The Road to Liberation: Trials and Triumphs of WWII

by Marion Kummerow

  “Sally! About time you showed your face, we’ve been waiting for ages.” Enid Brown, her neighbor, and school friend stepped forward.

  “I was working at the hospital. Did I forget a meeting?” Sally asked, glancing around to see many of the women from the Institute meetings. She spotted Mrs. Shackleton-Driver.

  “Jane, what are you doing here?”

  “We insist you release the Germans to us. We are going to take them to the army.”

  “What?” Sally couldn’t have heard correctly.

  “They showed that plane where to bomb. It had to be them.”

  “Ladies, I don’t know what you are talking about and to be honest, I’ve just done a double-shift and I’m shattered. Can we talk about this in the morning?”

  “No. We’ll talk about it now. You know the Red Cross Train carrying our heroes from Dunkirk was strafed by an enemy plane when it stopped at Chertsey station. If not for one of our brave RAF boys tackling him in a dogfight, there could have been dozens killed. How did the German’s know that station was being used for our wounded?”

  “I have no idea Mrs. Shackleton-Driver, but I can assure you it had nothing to do with my family. Now, please, excuse me and let me into my home.”

  The woman took a step to stand in front of her. Sally turned to Enid.

  “Enid, you’ve known me for years. Can you please tell this… this woman, I’d have nothing to do with traitors? For goodness sake, my Derek is over there with your Sam.”

  “My Sam’s dead. I got the telegram yesterday but you weren’t around, were ya? I hate you, Sally Matthews and your German brats. I told you before, nobody wants them here. They should all be sent back to Germany – in boxes.”

  “Enid! How could you say things like that? You have kids. Liesl, Tom, and Harry are as innocent as you and me. They couldn’t help being born in Germany.”

  Enid wasn’t listening. Sally glanced up and caught Tom’s face peeking through the curtains. Why were they still pulled this hour of the morning? Her poor children must be terrified.

  “Now you ladies listen to me. This is my house and you are trespassing. Leave, or I shall go for Constable Halton. He has no time for vigilantes, as you all know. Go and pick on somebody your own size instead of a group of defenseless children.”

  She pushed past Enid and Jane Shackleton-Driver and stood at her front door, key in hand. She wasn’t going to open it until they left. She wouldn’t put it past them to dart past her and grab a child.

  It took a few minutes, but the women left, muttering about traitors. Sally took a second to compose herself, crying in front of the children would scare them. They wouldn’t believe it was tears of frustration and tiredness. She didn’t get to turn the key, as the door opened, she was pulled inside, and the door banged shut behind her.

  “Maggie, oh thank God you were here with the children.”

  “I sneaked in the back way, over the wall. Look at the state of me.” Maggie glanced down and Sally saw a giant rip in her dress. “Been a long time since I flashed my drawers at anyone and everyone.”

  Sally gave her friend a hug. “Thank you for being here.”

  Maggie hugged her back and whispered, “the children are terrified. They keep talking about Kristallnacht. They are all set to run away.”

  Sally ran up the stairs, two at a time. She knocked on the bedroom door, trying the handle but it didn’t work.

  “Harry, let me in. Tom, it’s Sally and I’m alone. Maggie is the only other adult in the house, I swear.”

  The lock turned and the door opened slowly. She pushed into the room to find all five children staring at her, their eyes huge in their pale faces. Tom had wet himself and Ruth wouldn’t look at her.

  “Come here, oh my goodness, come here.” She gathered the younger ones in her arms. “I promise I’m back and I won’t leave you. You are safe. You don’t have to run away. This is your home.”

  “Those people scared them. They sounded like the people on our street at home,” Rachel explained, as she stood, back straight, knuckles white, at Liesl’s cot. Sally couldn’t believe the baby had slept through all the noise.

  Sally struggled to keep her temper. She didn’t want to scare the children. “I can’t imagine what you have been through today. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. But it won’t happen again. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. They hate us. You heard them.” Harry turned his back.

  “Harry, don’t let a few people change how you feel about living here. Maggie and I love you. The Reverend, the Doctor, Constable Halton, the shop owners, they all have been kind to us. Enid lost her husband; she found out yesterday he died in France. Sam was a lovely man and the sadness she feels is making her angry. She needs someone to blame.”

