cross paper, from the ‘British Red Cross’. At the back of the book was a photo of Ernst’s Mother and father; on the back of the photo were the words England 1937, may we be together soon.

There was a second photo of two German soldiers, one in the field grey uniform of the infantry, the second in the black uniform of the Tank Divisions. Written on the back of this photo were the words Together again, on leave in Berlin, June 1942. But added were the words Georg killed in Russia January 1943; I hope mama never knows.

This man is German; he is a German POW! The officer exclaimed, How come he is here firing on his own kamaraden? His Soldbuch said that he is a tank driver, trained in Poland with the 7th Regiment of 10th Panzer Division. They went out to North Africa, but the entries stop there, he must have been captured there. But why are the British sending our own men back to attack us? I want to know the moment he recovers, demanded the officer.

Yes, Herr Commander, replied the doctor.

The officer goes to leave the room, I shall take this book with me, and I want to check the details in here. As he goes to leave, he notices the holster on Ernst’s belt, Was there a pistol in here? He asked the Sani.

No, sir, we would never allow him in here with a weapon.

Right, said the Hauptmann, they must have taken it in the field when they were searched, I will check with the armaments officer.

The Hauptmann then goes to the medical office to radio his HQ and get to speak to the armaments section, he asked about weapons taken from the prisoners, he was told that they had taken a Webley pistol from the officer and three revolvers were taken from the bodies of the other British men. The Hauptmann then asked about the driver who was injured, he was then told of the surprise they all had, the P38 pistol was there with a spare clip but it was empty, nothing in the pistol and nothing in the spare clip, very strange. As the Hauptmann leaves the hospital and walks down the street of the village, he thinks that if that man was a prisoner of war the British would never have given him a weapon or at least one that was loaded.

In another building we find Captain Hayton, he was slumped in a wooden chair with his hands tied behind his back. His face is dirty, bruised and bloodied, he had been beaten up. By a shuttered window stood a thick-set man wiping his hands on a dirty white cloth. He had taken his uniform tunic off and was seen wearing a grey service shirt with the sleeves rolled up he is also wearing grey braces. Behind Haydon stands another man but he is still wearing his tunic, they both snap to attention when the officer enters the room.

Anything? He asked.

Nothing of importance, Herr Commander, replied the man by the window throwing the cloth on the floor. The officer goes over to Haydon whose face is swollen with the beating. Captain Haydon, I would like to know why Obergefreiter Ernst Weiss, a soldier of the Reich, was taken from a POW camp in England and brought to France to fire on his own countrymen.

What! Gasped the Sergeant who had been doing the interrogation.

Yes, it is true, and he is still alive, told the officer.

What are these British playing at? the Sergeant asked.

We shall see, now tell me Captain Haydon, I don’t want to wait until my friends here beat it out of you.

Captain Haydon shook his head, be sensible my friend, for you the war is over and you have been caught wearing the wrong uniform in the wrong place. As an officer you know the penalty for that is the firing squad. But I am sure that you don’t want to take Ernst Weiss with you. Come on, tell me? The officer shook Haydon by the shoulders and he passed out. When he comes around ask him again, but be careful, I want him to reach that firing squad safe and well, orders the officer.

Herr Commander, the Sergeant replied as the officer leaves the room. As the door closes the second man picks up a vase of dead flowers from a small table behind him and after throwing the flowers to the floor pours the water over Haydon, he sputters into consciousness.

Back at the field hospital Ernst recovers for a moment:

Nein! Nein! Ich kon’icht sieh! Mein augel! Mein augel!(No! No! I can’t see! My eyes! My eyes!)Ernst calls out.

His guard opened the door and called for the doctor, on returning he laid his rifle down on the other cot and goes to Ernst. Be still, you are OK, you are safe, and you’re in a field hospital, he comforted him.

The doctor entered the room, What happened?

He recovered for a moment sir, he spoke German, replied the startled guard.

He would do, he is German, he is 103/489 Obergefreiter Ernst Weiss of the 10th Panzer Division, reported lost and presumed captured or dead in North Africa over 9 months ago. This man is this soldier because of the details in his Soldbuch; we have even checked his blood group. The only question now is WHY, the doctor told him.

Ernst, I know you can hear me, answer me, I am a doctor. The doctor speaks slowly to Ernst and awaits his reply.

