To the West

(Source)

Jan had been taken to the next larger town, a town which seemed to be packed with Germans, mostly rear area soldiers, though the occasional combat unit could be seen moving towards the front. Or what had been the front, one of the men guarding him had mentioned that Warsaw had surrendered.

Jan had managed to control his facial expression when he had heard that, but still, it had given him quite a shock to hear that the capital had fallen. He began to wonder what his country's fate would be, especially knowing that many of her soldiers, and her navy he had heard, had gone West, to continue the fight. Apparently no one was going to stay and fight for Poland on Polish ground.

The room he was being held in appeared to have been used for storage prior to the Germans taking over. The room had that feel, but now its contents was a desk, two chairs, and Jan himself. Nothing else.

He heard footsteps approaching, then the door being unlocked. He stood up.

The man who came in smiled at Jan, then said, "Ach, panie Kołodziej, jak się pan miewa?¹"

Jan smiled back and answered, also in Polish, then in German, that he was fine, and why were the Germans holding him here. Jan thought the man was a policeman of some sort, he had that air about him.

Smiling like a politician, the man gestured for Jan to take the chair in front of the desk while he sat behind the desk.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself before, my name is Benz, Wolfram Benz. So Herr Kołodziej, your papers indicate that you are of Polish nationality and were in the Polish Army, which you claim to have deserted from, is that about right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Hhmm, your hometown is Tarnowskie Góry?"

"Herr Benz, where I'm from, we call it Tarnowitz. But yes, in Poland it's known as Tarnowskie Góry."

"Do you consider yourself a Pole, or a German?"

"I consider myself a Silesian. Right now, well until a few weeks ago, Tarnowitz was in Poland. I suppose the Germans will take it back now."

"Yes, yes, I imagine we will." Benz smiled at Jan.

That made Jan nervous. Smiling Germans always made him nervous, but this fellow had an air of menace about him which was palpable.

Jürgen sat with the rest of the squad, waiting for Unteroffizier Hartmann to return. The squad leader had gone off with their platoon leader, Leutnant Kurt Heidenreich, who had been called up to the company command post.

Across the small river valley Jürgen could see Russian soldiers, whose job was apparently to make sure the Germans stayed on their own side of the demarcation line. After years of hearing Hitler shout out his hatred of Communism, it seemed particularly odd that the Reich was now allied to the Soviet Union, though Hartmann had insisted it wasn't an alliance, simply a non-aggression pact.

Jürgen was sure that the Poles didn't see it that way. Hearing footsteps, Jürgen turned around, it was Hartmann.

"What news Uffz?"

"We're marching to the railhead, tonight. Make sure the lads get something to eat, we leave in 30 minutes."

"Where are we headed?" Jürgen wanted to know.

"Back to Germany for all I know. The Führer hasn't taken me into his confidence as of yet, but when I know, you'll know. Get a move on Junge."

Benz looked at Jan for a long moment before saying, "I'm sure that you've guessed by now that I'm a policeman."

Jan simply nodded, he thought momentarily of making a break for the door, it was probably better to be shot while trying to escape than to be taken somewhere for interrogation, probably torture, then death. As he steeled himself, Benz spoke again.

"Fortunately for you, I suppose, the Polish records in Warschau were destroyed by the Luftwaffe. Silly flyboys, why blow up something which could prove useful later on? But a telegram has come in, they can find no records of you, but there are records of your family, well, what is left of them."

Jan waited for the ax to fall, perhaps he could rush this policeman, take his weapon (surely he has one) then escape. Again Benz spoke.

"I'm recommending that you be reclassified as a citizen of the Reich, not Volksdeutsch², but a full fledged German from Silesia. Therefore, you are eligible to be drafted. Oberfeldwebel!" Benz called out to someone outside the office, that man opened the door and stepped in.

"Sir?"

"This is Herr Jan Kołodziej, citizen of the Reich and late of the Polish Army. Please take him to the induction section for transport to his new unit."

"Jawohl, Herr Feldpolizeikommissar!"

Benz extended a hand to Jan, who took it with a hint of hesitation, Benz then said, "Welcome to the Wehrmacht, I'm sure your training in the Polish Army was inadequate, but we'll have you up to speed in no time."

With that Benz got up, nodded to the Army sergeant, and left.

Oberfeldwebel Krantz shook his head and looked at Jan, "Well, come on then, we should get you to the Army before Benz changes his mind. You are one lucky bastard. That one is Geheime Feldpolizei³, they're almost as bad as the SS. He had a fellow in here yesterday who's now on his way to Berlin, said something Benz didn't like. Man even had a German name, not like you."

Jan was unsure of how to respond, so he said nothing.

Kranz nodded, "You're a smart Polack, better to say nothing. Do as you're told and you'll survive, unless someone takes a disliking to that Polish moniker of yours. Sure you don't want to change it? I can do that when we induct you."

Jan simply said, "I will keep the name my father gave me."

Kranz snorted and said, "Alright then, it's your life, maybe your funeral. Let's go."

Jan was puzzled at the Germans' insistence on drafting him and other Poles into their army. He didn't realize that in the few short weeks of the battle for his native land, the Germans had suffered 17,269 killed, 30,300 wounded, and 3,500 missing.

The Germans needed the men, they weren't done yet, Hitler had bigger plans for Europe.

¹ Ah, Mr. Kołodziej, how are you? (Polish)

² Of German origin, typically in a foreign country, but not a German citizen.

³ Secret Field Police, members of the German Army but often acted under the orders of Himmler's SS, especially in Eastern Europe.