Wilson Stuart School's Questions
Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Sat, 18 Oct 1997 17:49:27 +0200
At 07:57 AM 10/15/97 GMT, Wilson Stuart School wrote:
>Some students in year 11 have some questions about life during the >second
world war.
Dear students of Karen Player at <wilson@rmplc.co.uk>,
I'll try answering your 14 questions to my best knowledge or remembrance.
However, they won't fit exactly your pattern because I wasn't in Great
Britian at the time your refer to. I was born in 1925 and lived in Kingdom
of Yugoslavia since. Here are my answers so please don't hesitate asking
any clarification if needed. Would suggest to read my homepage at URL:
http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/chatback/~zvonko.html
>WHAT WERE YOUR FEELINGS LIKE WHEN YOU HEARD THE FIRST AIR RAID >SIRENS?
>
1. I was 16+ when the war started in former Yugoslavia on April 6,
1941. We've learned or heard about air raid sirens noise before
during training times. The seriousness of sirens' veiling tune
gets to you after first bombardment or air attack.
>WAS IT LIKE AN ADVENTURE TO BE IN THE HITLER YOUTH?
>
2. I haven't been member of the Hitler Youth organization. However,
there was a similar youth organization called USTASKA OMLADINA
(meaning "USTASHA" youth) in a quisling state "Independent State
of Croatia" (abbreviated NDH). Its "fuhrer" was Ante Pavelic.
More about it read please in my MEMOSTORY to come soon.
>WHAT WAS IT LIKE DURING THE BLITZS?
>
3. The "blitz" ended for Kingdom of Yugoslavia within 7 days. In my
hometown we haven't seen much of it except German Army units
passing through it during one only day. After that we've got the
new NDH proclamation.
>WAS YOU EVACUATED AND IF SO WAS IT AN ADVENTURE?
>
4. I haven't been evacuated and it wouldn't be an adventure at all
believe me. Instead I had to go to war as from October 1943.
>
>DID YOU FIND RATIONING HARD TO COPE WITH NOT HAVING THE THINGS YOU >LIKE
THE MOST AS MUCH AS YOU DID BEFORE?
>
5. You've to get used to it - being hungry makes you want to eat
anything available. One doesn't get the opportunity to cope or
find any rationing as hard. Things you've liked do disappear
soon and nobody care really for it. Anyone has to find his best
way to survive.
>WAS IT HARD TO RATION YOUR SWEETS?
>
6. First of all we didn't have so much of a choice of sweets as you
are supposedly do have now-a-days. Of course, anything made of
chocolate and sugar disappeared from our desires. Same with all
tropical fruits (like bananas, oranges etc.) which vanished from
markets too provided that few better-offs could afford it before.
>
>WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR ANDERSON SHELTER?
>
7. In former Yugoslavia nobody had Anderson shelters at all. The
best what one could do was to convert some basement's or cellar's
parts to a reasonable shelter form. Digging of trenches became
soldier's business at front lines only.
>WHAT WAS IN LIKE IN YOUR HOUSE WHEN CHAMBERLAIN'S SPOKEN ON THE >RADIO
ABOUT BRITIAN GOING TO WAR WITH GERMANY?
>
8. I was 14 years old then and could remember father saying: "The
War has started .. somebody had it enough of Hitler's doings at last.
Must have some guts for it too. We can expect very bad times coming for
us too."
>WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT BRITIAN GOING TO WAR WITH >GERMANY?
>
9. At home in Osijek (Croatia) - a town of about 45.000 inhabitants
then. Went to the 5th class (say K9) of Real Gymnasium (secondary
school) there.
>WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WEAR A GAS MASK?
>
10. I've wearing a gas mask during the military training only. I did
not have to use any gas mask at the front fortunately. By the
way, I didn't have any of there either. Wearing a gas mask isn't
pleasant at all - it's a rather serious business in case of a
need which one wouldn't like at all.
>WHAT WAS THE BLACK OUT LIKE?
>
11. Imagine all external door and window panes covered with glued on
dark blue or grey paper. Streetlights as well as all other bulbs
at house or shelter entrances are of dark blue color - mostly
painted. If this is what you've meant as "black out" than walk
around in pitch darkness using a flashlight with blue bulb only.
Consider also that such "black out" lasts for months and years at
any night. ONe get used it - at last too.
>DID YOU SING SONGS IN THE ANDERSON SHELTER?
>
12. No comments! However, I don't remember singing in a shelter
during a bombardment either. Shaking of fear, shouting or
screaming to get over that din getting through shelter's walls.
Yes, I could imagine peoples' singing during those long night
hours they were spending underground say in London's Tubes regularly.
>WAS THE WAR LIKE A GAME TO YOU?
>
13. I just wonder how you get to such question? Can you imagine the
WAR to be a GAME even to any child involved directly in it?
Please, have a look on your TV screen when one transmits scenes
on children "playing games" under warlike conditions. Yes, they
do play games but these are about fighting (with mockups or even
real weapons) and killing "the enemy" . WAR IS NOT A GAME - IT
IS A DEADLY BUSINESS FOR ANYBODY INVOLVED IN!
>WHAT DID YOU FEEL LIKE WHEN YOUR MOM CAME TO WAKE UP TO TELL YOU >THAT
THERE IS AN AIR RAID AND YOU MUST GO DOWN TO THE ANDERSON >SHELTER?
>
14. I've been too old that mother had to wake me up. The sirens were
loud enough to wake up even the dead ones. However, often it has
been too late to reach a shelter. Many one has trusted more to
his good destiny staying in a door frame or crawling under own
bed or a table.
With best regards and good wishes from
CROATIAN SOLDIER alias Zvonko of Oak Hill (near Anif, Salzburg)