Claire Jenkins' Questions

Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Sat, 22 Mar 1997 17:50:55 +0100 

        Hello to Sue Hall - English Department, Chepstow Comprehensive School,
                                  Monmouthshire - E-mail: cljenkins@RMPLC.co.uk

        Welcome to MEMORIES from CROATIAN SOLDIER as one the Panel of Elders there.
Yes, I'm one of the survivors of World War Two who had been fighting at
other side of front lines. I'll answer briefly only because you could find
many more details in my replies to similar questions in MEMORIES' archive.
Surely Tom Holloway would help you indeed if asked for.

Q1: "What was the thing that scared you the most during the war? Why?" asks
Laura             Cansfield.
A1: The pressing moment of life's end. One cannot do anything about - just
wait
    for the UNKNOWN to happen.

Q2: "How did your life change?" asks Lisa Cheetham.
A2: As one of few survivors of Croatian' Bleiburg tragedy and Death marches
(I
    had been the one on Route No.2) my body and spirit underwent severe and
    complex changes. I has been like to be re-born to a new life. [More
about see
    previous answers to MEMORIES.]

Q3: "How did you feel when the war started?" Philippa Lee and Rhys Bower.
A3: I was 16 years old and going to 6th class at the Real-Gymnasium in Osijek
    (corresponds about K10 class). One doesn't feel anything at such moment -
    the war doesn't start at one particular moment. There are always some
    changes and developments one doesn't even notice as a war-outbreak.
Then it
    starts somewhere, events spread and dangers grow until it hits you like a
    'lightning out of blue-sky'. Later you remember some of personal events
but
    most of them are buried deep in your subconscious for ever. Depending
upon
    historical developments as well upon your physical and mental state later
    some of these remembrances might cropped up to your current reality.
However,
    there aren't any feelings anymore.

Q4: "What was it like in the air raid shelters?" Mark Lovell.
A4: For some other reasons I haven't been in air raid shelters like many
peoples
    say like in London or any other cities in France, Germany etc.

Q5: "How did you feel when the war ended?" Dorian Jones.
A5: Again a question about feelings! The armistice in Europe was on May 8,
1945
    and I still was fighting the Croatian' exodus westwards with the aim of
    surrendering to the Allied Forces. In this we didn't succeed at all and
I had         surrendered to Tito's Army early morning May 15, 1945. What
were my feelings
    then: disillusion, desperation, fright, fear of unknown and pressing
events,         hunger and thirst, depression, humiliation, etc. How could
one chose any of         these feelings as most important or dominant at all?

Q6: "What were things like just after the war?" Claire Hodges.
A6: Claire, please read my answers above and use a little bit of imagination.
    My life has changed significantly and all the problems and difficulties
    encountered in Tito's Yugoslavia didn't matter much to me. I got my
second
    chance to live and have tried hard to achieve what I am and have today.
Yes,
    I have started with my study at the Civil Engineering Department of
Technics
    Faculty, University of Zagreb in fall of 1945. I was released from a camp
    for P.o.W. August 15, 1945.

Q7: "How did you entertain yourselves?" Gemma Miller.
A7: I'm afraid but would not like answering this question at all. It's to
vague
    to be answered as it doesn't refer to any specific time in my life. Sorry!

        Thank you too very much for asking question. Hope that you got some
impressions (if not much of my feelings) and ideas about the now old

        CROATIAN SOLDIER or Zvonko of the Oak Hill (near Anif, Salzburg).