Description:

JOURNALS OF A GERMAN P.O.W.
A unique set of writings of a German P.O.W. in American hands, a young enlisted man apparently from northern Bavaria who had been in the Army since the war started in 1939. He was captured by American forces in April or May, 1945 after trying to desert and was held in several POW camps and labor detachments before being released in August, 1945. The writings include 18pp. in an 8vo. lined book, 8pp. loose pages of writings, and a drawing of a peasant's cabin, probably in Russia. The soldier was quite an amateur poet, and the book and loose sheets contain five poems. The longest and most interesting poem is in the book. It is titled 'Vignette' and describes his POW experiences, and was written on Aug. 20-24, 1945, just after his release. In his prose, the soldier describes how he: escaped the fighting on the Elbe with friend in a boat; hid out in the woods for a few days; was captured by a US patrol; snt to a POW camp in Calwe holding 80,000 prisoners, including many from his unit; was packed up for transport, hoping for release; sent to another camp, at Wattenstedt; a better quality camp; fills the days with activities ; crafts, building things; lots of bad activity among the prisoners; stealing food, making unfair trades; officers treated better than enlisted men; offered a chance to work outside the camp to make money, in a coal mine; takes the job, moves to Alversdorf on June 30, 1945; could go outside with no guard; better food, later moved into a house with a real bed; some fellow prisoners have girlfriends; work was not too hard, eight hours a day, then rest; stayed for five weeks; got paid on August 4, 1945, then was moved to several other towns; worked for a short time in each town, sometimes was under British control; finally released on August 19, 1945 and sent home. Another poem, on a separate sheet, is called 'Dnieper Song', and it indicates he spent some time on the Russian front. The poem describes the bad living conditions in Russia - bad food, cold, desolation, no beer, no furloughs - and the refrain is the soldier's complaint that he wants to go home. Another sheet contains three poems, 'Summer', written July 23, 1945; 'Homeland', written July 29, 1945; and 'Autumn', written Sep. 16, 1945. The three poems are basically romantic idylls about nature and the seasons, and the charms of home. Another sheet, folded in half, is titled 'Summer' in ink on the front. Inside it contains a number of the verses of the longer poem ('Vignette'), from the book. Fascinating and unique.

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December 4, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
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