  Sally cuddled Tom and Ruth. “How about I make you both some cocoa and we can listen to children’s hour on the wireless. It’s just coming up to five.”

  They didn’t answer but kept hold of her. If she could get her hands on Enid Brown and those other ladies, she’d strangle them.

  “Children, I promise those ladies are gone. Maggie’s gone for Constable Halton. He will tell those women off for scaring you. Now, why don’t I go and make the cocoa and you come down when you are ready?” She looked to Rachel who gave her a small nod. She hoped the older girl would reassure the little ones and clean up Tom.

  She ran into her room and quickly changed, hating the hospital smell on her clothes. The children were still in Tom’s room when she went downstairs to put the cocoa on. She tuned in the wireless too. As soon as the sounds of children’s hour filtered up the stairs, Tom and Ruth were racing each other to be the one sitting nearest the wireless. Rachel carried Liesl in her arms.

  “Heinz will be down in a few minutes. He is very angry.”

  “I don’t blame him, I wanted to kill those ladies too.”

  Rachel didn’t smile. “Heinz feels he cannot protect his family. He thinks it is time he did something. I don’t know what he plans but he has a short temper. I worry he may get into trouble.”

  Sally took Liesl into her arms, loving the smell of the baby and the way she snuggled into her.

  “I’ll speak to Heinz. Rachel, I hope you know how much you are wanted here. I heard glowing reports today about your work. Matron is very impressed with you. Says she wishes other fifteen-year-olds were as mature as you.”

  “I had to grow up fast. Maybe it is best, other girls do not.”

  Sally couldn’t think of an answer to that and was glad when the kettle whistled, alerting her the water was ready.

  25

  The next morning, Sally telephoned the hospital to speak to Matron.

  “I’m sorry, Matron, but I have to take the rest of this week off. I know it’s a horrible inconvenience, but I have to protect the children.”

  “Sally, I’ve known you for years. It must be something serious for you to ask for time off. Can I do anything to help?”

  Sally gave the Matron a brief description of what had happened, conscious the operator would come back on if they took longer than five minutes.

  “I find it despicable how supposedly rational people can turn so quickly on children. I totally understand you staying home, Sally. I’ll ask one of the other women to cover and perhaps when everything settles down, you can cover for her.”

  “Yes, Matron. Please look after Rachel. I told how happy you were with her but she feels here is becoming like it was in Germany. She thinks we hate the Jews.”

  “I’ll speak to Rachel. If I had ten girls who worked as hard as she does, I’d be a happier woman. Look after yourself, Sally.”

  Sally thanked her and hung up.

  “I’m glad you are staying home with us. You make nicer meals.”

  “Tom Beck, Maggie is a wonderful cook.” Sally admonished her charge, but she was pleased he appreciated her efforts.

  “I still prefer you being here.” He came over and gave her a hug before running off to play wi
th Ruth.

  Sally stared after him. You had to love the resilience of children.

  “Where did Tom go? I told him to stay close to the house.”

  Sally whirled around at the sound of Harry’s voice. “You gave me a fright, Harry. I didn’t hear you come downstairs. He’s gone to play with Ruth. He’ll be fine. Maggie will watch him.”

  She saw the mutinous look on his face. “It is my job to watch over my brother.”

  “Harry, you share that job with me. I am happy Maggie will look after him. I know you got a fright yesterday.”

  “I am not scared. It is time I fought back. I won’t be a victim again.”

  Sally put her hand on his arm, gently pushing him to sit down.

  “Sit and talk to me, Harry. What happened yesterday was wrong, but there is nothing you can do to make it right. Just forget about it.”

  “But they said they hated us.”

  “Yes, they did, but they didn’t mean it. Enid is speaking from hurt, and the others the same. People say horrible things when they’re angry and upset. Try to forgive them. Now what are you going to do with your day?”

  “I thought I might try to find a job like Rachel has. Not at the hospital, but maybe somewhere in town.”