Yes, Herr Doctor, I can hear you.

The doctor continues, You head hurts because you have injured it, you cannot see because of the bandages. You have also broken your right leg so there’ll be no dancing in the bierkeller for a while, do you understand, Obergefreiter Weiss?

Jah Herr Doctor, he replied.

The doctor turns to the guard, quick get the Commander, he is the office, the guard picked up his rifle and ran out of the room.

Moments later the officer enters the room followed by the guard, Has he recovered? He asked.

Only a little bit, he is still weak and in shock, replied the doctor.

I only want to confirm a few questions, the officer said. Then go ahead but be careful, said the doctor.

The officer sitting on the edge of the cot starts his careful interrogation watched by the doctor and the soldier guarding Ernst.

Your name is Ernst Weiss; you are an Obergefreiter in Panzer Regiment 7, in the 10th Panzer Division?

Ernst’s answer was yes to this question.

The officer continued, you were taken prisoner on or around September last year in North Africa, other than that we have no background. Your Soldbuch said that your parents address is in England, they must be held in some sort of camp, retorted the officer.

They are, said Ernst, I met my father when I was in a prison camp in England, but they would not let me see my mother.

The swine, said the doctor who was listening.

Ernst continued, I am glad really; she would have asked about Georg—

Your brother that was killed in Russia, the officer interrupted, Ernst fell silent, the officer continued, it’s written on the back of the photograph in your Soldbuch.

After a brief moment Ernst continued, She would never understand his death so far from home.

So many mothers have lost so many sons in that war, said the officer.

But what were you doing in the Panzer Ernst? The Hauptmann asked.

Ernst answered, The British officer made me do it.

What, Captain Haydon? the officer asked.

No, replied Ernst, I think he was a Major or something, after my father had been to see me and before I could be taken back to my hut, he came to see me, he asked me about the Panzer VI the Tiger and the Panther. I told him I didn’t know anything, he told me not to lie as he knew all about me. He then showed me my Soldbuch and pointed out that I had trained on both Panzers, he knew all about me and then told me that if I ever wanted to see my parents again, I was to help them steal one of them. All I had to do was to drive the Panzer to the British lines after the invasion. If I was to back out after we got to France, there would always be someone behind me to put a bullet in the back of my head.

I cannot believe the British could stoop so low as to threaten one of our soldiers who had already surrendered to them, exclaimed the doctor.

They would if they really needed those Panzers, said the officer, So who was going to kill you if you didn’t drive the Panzer, he continued.

The Sergeant but he ran away when the Panzer was hit, replied Ernst. You don’t have to worry about him anymore, he’s dead, he ran away and was shot.

When did you meet this Captain Haydon? The officer enquired.

But the doctor intervened saying that he was very weak and that he must rest.

OK, said the officer, he turned to the soldier by the door and asked him his name, the soldier snaps to attention, Grenadier Blucher, Otto Blucher Sir, he replied.

Well, I want you to stay with him at all times and if he says anything inform the doctor immediately or write it down if you can, do you have a pencil?

Yes, Herr Hauptman, the officer walks out of the room, the doctor finishes adjusting the bandages around Ernst’s head and at the same time he told the soldier, He is to rest, let nobody into this room other than myself, the Sani and the Hauptman, do you understand?

Yes, Herr Doctor.

If he wakes up and is in pain, call for one of us, from the door; do not leave him unattended, do you understand?

Yes, Herr Doctor.

The doctor leaves the room and as the door closed the soldier looks around the room, and then sits on the cot next to where Ernst lays. He turns over the black tunic that still lays there to reveal the chevrons of an Obergefreiter and the Panzer Badge in Silver, below the chevrons was a cuff title from Africa and with the Panzer Badge is a black wound badge. This man is a hero and the British have no respect for a German hero. He turned to look at Ernst lying on the cot opposite him, his eyes covered in bandages and his right leg also bandaged and in a makeshift splint, he knew he was in pain because he also had been wounded and he remembered the pain he himself felt at the time.

He was brought back to reality when Ernst stirred and called out in pain, without thinking he laid his rifle down on the cot and went to his side. Like a fool, he thought later. He asked, Where does it hurt?

All over, replied Ernst.

My name is Otto, said the soldier, I am here to look after you.

Thank you, where do you come from?

