The Trial and the Verdict

Go Fishing

The next morning I am back at Hermann’s house. There is much coming and going. There is much excitement. I stay out of the way. I am there so often, that my presence disturbs no one. Finally an American Officer arrives. I find out later, that he is a Major and a military defence attorney. Hermann’s parents, a local lawyer who is a friend of the family and the major disappear into their parlour. There is nothing to do. I wander away and end up on the Main Square. I meet some of my American friends. In particular Richard Keegan. He is an Army Medic who fixed my dislocated shoulder after I had fallen off a horse, which I should not have stolen in the first place.

Richard knows all about the arrest. He has met Hermann and knows that we are best friends. He tells me that Hermann and Helmut have been charged this morning with “Werewolf Activities”. I have no idea what he is talking about. I’ve never heard the word before. “What’s a Werewolf?” I ask Richard. 
He looks at me and seems to decide to believe me. “Werewolves” he explains, “is an underground organisation of die-hard Nazis, mostly former members of the Hitler Youth, who are determined to carry on fighting a war which is long over.”

I cannot believe what Richard is telling me.

“This is complete nonsense” I tell him. “Hermann was not even a member of the Hitler Youth, because he is a bleeder. A haemophiliac. He was excused from the compulsory membership in the Hitler Youth.

Richard you have to help him”

I plead. Richard smiles: “I’m just a Medic. I am not even a doctor. There is really nothing I can do for your friend. Believe me, they face very serious charges.”

Just how serious became known very quickly throughout the town: The Prosecution is demanding the death penalty for both men. They stand accused of Werewolf Activities and if convicted must be hanged on the main square as a deterrent to all other potential members of this movement.

The Americans provide an experienced defence attorney, the Major I saw at Hermann’s house. During the closed military trial, we are told, he brings out the fact of Hermann’s medical condition, that for this reason he never belonged to any Nazi Organisation. That both his parents spent a short time in jail because they were quite obviously not sympathetic to the Nazi movement.

His father refused to join the NSDAP, the Nazi Party.

The Major must have done a good job defending my two friends. Finally they were convicted of “illegally possessing explosive devices.”

The Verdict: Nine Month Unconditional, Two years Conditional.

So they dragged Hermann and Helmut off to jail, where they spent the next five month. Their early release was due to their good behaviour.

And all they wanted to do was “Go Fishing”

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The window of Hermann and Helmut's jail cell.

I tied the heel guard of a military boot to the end of a long string. On the other end a package of  tobacco and the gadget required for the manufacture of home made cigarettes, or some of the pilfered American Cigs. Swinging the boot iron one of my friends could catch it at the third or fourth try. Neither Hermann nor Helmut smoked. so they used it to bribe the guards for extra time in the yard.