I hated History

[Bram]

Ecki(the guy my father met)'s story is infinitely romantic, as well.

Ironically, his major blessing was the fact that his arm was shot off in combat relatively early (the average life expectancy of new troops in Stalingrad was less than 24 hours...). He made it to a field hospital (which amounted to a poorly heated tent with a couple of bunks). There, one of his superior officers - who was wounded as well but could still move - 'confiscated' his blanket, leaving him all but naked in a tent while temperatures outside dropped to about 3 degrees Fahrenheit (!).

When the Russians captured him, he was transfered to a Russian POW hospital, where he fell in love with a Russian nurse. He swore he'd come back for her after the war was over. Eventually, he was released and made it back to his home town, but by then, the Iron Curtain was in place and he never saw her again.

Man, they should SO make that into a movie. Real life > fiction once again.

[dandan]

[Yeah....I suppose when you're captured by a power that's having significant difficulties feeding it's own people (even during peace time) it doesn't bode well for you as one of their POW's.

That must have been a significant factor although sending them off to labour camps probably didn't help. I hear building roads in Siberia rather reduces your life expectancy.