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           Inthespringof1945hehadretreatedbackacrossPolandbeforetheRussians,likehisfellowsoldierswithonlyoneobjective—tomakeitintoBritishdorAmerican-occupiedGermany.ForiftheRussianscaughthim,hewouldbeshot.Hetorehispapersintoshredsandburnedthem,buriedhistwoIronCrosses,stolesomeclothesandpresentedhimselftotheBritishauthoritiesontheDanishborder.TheyshippedhimtoacampfordisplacedpersonsinBelgium.ThereforayearhelivedonthebreadandgruelwhichwasalltheexhaustedBritishcouldaffordtofeedthethousandsuponthousandsofpeopleintheircharge,waitinguntiltheBritishrealizedtheironlycoursewasrelease.

           Twiceofficialsofthecamphadsummonedhimtopresenthimwithanultimatum.TherewasaboatwaitinginOstendharborloadingimmigrantsforAustralia.Hewouldbegivennewpapersandshippedtohisnewlandfreeofcharge,inreturnforwhichhewouldworkfortheAustraliangovernmentfortwoyearsinwhatevercapacitytheychose,afterwhichhislifewouldbecomeentirelyhisown.Notslavelabor;hewouldbepaidthestandardwage,ofcourse.Butonbothoccasionshemanagedtotalkhimselfoutofsummaryemigration.HehadhatedHitler,notGermany,andhewasnotashamedofbeingaGerman.HomemeantGermany;ithadoccupiedhisdreamsforoverthreeyears.Theverythoughtofyetagainbeingstrandedinacountrywherenoonespokehislanguagenorhetheirswasanathema.