The Nurses E-Book

Anna Morgan

• Herausgeber: Fresh Ink Group
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Nurses of the Kreig
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 691

Beschreibung

In 1933 Berlin and Munich, fifteen-year-olds Katarina and Maria, who have never met, share the same dream: to become nurses who care for all regardless of race, creed, or colour.

They achieve their dreams, but their determination to rise above prejudice brings them into conflict with the authorities and very close to danger of arrest. As a result, they both find themselves sent to the same hospital in France, more for their own safety, where they meet unexpectedly and become firm friends. They look so similar to each other that people often mistake them, which leads them to play tricks on the people they meet.

The Nurses find themselves on the Mediterranean Sea, bound for North Africa. Misfortune strikes when their ship, the Meer Königin (Queen of the Sea) strikes a mine and begins to sink. Alone and adrift in a life raft, Katarina and Maria want to help others live, but that will never happen unless they find a way to survive.

Leseprobe

The Nurses

Nurses of the Kreig

Book 1

Copyright © 2024

by Anna Morgan

All rights reserved

Fresh Ink Group

An Imprint of:

The Fresh Ink Group, LLC

1021 Blount Avenue #931

Guntersville, AL 35976

Email: [email protected]

FreshInkGroup.com

Edition 1.0 Out of print

Edition 2.0 2024

Cover design by Stephen Geez / FIG

Book design by Amit Dey / FIG

Associate publisher Beem Weeks / FIG

Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, no portion of this book’s content may be stored in any medium, transmitted in any form, used in whole or part, or sourced for derivative works such as videos, television, and motion pictures, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Cataloging-in-Publication Recommendations:

FIC014050 FICTION / Historical / 20th Century / World War II & Holocaust

FIC044000 FICTION / Women

FIC070000 FICTION / Disaster

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024904097

ISBN-13: 978-1-958922-86-6 Softcover

ISBN-13: 978-1-958922-87-3 Hardcover

ISBN-13: 978-1-958922-88-0 Ebooks

Table of Contents

Berlin. April 9th 1933: A New Day

München-Pasing. April 9th 1933: A New Beginning

Berlin. April 9th 1939

München-Pasing. April 9th 1939

Berlin. September 3rd 1939

Munchen.Pasing. September 3rd 1939

Munchen.Pasing. December 24th 1939

Berlin. June 1st 1940

Munchen-Pasing. June 1st 1940

Berlin Monday 3rd June 1940

Munchen-Pasing. June 3rd 1940

Berlin. June 8th 1940

Munchen-Pasing. June 8th 1940

Amiens. June 9th 1940

Cologne. June 9th 1940

Amiens. June 11th 1940

Amiens. June 11th 1940

Amiens. June 12th 1940

Amiens. June 12th 1940

Amiens. September 15th 1940

Amiens. December 24th 1940

Amiens. December 24th 1940

Amiens. December 29th 1940

Amiens. December 29th 1940

Munich-Pasing. January 1st 1941

Berlin. January 1st 1941

Karlsruhe. January 13th 1941

Karlsruhe. January 15th 1941

Karlsruhe. February 24th 1941

Italy, February 25th 1941

Taranto, February 27h 1941

Meer Koenigin, February 28h 1941

Mediterranean, March 1st 1941

Mediterranean, March 6th 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 6th 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 7th 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 8th 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 21st 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 22nd 1941

H.M.S. Lakhota, March 23rd 1941

Gibraltar, April 6th 1941

About Anna Morgan

Berlin. April 9th 1933: A New Day

In the heart of the city, Katarina Langsdorff was waking to the start of a new, special, day for today was her fifteenth birthday.

It was a beautiful spring morning. The sun was rising in the clear blue sky and streaming in through the window as she drew back the heavy curtains.

The trees had new leaves growing and the birds on their branches were singing joyfully.

In her heart, Katarina felt alive and ready to begin a new chapter of her life.

She was growing into a beautiful young woman. Tall and slim, her long blonde hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders, and her ice-blue eyes twinkled as she looked out at the busy street below.

Although just Seven O’clock and a Sunday morning, Potsdamer Platz was busy with the squealing and clanking of trams and the constant drone of the omnibus engines and car horns. She could hear the faint voices of people going about their business from her window in the apartment high above the street. The sounds, though, were but a background to her thoughts and not loud enough to be an intrusion.