Bonn, Otto replied. They said that from your Soldbuch, you come from England, are you English? He asked.

No, I am German like you, I was born in Berlin, my father and mother are teachers. In ’32 we all went to England, to Cambridge, but in 1937 when the Fuhrer asked for soldiers for the Army, my brother and I came home, my father said it was not his war and stayed in England, my mother stayed too.

So, you joined the Panzers, Otto interrupted, and your brother joined the infantry?

Yes, but he is dead now, Ernst continued, The army told me because I was his brother and his only family in Germany. He squirms in pain and Otto asked, If he is all right?

My leg hurts, it feels as if has been chopped off.

No, it is only broken, comforted Otto, I will get a Sani to have a look at it. He goes to the door and calls for the Sani, moments later a soldier in a white smock comes into the room; Otto told him that Ernst was in great pain. You’ve not been disturbing him have you, the doctor told you not to talk to him needlessly.

No, said Otto, I have only been comforting him; he has been telling me about his family in England.

Has he said anything of importance? The Sani asked.

No, replied Otto, He just said that his parents live in Cambridge.

Well, I doubt that they live there now, quipped the Sani; The British have camps for all the Germans that stayed behind.

But before Otto could object to the manner of the Sani, Ernst said quietly, It’s true, my father told me when we met. He said that when the war started the British police came to the flat where they lived and told them they were taking them to a place for their own safety. They were only allowed to take what they needed, my mother packed the family photographs and my father packed some clothes. He said they were taken to a bus; they were many German families on the bus. It took them to a big house in the country, where they were all told they would stay until the war was over. I asked him what he does there, he told me he works on a farm and my mother works in the kitchen at the house.

There’s a lot of difference between teaching and working on a farm, said the Sani.

Well, he looked OK when I saw him last, said Ernst.

Well, said the Sani, you rest and try not to think about them, they are safe and so are you, and I must get back to my other patients and you’re not the only one in this hospital.

My eyes? Ernst asked.

They are OK, replied the Sani, the doctor said that because of the injury to your head and face the shock has caused some sort of temporary blindness, but he said that your sight will return in two or three days, by then we will have the bandages off and will be able to check your other wounds. In the meantime, you must rest and get some sleep, and you, addressing Otto, No more talking to him, let him rest.

OK, replied Otto.

The Sani leaves the room and Otto returned to sit on the other cot, after a few minutes of silence Ernst calls out, Are you still there?

Yes, I am still here by your side, why?

I don’t want to be left alone, I want to talk to someone, said Ernst.

What shall we talk about? Otto asked.

Well, you know all about me, let’s talk about you, said Ernst. He lays flat on his back on the hard cot, staring upwards through his bandaged eyes towards the dirty white ceiling. Otto sat back on the cot beside him and holds his hand for comfort.

Well, he starts, I am 20 years old now and I joined the Army in 1939 when I was 18, my parents and girlfriend both live in Bonn, I write to them every week and I think of them always because of the bombings. I got three letters from them the other week, one from my girlfriend and two from my parents; they say they are fine, most of the news is always about the bombings, the broken windows and broken plates, nothing really important. My girlfriend, now she writes the most wonderful letters…

Well, when I met my father, interrupts Ernst, I had not seen him or my mother for nearly six years; I had never been able to write to them since the war started, and when he spoke of Georg, I think he knew that he was dead. I did not tell him, but I am sure he knew.

Did you go to see him or did he come to see you?

He came to see me at the camp; we met in a hut by the gate. There were British soldiers all around us and two policemen brought my father into the room. The Major said we could have a few minutes together, he left the room, but the soldiers and policemen stayed with us. I hugged him, then we sat down and talked across a table, it was just like being at school and him as the teacher again. But just as we got talking the Major returned and said that my father had to go, I said he had only been there a minute. The soldiers and policemen took him away, he turned as he went through the door and called, ‘Be safe, my son,’ those were the very last words I heard from him.

I broke down and cried, I sobbed into my hands, a man of my age and I cried. I had seen my best kamaraden killed by my side and I never wept one tear. When I heard of my brother Georg’s death in Russia, I was saddened but I never wept. But when my father walked out of that door it was like the end of the world, I would never see him or my mother again. I wept uncontrollably for a minute or two then the Major told me that I would see them again, but I had to do as I was told and what they wanted.