  “Excellent idea.” Sally hid her concern about the reaction he might get. “I think you should talk to Reverend Collins and see if he knows of anything you could do. But don’t forget you have to keep your studies up. It’s important.”

  “Yes, Sally.”

  Sally turned away to hide her smile. He may think he was a grownup, but sometimes he sounded and acted just like Tom.

  It took Maggie a little longer to calm down. She was raging over the way they had treated the children.

  “I swear to you Sally, if I had my hands on that Enid or Jane, I could rip their hair out.”

  “Maggie! What would Reverend Collins say?”

  “I don’t care about turning the other cheek. A slapped cheek would be good enough for them.” Maggie muttered. “Rachel doesn’t go for a walk anymore. She comes home from her shift at the hospital and sits in her room.”

  “She’s just processing what happened. She’ll go back to normal in time, Maggie. She has you and me and Matron at the hospital who thinks Rachel is a gift from heaven.” Maggie didn’t look convinced, but she wasn’t as angry looking either when she left.

  A few days later, Sally hummed one of Vera Lynn’s tunes as she took advantage of the beautiful summer day. She took the wash basket to the garden, hanging the clothes on the line. She listened to the birds singing, watched as the bees flew from one flower to another. It was such a pretty scene and so different from that playing out over in France. She could only imagine what a battlefield was like; the wounded men had tried to describe it but couldn’t find the words.

  Once the clothes were all on the line, she picked up Liesl from her blanket on the grass. Snuggling her close, she said, “Why don’t we go visit Maggie and have some tea?”

  Liesl giggled and tried to pull Sally’s hair.

  “Tom, I’m going to Maggie’s for a cuppa. Do you want to come?”

  “No thank you. I’m playing with my marbles.”

  Sally rolled her eyes at Liesl making the baby laugh again. “Boys and their toys.”

  “Maggie, how are we going to make cakes for the children with butter and margarine on ration? Powdered egg is horrible.”

  Maggie filled her cup with watery looking tea. “Sorry, third time I’ve used these leaves. Why don’t you get a few chickens from one of the farmers? You have plenty of space and they don’t cost much to feed. Then you will have fresh.”

  Tom’s shout interrupted Maggie mid-sentence. “Aunt Sally, come quick. They’ve arrested Heinz.”

  “What?” Sally jumped to her feet, rattling the table in the process.

  “Sally, calm down. The children must have it wrong. Why would anyone arrest Harry?”

  “Don’t know Maggie, mind Liesl for me, will you?”

  Sally didn’t wait for an answer but ran back in the direction of Rose Cottage. What on earth had happened now?

  She stopped, as she saw two members of the Home Guard outside her house, one with a bayonet fixed to a gun. They wouldn’t look at her. She pushed past them into the house where a man she didn’t recognize had a gun pointed at Harry. She walked in front of Harry and pushed the man’s gun away.

  “What do you mean by coming into my house and pointing that gun at a child?”

  “He’s no child. He’s a German spy and he’s coming with us.”

  Sally couldn’t believe her ears. “A spy? He’s a Jewish refugee.”

  “He didn’t register with the police though, did he? And what’s he doing taking photographs? He’s an enemy alien, shouldn’t even have a camera.”

  Sally groaned. The camera. She shouldn’t have lent it to the children, but they’d wanted to take photographs for their mothers. “It’s my camera, or at least my husband’s. I lent it to the children so they could take a picture for their mother. She, a Jewish woman, is stuck in Nazi Germany. Heinz is innocent. You just have to ask Constable Halton.”

  “I don’t have to ask anyone. If you are that keen on the lad, do him a favor and pack him a case. We’re leaving in five minutes. I’ll take the camera too.”

  “You can’t. It’s my husband’s and he’s in France fighting for his country.” The man’s face flushed at her response. “I need time to help Harry pack.”

  The man stepped closer but this time Harry pushed her behind his back.

  “Aunt Sally, please don’t argue. I will go. You can sort it out and then they will let me come back.”

  Harry stepped toward the stairs.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To pack my case. I will be right back.”

  The man shouted at the men outside to watch the windows. He posted a sentry on both the front and back doors as if Harry was a common criminal eager to escape.

