A21 My life in war

Narrator: Johann Widhalm
Reporter: Andreas Widhalm

I, Johann Widhalm, was 16 years old when I had to join a premilitary service („Arbeitsdienst“). I had to stay with it for half a year.

In 1943 they called me to train with a special unit (“Waffen SS”) in Munich. This took me another half a year. Then I was transferred to the war front in France. After some time they put me to another unit in France. There we had to fight against war planes.

One morning this unit was attacked by the French army. We had to run away. We had to cross a big river in a little boat which was leaking. I scooped the water out of the boat with my combat helmet and my fellow soldiers rowed for our lives. Having reached the other side of the river we wanted to look for some warm shelter.

After some time we came to a house with fire burning inside. We went in to warm ourselves. Suddenly armed American soldiers came in. We were arrested and handed over to the French army. I was kept prisoner in Alsace where I had to remove mines. After two and a half years a farmer fetched me and I had to work for him. The Swiss border was only 9 kilometers away!

After six months I was released and then I took the train to Innsbruck and then back home.