"Then he spoke about the Panzers, I said I knew nothing about them, he told me I was a liar and a fool and if I wanted to see my parents again, I was to answer truthfully, I said I didn’t understand. He said that they knew all about me and that is why they had found my father so quickly and was able to bring him to see me. He then showed me my Soldbuch and opened the pages to show me where I had done some training on the Panzers and that if I wanted to see my parents again, I was to help them.

If not, then I would be sent to another camp in the North or even Canada where it was a lot colder. If I helped them and got back to England I could stay and work with my parents. The Major said I would have plenty of time to think about it, and then he ordered the soldiers to take me out. But instead of returning to the camp, I was taken to a car and driven away, as we went out through the gate, I saw my father sat in another car with the two policemen. He did not see me leave; I am sure that if he had he would have been worried for me.

Where did they take you? Otto asked, but before Ernst could reply the door opened and the officer walks in. Otto snapped to attention.

I hear you have been chatting, this is good, he said.

I am sorry, Herr Hauptman, I know you said not to disturb him, but he wanted someone to talk to. We have only been talking about our families.

That is OK, now go to the office for a debrief with the Feldwebel.

Yes, Herr Hauptman, said Otto and he picks up his rifle and leaves the room.

As the door closes the officer sits on the edge of the cot, I knew you two would get on well together, you are about the same age, are you?

I think so, answers Ernst with caution.

I know so, replied the officer. How are you feeling now?

Sore.

You are very lucky to escape with such slight injuries. He picked up the black tunic from the other cot, this uniform, it is not yours, he asked.

No, I didn’t think so.

When you were in Africa, you must have worn a cotton one, yes?

Yes, but in England we wore a British one with a white ‘P’ on the back, just to say that we were prisoners.

What happened in North Africa at the end? The Hauptmann asked.

Well, my zug had just fought a small battle with the British and we were low on fuel and we had very few rounds left to fire. Our company commander ordered us back to an area to refuel and re-arm he gave us directions to the fuel trucks. My commander looked at the fuel dial and told me what fuel we had left and I thought we may never reach it, I called up to my commander to ask if we had any spare fuel tanks on board, he told me ‘No,’ when I told him the situation, he just said we can only do what we can.

"As we made our way, I could hear over the radio of other tanks in our company saying that they had run out of fuel and were abandoning their vehicles, then we heard the company commander telling them what to do to destroy their tanks. Then I heard from my own commander that the fuel trucks were just around the corner, then as we turned the corner I saw through my view finder two trucks and about a dozen men, I stopped the tank in front of the trucks, then turned off the engine, as I climbed out I looked at the fuel gauge and thought, we had just made it. When I climbed out, I saw there were only three of us there and one had only got as far as the bend in the road, then the bad news really came when my commander was told there was no fuel on the trucks."

Our zug commander had been killed or captured and we had no contact with our Company HQ. Then as we all stood by our tanks, the radio operator from one of the other tanks called his commander over, at which my commander went with him, when he came back, he told us to get ready to surrender to the British. Something I never expected to hear him say and he said that they were closing in on them he said that he wanted the radio smashed and any optics destroyed. I got some heavy spanners from the tool box, I gave one to our radio man and then heard him smashing the radio, I used the other to smash my control panel and the gyrocompass, when we had finished, we were ordered out and we quickly took all our kit and as much drinking water that was still on board and walked away from our tank.

I stood by the lorries and watched my own tank commander fire a flare gun inside the tank, and then he walked around to the rear and fired another cartridge into the air vent of the engine bay.

I then stood back with the others and watched our tank number 445 and the others that were with us burn. I watched what had been my home for nearly three years goes up in smoke, I knew the fire and smoke would bring the British to us and within an hour and half they arrived in a lorry, and they got out and quickly searched us taking the rifles our pistols and machine pistols.

We were not the only Panzer men as they had collected others as the rounded us all up. They threw our weapons and our kit in their lorry and we were told to follow it as they drove away, at first, they were just the few numbers of us but as we marched along, we were joined by hundreds more. It seemed that the whole German front had fallen apart.