“Katarina!” She heard the voice of her mother calling from the kitchen.

“Coming, Mama!”

Turning away from the window, she skipped through the door and down the hall.

“Good morning, Mama.” She ran to her mother and threw her arms around her neck, “It’s a beautiful day!”

“Good morning, Katarina, It is indeed. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.” Her mother hugged her tightly. “Are you ready for some breakfast?”

“Mmm... yes please, Mama.”

Katarina sat at the large wooden table, and her mother cut some bread from the crusty loaf and placed it on a large plate for her. Next, she sliced some cheese and some ham and put them on the plate also.

“Some milk, darling?” her mother asked.

“Mama...” Katarina paused as she considered the question, “Do you think I may have coffee today, please?”

Her mother smiled, ‘Growing up so quickly,’ she thought as she poured the thick, dark liquid from the tall pot.

She looked lovingly at her daughter. At fifteen, she was a woman now, ready to venture out into the harsh reality of an emerging Germany.

Adolf Hitler had been declared Chancellor just a few short weeks before. There was an air of optimism. He had given rousing speeches about how Germany would rise and become great again, its people free from the control of Marxism. No longer would the German people be held down by the yoke of defeat that had been imposed upon them after the last war. They would rise up and become the masters of their own destinies, and the world would look up to them once again.

Magda Langsdorff, however, didn’t trust Hitler or his cronies, they were bullies, using the depression and hopelessness of the populace as a way to gain power.

At the end of February, there had been a disastrous fire at the Reichstag building, there in Berlin. A young communist had been arrested at the scene, accused of arson, as were four other communist leaders soon after.

Adolf Hitler had demanded, and been granted, a change in the law which resulted in the arrest of communists. Including all of the party members who sat in parliament. It was this act that had given the National Socialists a majority share in government and which led Magda to doubt their credentials.

Her husband, Siegfried, Katarina’s father, worked in the diplomatic service. Although a member of the National Socialist Party, a pre-requisite if he was to remain in his post, he didn’t trust them either. Neither would say so out loud, of course. To denounce Hitler would mean certain death but, at home, they continued as best they could to bring up Katarina in as ordinary an environment as possible, with scant mention of politics.

He had been a diplomat since the end of the last war after he was discharged from the Army. He had seen many changes in the political arena, but they had, until now, made little or no difference to him. He was not a politician, more a messenger. Liaising between the government of the day and those of the rest of the world. He was fully aware of the oppression of his Fatherland, and the conditions imposed on her. When, all the while, the rest of the world grew and prospered.

He understood the citizens of a now united but reduced and oppressed entity which was greater Germany. A country made up of former proud and, in some cases, sovereign, states. They would grasp at the straws being offered by a man who was, without a doubt, a great orator, but he was not convinced. He was aware that this man could not have achieved such status by words alone.

However, there was nothing he could do. He and Magda tried as hard as they could to give Katarina the best upbringing possible without concerning her with such matters.

Magda sighed and passed the cup to her daughter, who took it and smelled its delicious aroma.

Katarina took a sip and wrinkled her nose. It was too strong and very bitter.

“Ewww, Mama! How do you drink this?” she exclaimed

Her mother laughed,

“Would you like some sugar and milk in it, Sweetheart?”

“You don’t have milk in it,” she replied.

Smiling, her mother stirred a half spoon of sugar into the steaming black liquid, and Katarina took another sip.

“That is better,” she said, “but still, well...”

Her mother didn’t allow her to finish.

“I am afraid good coffee is hard to find these days,” she told her daughter. “It is only because of your father’s position that we have any coffee at all.”

“Oh yes! where is Papa?”

“I am afraid he had to go into work, sweetheart. He said he wouldn’t be too long though.”

“Oh, but Mama!” Katarina protested, “It is Sunday! And it is my birthday!” She pouted.

Magda Langsdorff walked over to her daughter and put her hand gently on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, my love, I know you are disappointed but he will be home before too long. He said he had some paperwork to deal with. That’s all.”

“All right, Mama.” Katarina smiled up at her mother then frowned. A little grimace appeared.

“Mama... ” she paused, “...I don’t like this coffee. May I have milk instead please?”

Her mother smiled too.

“Of course you may, Katarina.” She walked over to the worktop and poured a glass of milk for her daughter.

Placing it on the table before her, she said:

“You don’t have to grow up immediately, you know. You can still drink milk even at fifteen.”

