Chapter 4: Days of Imprisonment
"We're here!" Lieutenant Neil huffed out when they had finished scaling the last steep slope. "Keep those eyes open, you might never know when one of those Nazis who might be in there put a bullet into your bodies." The 95th company entered the town with extreme caution where there was hardly a soul there.
"Drop gun! Drop gun!" Someone with a heavy German accent cried. Nazis emerged from their hiding places and there were sounds of rifles being loaded. The 95th company dropped all their weapons and raised their hands high up in the air without a fight because they knew they were outnumbered and also surrounded. The Nazis walked cautiously towards the company to retain their weapons with their rifles pointed towards their new prisoners.
Soon Leonard and friends found themselves being threatened by the German bayonets and being led to a German prison. One of their comrades who was weakened by the sun's scorching rays fell to the ground and was hit hard by a German's rifle stock. Blood was flowing down his bloodied forehead; Leonard helped the pitiful soldier by carrying him on his back. After a few minutes' walk, they reached the German prison, which loomed ahead of them. It was surrounded with unattended fields, which were full of weeds. Leonard, knowing a little German, told the others that it was a former warehouse by reading the faded signboard.
The group was locked in cells; 5 prisoners in each cell and mind, the place smelt of urine of other prisoners who were here way earlier than the group did. The metal doors clanked when they were closed. Leonard felt a bit regretful of volunteering the fight but Jim kept up his spirits when they talked about their childhood times. Lieutenant Neil began to tell Hawkins about his huge family, his role as a breadwinner and "The Ways of Life". A soldier, McLain, made the German guards fed up by singing "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" off key, forcing them to stuff a big handkerchief into his mouth.
Minutes later, a German opened the cell door which held Jim, Leonard, Hawkins, Lieutenant Neil and the weak soldier who was feeling better. The German beckoned to Lieutenant Neil after extracting information that he was the field commander by torturing a soldier from a cell beside theirs. Jim tried to stop Neil but he said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." But what he said is a stark contrast to what the Nazis did to him. It is not known what they asked him and how they tortured him as Hawkins heard him groan and cry in pain.
The whole company was terribly saddened when they were informed that Lieutenant Neil was to be executed at dawn. At the time of Lieutenant Neil's execution, the company, whose cells they were in were facing the execution grounds with windows, witnessed the execution of their respected lieutenant. They saw the riflemen take aim at the lieutenant who refused to give information about the American camps, some were in a crouching sniper- like position and others were standing upright. "Bang." The honorable lieutenant surprisingly stood still until he was hit by one of the German rifleman's stock. The company got the message even though the lieutenant did not even utter a word. The message- "Even when things are negative, you still must fight on to live, no matter what they do to you."
A few soldiers whispered in chorus, "We will still remember you, no matter how long time passes, we will fight." And so the company discussed how to escape the prison. Messages were passed from one cell to the other and it went smoothly as their cells were aligned and all the soldiers nodded to each other, and they are in action.
The soldiers began to run around inside their cells and yelled like mad. And with the plan the German guards opened the first cell door to give the soldiers a good beating, but they were eventually being beaten, even before any of them could fire with their rifles, they were already knocked off. The soldiers quickly took the guards' keys and opened the rest of the cell doors. Taking the three guards' rifles along with them, they ran out of the prison to run to their freedom.
"We're here!" Lieutenant Neil huffed out when they had finished scaling the last steep slope. "Keep those eyes open, you might never know when one of those Nazis who might be in there put a bullet into your bodies." The 95th company entered the town with extreme caution where there was hardly a soul there.
"Drop gun! Drop gun!" Someone with a heavy German accent cried. Nazis emerged from their hiding places and there were sounds of rifles being loaded. The 95th company dropped all their weapons and raised their hands high up in the air without a fight because they knew they were outnumbered and also surrounded. The Nazis walked cautiously towards the company to retain their weapons with their rifles pointed towards their new prisoners.
Soon Leonard and friends found themselves being threatened by the German bayonets and being led to a German prison. One of their comrades who was weakened by the sun's scorching rays fell to the ground and was hit hard by a German's rifle stock. Blood was flowing down his bloodied forehead; Leonard helped the pitiful soldier by carrying him on his back. After a few minutes' walk, they reached the German prison, which loomed ahead of them. It was surrounded with unattended fields, which were full of weeds. Leonard, knowing a little German, told the others that it was a former warehouse by reading the faded signboard.
The group was locked in cells; 5 prisoners in each cell and mind, the place smelt of urine of other prisoners who were here way earlier than the group did. The metal doors clanked when they were closed. Leonard felt a bit regretful of volunteering the fight but Jim kept up his spirits when they talked about their childhood times. Lieutenant Neil began to tell Hawkins about his huge family, his role as a breadwinner and "The Ways of Life". A soldier, McLain, made the German guards fed up by singing "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" off key, forcing them to stuff a big handkerchief into his mouth.
Minutes later, a German opened the cell door which held Jim, Leonard, Hawkins, Lieutenant Neil and the weak soldier who was feeling better. The German beckoned to Lieutenant Neil after extracting information that he was the field commander by torturing a soldier from a cell beside theirs. Jim tried to stop Neil but he said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." But what he said is a stark contrast to what the Nazis did to him. It is not known what they asked him and how they tortured him as Hawkins heard him groan and cry in pain.
The whole company was terribly saddened when they were informed that Lieutenant Neil was to be executed at dawn. At the time of Lieutenant Neil's execution, the company, whose cells they were in were facing the execution grounds with windows, witnessed the execution of their respected lieutenant. They saw the riflemen take aim at the lieutenant who refused to give information about the American camps, some were in a crouching sniper- like position and others were standing upright. "Bang." The honorable lieutenant surprisingly stood still until he was hit by one of the German rifleman's stock. The company got the message even though the lieutenant did not even utter a word. The message- "Even when things are negative, you still must fight on to live, no matter what they do to you."
A few soldiers whispered in chorus, "We will still remember you, no matter how long time passes, we will fight." And so the company discussed how to escape the prison. Messages were passed from one cell to the other and it went smoothly as their cells were aligned and all the soldiers nodded to each other, and they are in action.
The soldiers began to run around inside their cells and yelled like mad. And with the plan the German guards opened the first cell door to give the soldiers a good beating, but they were eventually being beaten, even before any of them could fire with their rifles, they were already knocked off. The soldiers quickly took the guards' keys and opened the rest of the cell doors. Taking the three guards' rifles along with them, they ran out of the prison to run to their freedom.