  Sally begged the men to reconsider, but to no avail.

  “Don’t you have anything better to do than to terrorize Jewish survivors of Hitler? That lad has already been in a camp, back in Germany. He isn’t a dangerous anything, never-mind a threat to Britain.”

  “Your neighbors don’t agree. They said he was taking photographs of sensitive targets.”

  Sensitive targets, out here in Abbeydale? There wasn’t anything of interest to the Germans in the small town. She could understand if Harry had been taking pictures of the Palace or Government buildings. Who could have claimed otherwise?

  Aggie Dalton or Enid Brown. She knew whichever woman was behind this, if she caught her this second, she’d likely kill her.

  “Get off me.”

  She heard Tom’s voice coming from outside. “Let me in. Aunt Sally!”

  Sally ignored the man and opened the back door, the child falling into her arms.

  “Is it true, have they come for us?”

  “Not you darling.”

  “But Heinz? You can’t take him. Not again. The last time soldiers took my brother and father, Papa didn’t come home. I won’t let you have my brother. I won’t.”

  The child kicked at the guard’s legs. Sally didn’t restrain him, she felt like kicking the guard too. But when the guard raised his hand to give the child a clout, she grabbed Tomas.

  “Calm down darling, you aren’t helping. We will find Harry and bring him home, I promise. But for now, we have to be brave, okay?”

  Tomas gazed up at her with tear-filled eyes.

  “Why? Is it because he’s Jewish?”

  “He’s German,” the man spat, obviously losing his temper, as he shouted up the stairs. “Come on you. Downstairs and out into the truck. Got others just like you to pick up.”

  Harry walked down the stairs, a resigned look on his face which scared her more than tears. She pulled him into a hug. “It won’t be like last time. This is Britain. I’ll find you and bring you home.”

  For a second,
he held her and then released her. He picked Tomas up and threw him into the air but the child didn’t squeal in laughter as he usually did. “I will be back, little brother. But for now, you must be the man of the house. Mind Liesl and Aunt Sally.”

  Tomas nodded, tears running down his face.

  “Can I say goodbye to my baby sister?” Harry asked the guard.

  Sally’s heart soared. He did love Liesl.

  Sally piped up, “I left her at the rectory. It won’t take a moment for me to get her.”

  “We don’t have time for that. Say goodbye for him. Now come on you.”

  The man prodded Harry in the back pushing him none too gently out of the house.

  Sally couldn’t bear it. Why wouldn’t they let him say goodbye to a baby? That was so unfair. But she’d forgotten the force that was Maggie Ardle.

  She saw her friend come bustling down the street, carrying Liesl in her arms.

  “Just you wait a minute,” Maggie shouted, getting the attention of all the soldiers. “That lad is going nowhere without this parcel of food and a hug from his friends. You men should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on decent young boys like this one. Harry come here.”

  Harry glanced at the man in charge who made no move to stop him. Maggie thrust Liesl into his arms. The young girl wrapped her arms around her big brother and sighed. That was when Sally saw the first hint of tears in Harry’s eyes.

  He cuddled the child, kissed her forehead and then gave her to Sally. “Look after both of them for me.”

  “I will.” Sally held his gaze for a couple of seconds. “I will find you, Harry. Don’t forget that.”

  He held her gaze but she didn’t see any hope, only resignation. He shook hands with Maggie, who apologized for the Reverend being away. “Rachel went to the station in case he came back early. If he was here, he’d stop this, I know he would.”

  As though she heard Maggie say her name, Rachel came running and flung herself into Harry’s arms almost knocking him off his feet. She kissed his cheek. Then she gave the guards a piece of her mind, in her native German. They didn’t understand the words but there was no mistaking the meaning. Sally saw a couple of the men wouldn’t look at Rachel or Harry but seemed intent on studying their shoes. At least they had the grace to look ashamed. Ruth burst into noisy tears as Harry bent down to pick her up. He whispered something to her and the child gulped noisily before nodding. He put her gently back on the ground. She walked over and held Tomas’ hand. Harry pulled Rachel back into his arms and kissed her on the mouth. Stunned, she stared at him as he walked over to the army pick-up truck.