I Remember When: Some occupiers weren’t happy with that role in WWII

I Remember When: Some occupiers weren’t happy with that role in WWII

Aud Bockman-Pedersen
Originally published 11:12 a.m., January 30, 2009
Updated 11:12 a.m., January 30, 2009

PALM CITY — I grew up in Norway during World War II. The Germans occupied our country from 1940 to 1945. This was a difficult time for all of us, but here is a little story from that time:
It was a sunny day in Oslo in 1944. I was outside playing, and when I looked up, this young German soldier stood at our gate and asked for a glass of water.
My mother came out and asked him to sit down in a lawnchair and gave him a glass of raspberry juice. He started to cry and told us he was only 17 years old, and did not want to be part of occupying Norway, and that he just wanted to go home to his parents.
As the war was coming to an end, Hitler sent younger and younger boys out to fight, and this soldier was one of them.
I still remember his tears, and my mother’s kindness to him. From this experience I have tried to see the good in people, instead of judging at first glance.

I Remember When: Some occupiers weren’t happy with that role in WWII : Remember When : TCPalm

 

i'm all for seeing the good in people...But an occupier is an occupier. But who knows how we would individually treat anyone unless it happens.

Occupiers are always there for the good of the folks they occupy. And some are shocked at the reaction they get when they are only there to help them.

Well I suppose there are many ways to look on it. I would hope I would make the right choice. But I was never occupied.

I do know though that for the short time Port Stanley was occupied no one got a glass of water to my knowledge.

There may have been some small acts of kindness...but I have not heared of that many.

Occupation troops should not expect to be treated as liberators. Some will always think they are. And its a mystery to me why they should think that way.

But I suppose there is a big line between showing human kindness and collaboration.

Its not something I would ever want to test myself with...occupier or occupied.

 

I guess this shows that not all occupiers are hard core bad guys. And that even in war there are the little acts of kindness that still occur. And obvioulsy this one German soldier did not think of being recieved as a "liberator". Just a home sick boy.

 

Apologies for the distinct lack of detail on this one as I don't have my related books to hand, but...

One of the earliest signs of goodwill from an occupier I ever read about was in the Channel Islands when a German patrol found a list of citizens alleged to have radio sets nailed to a tree. The list was rushed off to the occupation commander who refused to act on it, as it was clearly the work of a traitor.

Incredibly decent of him, and the locals named the tree "Traitors Tree", unfortunately google doesn't deliver a sausage on it.

 

Its also a fact Chad, that a little later on, there are details of some who when discovered with radios were removed from the islands. Never to return.

Not belittiling anything, just pointing it out.

There were many English born folks on the islands who did not leave when the islands were demilitirized as such. Some were to leave and find their lives ending in horrendous circumstances later on. As too with native born Channel Islanders.

 

Sorry Jc, hijacking your thread, keep doing that. Apolgies.

 

There were also around 6 people of the Jewish faith on the Isles at the time of the occupation, they were sent to the death camps in Poland.

 

Yes, the channel islanders suffered as much as anyone in ww2. Maybe not in the numbers of Warsaw or Stalingrad but they too saw the German war machine first hand. But as Jc says...there were many incidents of humanity towards the Germans in uniform there too...
Shades of grey in a not black and white war.

 

It almost brings a tear to your eye, especially as someone not even from the generation, to see the humanity in people.

Despite the boy's being part of the invasionary force, he still has feelings.

I wish I could say the same for today's militants..

 

He was homesick by the sound of it, not feeling any remorse, he may well have been, but the fact he just wanted to be at home with his parents is no different than any kid going away today.

I'm sure if he was questioned more thouroughly, he may well have given us more of an insight into his feelings on occupation. But in this case we have nothing more than a homesick teenager.