War Brothers
by Patrick Slaney
Born in Lubeck, Germany, in 1917, Markus Bekker is brought up by his mother and his grandparents. He had been told that his father was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.His character is formed during his childhood in the chaotic and hostile environment of post war Germany. The Hitler Youth movement indoctrinates him to a level where he is prepared to give his life for the Fatherland and to obey any orders, whether they are morally correct or not.While rowing for Kiel University at Henley-on-Thames in 1937, he discovers that he has a twin brother and also that his father is still alive. Unknown to him they have been living in the north of England.In 1939, Markus ends up in the Luftwaffe, and Chris, his twin brother, is flying for the RAF. Inevitably, fate takes control, and they meet in the skies over Southern England with tragic consequences.Read how Markus is captured and starts to question the values that have been instilled in him during his years in the...