SeniorenNet Hamburg: Writing against Forgetting: Childresn worries

Childrens Worries
Hamburg in the Summer of 1944
by Gerda Puhst

A middle ear infection in both my ears made me stand in my bed because of the pain. There was only one way out, my mother had to take me to the Barmbeker hospital, although in this chaos of war she would rather have nursed me at home.I did not like it, but my mother came to visit me each day and this enabled me to some extent to endure the misery. Nevertheless the stay in hospital was very stressful. Every night all the children were awakened out of their sleep and brought to the air-raid shelters in the buildings.

One afternoon when my mother was there I was taken out of bed and dressed. I was allowed to go home with her. The nursing sister had told my mother, that on this very day all young patients in the hospital would be evacuated. But she had not played along and insisted on taking me home although I was still not well. I was very happy about this decision and I did quite well. We had to walk home. Because of many bombings of Hamburg, neither the underground nor street cars and city trains ran anymore. It was a very long way home in the summer heat through the hot "Hamburger Street" which, as a result of the rubble on both sides, was hardly recognizable. Whenever I thought I could not walk any further my mother took me in her arms and carried me her eight year old eldest daughter for another part of our way home. Finally we arrived home.

I was immediately taken to the children's bedroom on the first floor and put in bed. This time I went without grumbling for I was rather done in. And I had thirst, thirst, and more thirst! This was difficult as there was no longer a regular water supply through the pipes. But it was August and the August apples were ripe. Mother constantly grated an apple for me and this was again and again a real treat.

The nightly air-raids did not stop and a bed was placed in the air-raid shelter in the cellar for me. At night I was immediately carried there in order to spend the night. I still remember exactly, that one evening I complained about the people shooting so loudly and in front of our cellar window of all places, where they knew I was sick and had to sleep in order to become strong again!

Translated from the German by John Milloy, Can. (nimso@aol.com)

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