Extension - Horrors Of War - Post War

IT APPEARS THAT PART OF THIS STORY IS MISSING. As Frank and I were bringing food to these sad people, our use of the main highway became a problem. The problem was the crowds of people. This highway was the broad road going East to West through the middle of the Ruhr Valley. On both roadsides German solders were surrendering with hands over heads. As they were trained, not one word was uttered. I later learned that they were intent to be prisoners of the Allies and the not the Russians, who were advancing from the East. The entire expanse of the road was covered with German civilians, mostly women, children and old men. It was a pitiful sight to see them drag, some with carts, their only possessions which could be transported. At a break time I was able to talk to two middle aged German women who spoke perfect English. They were from towns in Eastern Germany and they were emphatic that they had no desire to live under the rule of the barbaric Russians. These ladies knew more about the war than I did. After all, for the past year I had my face in the mud, or was in a hospital of which I had no memory. I did explain to them that the French border wasn’t far away, and that they should be safe in their present position. As to the boundary they had no faith that we Allies would be strong against the Russians. Heading back to the States and leaving all of this behind, I learned many years later as to what agreements were made. At war’s end in1945, a North-South line was drawn. East of the line was commanded by the Russians. All territory West of the line was commanded jointly by the Allies. In 1948, East Germay was established under the Communist rule. West Germany was established as a democracy.