Description
Object description
Austrian Jewish schoolchild in Vienna, Austria, 1938; member of Betar youth organisation in Czechoslovakia, 1938-1939; escaped to GB via Poland, 1939; seaman served with Norwegian Merchant Navy in North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean including capture of MV Madrono by German auxiliary cruiser Thor (HSK-4) in Indian Ocean, 7/1942; prisoner of war in Tokyo No 1-B Camp, Kawasaki, Japan, 10/1942-8/1945; civilian interpreter during International Military Tribunal, Nüremberg and Hamburg War Crimes Trials in Germany, 1946-1948
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Vienna, Austria, 1922-1938: family origins and religious outlook; education; relations between Jews and non-Jews in Vienna during 1930s; effects on Jewish civilians of Anschluss, 1938. Aspects of period as member of Betar youth organisation in Czechoslovakia, 1938-1939: move of family from Austria to Czechoslovakia; reasons for interest in English language; political activity with Betar youth organisation. Aspects of escape from Czechoslovakia to GB via Poland, 1939: crossing illegally into Poland, 4/1939.
REEL 2 Continues: aid received from Jewish family, 4/1939; obtaining passage to GB on 'youth transport' from Gdynia, Poland; aid received from Czech Refugee Trust Fund in London, GB. Aspects of period as seaman with Norwegian Merchant Navy in North and South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, 1940-1942: joining Norwegian Merchant Navy, 8/1940; danger of serving on tankers; type of work he did; opinion of Norwegian seamen; attacks on ships he was serving aboard. Aspects of capture of MV Madrano by German auxiliary cruiser raider Thor (HSK-4) in Indian Ocean, 4/7/1942: capture of tanker by German auxiliary cruiser raider Thor (HSK-4), 4/7/1942; abortive plan to capture ship from German crew; reasons for telling German crew he was Jewish; fate of Norwegians who attempted sabotage.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Tokyo No 1-B Camp, Kawasaki, Japan, 10/1942-8/1945: living conditions in camps; treatment by guards; work he did for Japanese; social relations amongst prisoners of war; concealing from Japanese his interest in their language; devastating bombing by United States Army Air Force; Japanese view of prisoners of war; conversations with Japanese civilians; antiquated Japanese industrial equipment; hearing news of dropping of atomic bombs, 8/1945; refusal at American debriefing to accuse Japanese of atrocities; attitude towards Japanese. Recollection of period as civilian interpreter during International Military Tribunal, Nüremberg and Hamburg War Crimes Trials in Germany, 1946-1948: background to obtaining initial work as translator; work as translator at International Military Tribunal, Nüremberg; work as interpreter; opinion of miscarriage of justice regarding Field Marshal Georg von Küchler.
REEL 4 Continues: British conduct of trial of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein during Hamburg War Crimes Trials; living conditions in Nüremberg; question of calibre of American judges and prosecutions International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg; relations with Germans in Nüremberg; problems obtaining British nationality after Second World War.
