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When I was a child, my father often told anecdotes of the 2nd World War where he stayed in Africa. I often asked him, where in Africa. He always gave the same answer: Tunis. But he must have been in other countries beside Tunisia.

Today I have so many questions. Why was he in the Africacorps? People were normally chosen for the Africacorps, when they were qualified for the desert.

In the year 1940 every man from Petersfehn had to go to Oldenburg for mustering. Most of his friends were sent to the Russian front. His brother was sent to Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. One of his friends was sent to Greece. I don�t know when he joined the army, but it must have been in summer 1941 as an Obergefreiter. When my grandpa had the celebration for his 71st birthday in January 1941, my father was still at home. In February 1941 he passed his driving test for the Wehrmacht, in April he passed the test for truck driving.

It must have been in summer 1941, when he went by train from Oldenburg to Rome.

Maybe then he flew from Rome to Tripolis, this told his friend�s daughter. My father never mentioned if he went by plane or by ship.

On picture 2 we can see him in Rome in a very old-fashioned uniform in green colors and in boots specially twisted.

My father arrived in the U.S. as a POW on July 21st , 1943 and was first sent to Camp Campbell in the State of Kentucky. I still have a postcard dated April 1944, which he sent to his sister.

I don�t know when he was transferred to Camp Atterbury, maybe in 1944. When he told about America, then he always mentioned Atterbury. He showed me his special edition of the "Lagerstimme", and together we looked at the drawings. This issue was always something special for me and my family.

Some prisoners were allowed to work outside the camp in the fields. I remember that my father spoke of working in a tomato field. But he must have done renovating work as well, because in my possession is still his old dictionary, and on the first page he wrote some words that he must have needed at some time.

He also spoke of helping at the service in a small chapel for POW�s. Among the things he brought home with him is a small bible containing the New Testament, that must have been given to him in America.

In Camp Atterbury started a friendship, which lasted for another forty years. Erwin Zaumsegel was nearly the same age, he was born in 1908 and he came from the eastern part of Germany (Thuringia). Later they were sent to different camps in England. Erwin Zaumsegel wrote a postcard from POW Camp 1005 in Willoughby, Rugby, Warwickshire in March 1947. He told about M. Schoenfeld, who was also in England and he met more fellow soldiers from Camp Atterbury. Most of them have been sent home already to Germany at that time.

My father was sent from Camp Atterbury to R.A.F. Camp Kings Cliff in Petersborough, Northshand. But he mentioned in his letters, that he had to move from one camp to another. Later in 1947 he wrote from R.A.F. Camp Leeming in Yorkshire. The last postcard came from Rugeley/Staffs Camp 175 where he was released on August 27th, 1947.

My father and Erwin Zamsegel visited each other sometimes, which was not easy during the time of German Democratic Republic. Erwin and his wife came the first time to Petersfehn, when he was 65 years old. My father went to Zeulenroda in Thuringia four or five times in his life.

Both didn�t live to see the united Germany. Erwin Zaumsegel died in 1981 and my father died July 9th 1983.