German Boy: A Child in War“I think German Boy has all the qualities of greatness. I love the book.” -- from the Foreword by Stephen Ambrose As the Third Reich crumbled in 1945, scores of Germans scrambled to flee the advancing Russian troops. Among them was a little boy named Wolfgang Samuel, who left his home with his mother and sister and ended up in war-torn Strasbourg before being forced farther west into a disease-ridden refugee camp. German Boy is the vivid, true story of their fight for survival as the tables of power turned and, for reasons Wolfgang was too young to understand, his broken family suffered arbitrary arrest, rape, hunger, and constant fear. Because his father was off fighting the war as a Luftwaffe officer, young Wolfgang was forced to become the head of his household, scavenging for provisions and scraps with which to feed his family. Despite his best efforts, his mother still found herself forced to do the unthinkable to survive, and her sacrifices became Wolfgang’s worst nightmares. Somehow, with the resilience only children can muster, he maintained his youth and innocence in little ways–making friends with other young refugees, playing games with shrapnel, delighting in the planes flown by the Americans and the candies the GIs brought. In the end, the Samuels begin life anew in America, and Wolfgang eventually goes on to a thirty-year career in the U.S. Air Force. Bringing fresh insight to the dark history of Nazi Germany and the horror left in its wake, German Boy records the valuable recollections of an innocent’s incredible journey. |
Contents
Three The Train | 34 |
The farm where Wolfgang and | 88 |
Hedy at twenty and Willi twentysix | 232 |
Epilogue | 421 |
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon American anymore arms army asked Auf Wiedersehen barn barracks Berlin black market bombs bread cigarette cold door English eyes face Fassberg father felt Flüchtlinge Frau Zoske friends front Führer Fürstenfeldbruck German girl Grapentin Grevesmühlen guns hand head heard Hedy Herr Krampe Herr Schmitt Hitler Youth horses Ingrid kitchen knew laughed leave lived Llydia looked loudly Lübeck Luftwaffe Lüneburg Heath morning mother moved Munster Mutti never night Oberfeldwebel Oma's once Opa Samuel pants Pasewalk potatoes prisoner-of-war camp pulled quickly road Russian Sagan Schlawe seemed shouted side sleep slowly smile soldiers soon spoke stay stood stopped Strasburg suitcase talk tanks things thought told took town train station Trauen truck turned village Volkspolizei Volkssturm wagon walked wanted warm watched Wehrmacht Wiedersehen window Woldegk Wolfgang woman women wore