We had to walk many kilometres through the sand, along this sand road; they took us to a large wire camp near the sea. We were all lined up and each one of us was searched again, they were now looking for hidden weapons and documents, it was here that they took our Soldbuchs and papers. Afterwards they marched us into the camp and I noticed that most of the prisoners there were not just Army but some were Luftwaffe as well with a few Navy sailors as well.

The camp was in the open with only Zelts for shelter, it was very hot, with very little shade and little drinking water; they wouldn’t even let us wash in the sea. Then one evening as I was trying to get some sleep, all the spot lights came on and there was a lot of shouting; we thought that someone had tried to escape. They rounded us up like cattle and counted us off. I was still with two of my kamaraden and we were marched off together, we marched down this road which I knew went to some large town or port and as we came over a ridge in the dunes, I could see the town and a large ship in the harbour.

At first, I thought they wanted us to help unload it, but when we got there, we found that it was already empty and they ordered us on board and into the hold. We heard the engines start and next I felt the ship move, it was still dark and we did not know where they were taking us, maybe to another camp in their area. When daylight came, we heard loud explosions, we could hear aircraft diving onto the ship and gun fire, some called for victory to the Luftwaffe, but others silenced them by saying if they sink the ship, we shall all be dead.

Yes, replied the Hauptmann, it must be strange to pray for the Luftwaffe to miss.

It was quiet for a moment, and then Ernst continued, We knew we were heading north because it was getting colder. Those who had the job of emptying the waste buckets came back shivering, we were still wearing our Africa uniforms and very few had blankets or greatcoats. Then one day someone came back down saying that they could see land and we were heading for it. The ship came into a great port with lots of battleships in it; I was told later it was Plymouth. The morning was grey and wet and I knew we were somewhere in England.

So, far, my two kamaraden and I had stayed together, we were like brothers, but as we were lined up and counted off, I was split from them. Hans who I knew quite well tried to join me, but when he crossed the line, he was beaten with a stick like a dog. I went to help him, but was held back, they called us Nazi cowards, and I heard myself telling them we were not cowards or Nazis in English, a language I had not spoken for many years.

It surprised everyone even myself and poor Hans who was on the ground in front of me, I noticed everyone was looking at me, then a British officer came over and asked how good my English was, I told him it was perfect. He then ordered two soldiers to escort me and they took me away, as we crossed the stone square to the whistles and calls of my fellow soldats, I turned to see my kamaraden being marched away.

We entered a large building and finally into a large hall, inside there were many officers both English and German. The officer I was with left me at the door and walked over to a senior British officer, a General maybe, he had lots of red and gold on his uniform and cap, they spoke quietly, he then returned to me and ordered me to tell the German officers that they could not take their orderlies with them as part of their personal baggage. At the time, I thought this was quite funny from an officer that had just surrendered and only a matter of metres away from the very troops that they had once commanded, that were now being marched away to God knows what.

So, I stepped forward and told them in clear German and repeated it in English so that everyone understood. An Oberst spoke out, saying that as a German soldier I should not be working with them and I should know what the privileges of rank meant. They all cheered, I repeated his reply in English to the General. He then said, ‘can you tell him that in our prison camps, the officers are separated from the rank and file and that was the privilege of rank, you can tell him that.’

I knew I couldn’t tell them that, so I told them that when they reached their camps their orderlies would follow on. I knew it wasn’t true, but I told them that and they all agreed. The British General went over to the Oberst to shake his hand; the Oberst looked a bit stunned and withdrew his hand. The General just laughed and I walked out of the hall.

I then went to return to my escort when the officer who I was with asked me where I was going. I told him I was going back to my fellow soldats; he laughed and opened a door into a room across the hall. This was a lot smaller, in the middle of the room was a small table with a chair in front of it; there were other chairs around the room.

He pointed to the chair in front of the table and told me to sit down, ‘you are far more valuable to us,’ he said, ‘we need people who can speak clearly in English and German,’ I asked about American. He laughed and said we couldn’t have everything.

I then knew I was going to be interrogated; I tried to remember my training, my army number 2405, my rank Obergefreiter, and my name Ernst Weiss. Then from a jug he poured a glass of water and placed it on the table in front of me, he told me to help myself. I held the glass; it was cool and I gently sipped the fresh water. Then he spoke, ‘Well Corporal White!’ I nearly drowned in that glass of water, he gave my rank and name in English, ‘no,’ I said, ‘my name was Weiss, Ernst Weiss and my rank is Obergefreiter.’ As you say, but that is your rank in English, is it not? I had to agree.

