Death march and deliverance
Then the order arrived on April 10, 1945 that we had to embark on a forced march
to Kiel to a new camp. We had four days for the march, and received as provisions a
small piece of bread, a bit of margarine and cheese-that’s all. We spent the nights in
cow sheds of farmers and found some rutabagas to eat raw.
Everyone got terribly weak and tired. Many begged the guards to shoot them, since
their feet were raw and they could hardly walk. The men started their march a day
later so that they would not be together with us. But they reached us anyway since
they marched better.
That’s when we found out that 36 of the men had been deported from Hamburg to
Bergen-Belsen. The disappointment and commotion of the women was terrible.
Later we learned that 22 of them lost their lives there.
Meanwhile, we came in Neumuenster under a terrible bomber attack during daytime,
and a huge attack at night. It was awful, and we endured terrors.
Joseph was so weak that he broke down on the road. The SS transportation
commander opined ”we need not wait for him, he’ll die anyway.” Joseph then
willed himself to rise and to proceed with his last strength. We were not permitted
to talk to the men and had to keep a large distance.
After four days we arrived in Kiel, totally exhausted and tired.