Behrens, Hans (Oral history)

German signaller served with German Air Force in France and Germany, 7/1944-8/1944; served with 9th Panzer Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-2/1945; prisoner of war in United States of America and GB, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Freiburg, Germany, 1926-1939: family; family's religious beliefs; father's experiences in First World War; education; story of trying to prevent mother listening to foreign news broadcasts; membership of Hitler Youth; story of father smuggling money into Switzerland at beginning of Second World War; attitude towards Jews; reaction to Kristallnacht, 9/11/1938-10/11/1938; question of awareness of concentration camps; reaction to hearing of Holocaust whilst a POW in US, 1945; level of Nazi support in Freiburg; memories of outbreak of Second World War and invasion of Poland, 9/1939. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as schoolchild in Freiburg, Germany, 9/1939-1/1944: effects of war on daily life; story of Luftwaffe accidentally bombing Freiburg, 5/1940; description of training at military camp run by Waffen-SS. Aspects of period as labourer with Reich Labour Service (Abeitsdienst) in Germany, 1/1944-6/1944: call-up for labour service, 1/1944; duties including road building. Aspects of enlistment and training as signaller with German Air Force in France and Germany, 7/1944-8/1944: reason for volunteering for German Air Force, 7/1944; description of training near Rheims, France; story of giving water to prisoners in cattle truck at Augsburg Railway Station, Germany; retreat back into Germany, 7/1944-8/1944; unit casualties. Recollections of operations as signaller with 9th Panzer Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-2/1945: transfer to 9th Panzer Div; description of signals systems and ciphers; move to Arnhem area, Netherlands; opinion of Allied Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; story of escorting female Soviet forced labourer back to camp; transfer to west bank of River Rhine in preparation for Ardennes Offensive, Germany, 12/1944; question of pride in belonging to division. REEL 3 Continues: composition of division; relations between Waffen-SS and 9th Panzer Div; prior recollection of reaction to D-Day landings and presentation of news by Nazi regime, 6/1944; prior recollection of reaction to German surrender at Stalingrad and effect on morale, 2/1943; daily routine and living conditions; discipline; role during Battle of the Bulge, 12/1944; preparations; problem of lack of fuel and other resources; arrival in Bastogne area, Belgium, Christmas, 12/1944; discovery of charred body in M4 Sherman Tank; comparison of Allied and German tanks; reason for Americans suffering more frostbite cases than Germans; summary of westward movements of 9th Panzer Div, 1945; casualties; lack of adequate supplies of fuel and food; story of wounding and capture by American troops, 24/2/1945; attempts to protect signals equipment; medical treatment; incident with American Red Cross nurse; problem of black Panzer uniform being mistaken for Schutzstaffel (SS) one; description of hospital and prisoner of war camp at Saint-Lô, France. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in United States of America, 1945: journey to and arrival at New York, United States of America; reception procedure at Camp Shanks, Orangeburg, New York State; initial impressions of United States of America; transfer to Camp Florence, Phoenix, Arizona; description of interrogation. REEL 4 Continues: daily life and living conditions in various prisoner of war camps in Arizona and California; work picking cotton and fruit; relations with black guards; opinion of treatment by Mexican and Native American guards; attitude of Americans to German prisoners of war; story of post-war visit to Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in GB, 1945-1946: journey from United States of America to GB; arrival at Liverpool; transfer to No 82 Camp at Hempton near Fakenham organisation of prisoners of war; opinion of Hayward's Heath; move to Southease; comparison of camps in GB and United States of America; agricultural work; role of Norwood family in his becoming naturalised British citizen; description of work duties. REEL 5 Continues: Reflections on post-war life in GB: story of starting engineering imports business in Sussex; communication with family in Germany during war; friendships formed whilst prisoners of war; reason for decision to stay in GB; attitude to D-Day commemorations; story of visit to Normandy, France, 1993; friendships with former British soldiers; attitude to discussing wartime experiences. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of operations as signaller with 9th Panzer Div during Ardennes Offensive, 12/1944-1/1944: question of awareness of broader aspects of Ardennes Offensive; duties as signaller and description of equipment; daily routine during offensive; opinion of Allied air forces in comparison to German Air Force; question of awareness of massacres of American prisoners of war; attitude towards military service and warfare.