He was very good, said the Hauptman as he listened to Ernst, Trick questions right at the start, you did not tell him your unit, did you?

No, sir. But later that morning he was able to tell me more about my unit than I knew myself. When we were first captured, we were searched, they searched all our kit and threw it on the ground in front of us, and they were looking for weapons and papers. They took our Soldbuchs and threw them in a sack; they wouldn’t even let me keep my photos.

But later that afternoon another officer came to see me. He asked me about my unit and the Panzers we had, I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. He then showed me my own Soldbuch; he proved it by showing me my own photo inside and then the photos of my parents and my brother. He asked me what my father did in England I told him that he had been a teacher in Cambridge.

He said, he must be well educated to teach at Cambridge. I told him he was. We talked for a while about my parents then he asked about my brother and why we both returned to Germany, was it because the Fuhrer had asked for the young men to form a larger army? I told him we went because we felt it our duty as Germans to go. He then asked why my parents had not returned with us, as many other German families had done so. I told him that my father had said it was not his war, he had already fought in one war for Germany he said this would be a young man’s war.

But he didn’t stop you and your brother from going? Claimed the officer.

No, I told him.

What happened next? The Hauptman enquired.

We spoke about the African war and how my unit was surrounded, without fuel or supplies, and then the surrender, I told him of the long march through the desert to the wire camp where they held us, he knew most of the story before I could tell him it.

After about an hour of talking he got up and said it was time to go. We went out into the yard and it was empty. All the other prisoners and soldiers had gone, I asked him where he was going to take me, and he did not say anything. We walked around the corner of the building and there was a car with a driver waiting, there were also two military policemen there too. As we drew near, one of them took out his revolver; the British officer told him he didn’t think he would need it. The policeman said he wasn’t taking any chances. I sat in the back of the car between the two policemen, the officer sat in the front with the driver.

We travelled for many kilometres and the roads were very busy with army vehicles. One of the policemen asked the officer if it was OK to come that way and see all that traffic, he replied, what difference was there, it must be like this in Germany. We turned off the main roads onto a smaller road, then into a drive with a large house at the end of it. When we got out, he told me it would be my home for the next few days. I could see that the policemen were not pleased as he told them he didn’t need them anymore, they argued but he still told them to go.

When I looked around, I could see that it wasn’t a POW camp, it wasn’t even a military camp, just a big house in the country. As the car drove away with the policemen, we walked up the steps and into the house, it was very pleasant, very English, it reminded me of Cambridge.

Do you think it was near Cambridge? The Hauptman asked.

No, replied Ernst, We hadn’t travelled that far.

What happened next? The Hauptman asked.

I was introduced to the lady who lived there and the staff of the house. She suggested that I should have a bath and change out of my uniform into some other clothes, the officer agreed and we went upstairs to a bedroom. She showed us inside, and then closed the door behind us.

When we were alone, I told the Major that this was all wrong, that I was still a soldier in the German army and as such a POW, and I should keep my uniform and once washed I should wear it again. If I was captured in my enemy’s country in civilian clothes, I could be hung or shot as a spy. The British officer agreed and my uniform was returned to me the next day washed and pressed, I was even able to polish my boots.

At first, I was not allowed out of the house, even my meals were brought up to my room. Then after breakfast on the third day I was told I could come down to the study if I wished. I went down and was ushered into a room that had many books; over the fireplace hung a large oil painting of a General in first war uniform, the large windows looked out onto a terraced garden.

I picked a book from one of the shelves and walked to the window to read it in the light but my view always came back to that picture a few moments later the lady entered with the Major, she said that she didn’t know that I could read English and the he laughed and told her that was one of the reasons I was there, I was very special to them, well she replied, there are plenty of books to read in here, and at that she left us.

So, even then they knew they had a special job for you? The Hauptman enquired.

Well, I don’t know about a job, but the Major knew I was no ordinary German soldier and that I had certain skills they could use, replied Ernst.

He then continued, After being locked in the house for such a while, we took a walk into the gardens.

What did you talk about? The Hauptman asked.

We talked about the flowers and the trees as we walked out into the park, replied Ernst.

What, he allowed you to go beyond the grounds of the house without a guard? Exclaimed the Hauptman, quite shocked at what was being said.

