Preston’s Second World War Stories

Photo of me aged 7

Jürgen O H Voges

I have lived in the UK for the past 56 years, but I experienced the Second World War from “t’other side” in Germany. I found that ordinary people in both camps were equally exposed to hunger, fear, deprivation, and destruction, and worries about loved ones away in the armed forces.

For me, the wailing of the air raid sirens remains a vivid memory, as does the sharp report of high explosive bombs. The wide-eyed terror of not knowing where to run for safety, and the stomach churning panic is something I will never forget.

Alas, here ends our comparison, because the cruelties perpetrated by the Nazis upon the Jewish people and other communities has left a terrible legacy upon German people of my generation. Too young to be responsible, but still feeling the awesome burden. It is a self-evident truth that war is always toxic
for ordinary folk on all sides.