Yes, I don’t know if there were any soldiers there to guard us, it was just the two of us in the park with the animals. Did you hear anyone say where it was or any town nearby? The Hauptman asked.

No, replied Ernst, No one said where we were. I do remember hearing a train whistle late one evening, but that could mean anything. Later, he asked me had I heard from my parents, I told him no, I wouldn’t have thought they would have known I was back in England. He told me he would find out where they were being held and see if I could go and see them, I told him I would like that. He went on to say that if it all works out OK, he would see about me spending the rest of the war with them.

Yes, I can see where this was leading to, you help us and we will help you, by giving you something you hold dear like the security of you parents, you would be prepared to do anything they wanted. Ernst paused as in thought, and then continued, but I told him I wanted to see them both first, before I did anything, if only to show them that I was well. But at that time all I thought I was going to do was to interpret for them.

That would be their first ploy, said the Hauptman.

Then one day that all changed, another officer a captain, I think, walked into my room and threw a linen sack at me, he told me to put all my things into it. He waited at the door and told me to hurry up. As we went down the stairs the lady who owned the house said goodbye but as I went through the door I was tripped and I fell down the steps. As I laid there, I was kicked several times and a military policeman said that that this was the way German POWs should be treated. I was grabbed to my feet and ordered into the back of a lorry where another policeman sat with a machine pistol. My sack was thrown to the front of the lorry and I was ordered to sit with it.

The lorry was covered with canvas and I couldn’t see where they were taking me. We bumped along the roads for many hours before turning into a short road before stopping. The policeman sitting at the back of the lorry lifted the canvas and said, this is where you should have gone to the first time, we caught you. The light was very bright and the back of the lorry was dropped and I was ordered out. When we walked around the side of the lorry, I saw the camp laid out in front of me. It had high wire fences and many wooden huts; it was built into the side of a wood so that it could not be seen from the road.

We entered the camp through a small gate alongside a larger gate, once inside I was taken to a wooden building that was built into the inner fence. Once inside the policeman handed a soldier some papers, he read the papers then ordered an orderly to go and get the Feldwebel. A few minutes later he returned with the Feld. The soldier spoke to the Feld in the worse German I had ever heard spoken; the Feld looked at him very blankly as if he hadn’t understood a word he had said.

I then told the Feldwebel that I thought he meant to say was that I was to be put into his care until they could sort something out and what to do with me. The Feld laughed and told me to tell the soldier that he would be pleased to do that ole boy, I think he was joking with the British, I repeated what he had said in English to the soldier and he ordered us out, but just as we were leaving the office I heard him say to his staff, that he thought he might have trouble with that one and he didn’t think it was a good idea to have me brought there.

Once outside the Feldwebel asked me what the British had been doing with me, I told him that they had been using me to interpret between German and British officers. He then said that my English was very good, I told him yes, but with a bad German accent, he just laughed and said with or without an accent you still understood what they were trying to say. That idiot in there believes he can speak German, it’s the worse I have ever heard, the French speak it better and that’s saying a lot.

We laughed, and as we walked, he asked me what regiment I was in, when I hesitated, he then said, you can tell me were on the same side. He then continued, well from your uniform you were in Africa, so that makes you either the 10th or the 15th Divisions? I told him I was in the 10th Division. He then said that North Africa was a long way from Russia. Ernst replied that it was a lot hotter as well.

Well, said the Hauptman, imprisonment hadn’t dampened your humour.

Ernst said that the Feldwebel decided that I should stay in his hut where he too could keep an eye on him. That was at the beginning, said Ernst, The weather was good and a lot of us were still wearing our Africa uniforms. But soon the British came and ordered us that we had to wear their uniform, it was made of a dirty tan denim and it had a large letter ‘P’ painted on the back of the jacket and another on the leg of the trouser, they took away all our own uniforms. I think they burnt them but we were allowed to keep our leather boots and belts. Now we all looked the same in this prison uniform, we were also expected to go out and work on the local farms.

Do you mean they let you go outside of the camp to work? The Hauptman exclaimed.

Yes, but they knew they wouldn’t get far in that uniform and nearly all of them couldn’t speak any English.

What about you? the Hauptman asked.

Oh no they wouldn’t let me go out at all, said Ernst, I think they knew that if I changed my clothes I could pass as an Englishman. The Feldwebel told me it was for my own good, so I worked in the hospital or in his office, places where they had to go and check but all the time, they would be looking for me. When he wanted the British soldiers to see him, he would send me to get them, and interpret what he had to tell them.

Did you ever get to see your parents? The Hauptman asked.

Yes, I had been there about five weeks, said Ernst, When the Feldwebel came to me whilst I was working in the hospital and told me that an English officer wanted to see me in the gate office, he warned me to be careful as he had asked to see me on my own. As I walked across to their office, I was very cautious, even more so when I saw them both stood outside of the building. As I walked up to him, he told me to go inside, saying that ‘they want to see you.’

What did he mean by ‘they’? The Hauptman asked.

Well, when I opened the door there were three very senior British officers and the senior camp officer who we rarely saw inside, all were standing around a desk. When inside, I was told to take a seat behind one of the desks, they were looking at some papers and speaking to each other about an operation.

Then one of the officers pointed out to the others that I could understand English very well and was listening to them. They went very quiet; I bet they did, said the Hauptman, Then what happened? Then one of the officers came over and asked me my name, he spoke in German, ‘are you Ernst Weiss, Obergefreiter Ernst Weiss?’ I said yes and I speak and understand English. Excellent he replied in English, but first we have a surprise for you. He opened a window, Sergeant major, you can bring the civilian in now? He shouted.

A few moments later the door opened and the Sergeant major ushered in a tall man in a dark overcoat. At first, I did not take any notice until the man in the overcoat spoke, ‘Ernst, my son!’

I jumped up, ‘Papa,’ I said, my father was there in front of me, he looked a bit gaunt but he was well. He held out his hand and I took it, then we were together. As I hugged him, I heard one of the officers say, we’ll give you a few minutes together. The officers folded the maps and papers and left the room, but the British soldier and the policeman remained with us. Just for privacy and I knew they couldn’t understand what was said we both spoke German, Father to Son.

It must have been very difficult? The Hauptman asked.

I was very embarrassed, said Ernst, The last time I wrote to them was to tell them I was training in the tank corps and I sent them a photo of me with my crew in our new black uniforms next to our Mk II Panzer.

Now he sees me in this dirty brown uniform with a ‘P’ for prisoner on the back, I told him I was sorry for him to see me this way. I just wanted him to be proud of me; he said he was pleased that I was safe. I told him that I had received awards in combat, he told me he wasn’t interested in my awards and that I should be pleased that I was well and away from the war. I asked about my mother, he told me that she was fine and when he was getting ready to come to see me, she wanted to come as well, he told her he would tell her everything when he goes back.

We only spoke for a few minutes before the officers came back and told the policeman to take my father away. As he went through the door he turned and I heard him call back, ‘Be safe, my son.’ As he left, I went to follow him but was pushed back into the chair by one of the British soldiers. I slumped onto the desk and sobbed, I didn’t know whether I would see him or my mother again.

The Sergeant Major started to laugh and said that this was the true face of the dreaded Nazi. But one of the officers told him to shut up and get out, he left taking his orderly with him. The officer told the camp commander off for not keeping his NCOs under control, and he said that he wanted him disciplined and if possible, sent into action.

I can remember him taking me by my arm and saying that it was time to go. We walked out of the office, but as I turned to return to the camp, he said, not that way and he led me to a car. As we drove away, I saw my father sat in another car with the policemen. I am sure if he saw that I was leaving too he would have been very worried. I turned to look back out of the back window just to see if he would follow us, but at the end of the short road he turned one way as we went in the other direction.

"I asked the officer where we were going. He just replied, ‘to your new home.’ He also told me to get some sleep as it was going to be a long journey. I closed my eyes and all I could see was my father’s car driving away from me. I could not sleep, but just kept my eyes closed; every so often I would open them to see the trees and hedges flashing past us. I would see glimpses of the countryside but no towns. This officer sat beside me, he seemed to be asleep and I noticed he wore no rank on the coat that he wore and I pondered as to where he was taking me, was it to another camp or back to that big house?"

"I sat there looking out of the window and then he spoke, so you couldn’t sleep, Herr Weiss? We shall soon be there and you will be able to get out of those rags and get some rest. I then knew we were going back to the big house,