Then, she put her arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug.

Katarina reached out and slipped her arm around her mother’s waist and smiled.

After a moment, Magda Langsdorff went back to her chores in the kitchen.

“Have you thought about what you want to do when you finish school?” she asked.

“Oh yes, Mama,” her daughter replied, “I want to be a nurse.”

“A nurse?” Her mother replied, “That is a good job, Katarina. A lot of hard work and so much to learn, though.”

“Oh, yes, I know. I don’t mind that. It would be worth it to help people who are sick to get better.”

“You are a good girl, Katarina. I am very proud of you, darling. I think you will make an excellent nurse.”

“Do you really think so Mama?” came the reply.

“Yes, Sweetheart, I do. You are so selfless in everything you do.”

She finished her breakfast and helped her mother clear away the dishes and wash them, and when all was done, she sat on a wooden chair while her mother brushed her hair and tied it back.

“There,” her mother said when it was done. “A more beautiful woman doesn’t exist.” She bent forward and kissed Katarina on the top of her head.

“Oh, Mama!” she giggled, “I am not beautiful, I am just me!” and she smiled broadly.

Inside, the comments from her mother made her feel warm and loved.

“Now then, young lady,” she felt her mother tap her shoulder gently, “Go and get washed and dressed. We have much to do before your father gets home.”

“Yes, Mama,” she replied, jumping to her feet and trotted quickly off to the bathroom as instructed.

Together, they spent the rest of the morning cleaning and cooking. Doing all the chores that needed to be done in the apartment until, finally, the apartment was sparkling and clean, which it always was anyway.

Magda Langsdorff took a large cooking pot and began to prepare two pigs knuckles. Katarina helped her by peeling potatoes and slicing onions and placed them in a pan of water to prevent the potatoes from drying out.

The two pork joints were placed in the pot and left to boil slowly for the afternoon.

Some hours had passed when the front door opened and closed with a thump.

“Papa!” Katarina ran down the hall to meet her father, who placed his briefcase on the floor so his hands would be free to hug his daughter as she threw her arms around him and held him tightly.

“Happy Birthday my darling,” he said, smiling.

It was then that she noticed the flowers in his hand.

“Are those for me?” she asked., her mouth wide open.

Siegfried Langsdorff laughed happily.

“Not all of them!” he chuckled as he separated the two bunches. “Some are for your mother.”

Katarina carefully took the colourful, fragrant bouquet from her father and looked at them in awe. No-one had bought her flowers before. All of a sudden she didn’t feel like a child any more. For the first time in her life she was being treated as an adult, and it was a wonderful feeling.

“Papa... ” she looked at her father who was still smiling, and she saw his eyes were a little moist.

“Thank you, Papa, they are so beautiful. I love them.”

Siegfried took off his hat and coat and hung them on the hall stand then, with his arm around his daughter, walked down the hall to the kitchen where he went to his wife and kissed her, handing her the remaining flowers.

Magda placed a cup of steaming black coffee on the table in front of her husband then turned to her daughter and, with a mischievous smile, she asked:

“Would you like one, Katarina?”

“Oh, er, no thank you,” Katarina replied, “I am not really thirsty.”

Wiping a strand of jet black hair from her forehead, her mother laughed,

“I will get you some milk... ”

Her father looked puzzled.

“Katarina, had some coffee this morning,” her mother answered the unasked question, smiling. “She didn’t like it much.”

Her father laughed gently.

“There is plenty of time for coffee, Sweetheart,” he said, rubbing her head benignly. “Don’t be in too much of a hurry to be grown up. Enjoy your young life while you can.”

Her smile widened.

“Yes, Papa.” was her answer.

Katarina returned to the business of slicing the potatoes for her mother. She placed in a frying pan, along with the remaining onions that had not been put in with the pork.

Once Siegfried Langsdorff had finished his coffee, he looked at his daughter and smiled.

“Katarina,” he said.

“Papa?” she answered.

“I have watched you grow into a beautiful and caring young woman, and I have seen how you are with friends and strangers alike. You never refuse a request and always help wherever you can, however difficult that may be. Such as the time last month when old Frau Grüber tripped and fell. Your mother told me about how you helped her to her feet and made sure she was not hurt and then carried her shopping up to her apartment while guiding her up the stairs.”

Katarina frowned.

“Oh, Papa!” she protested, “That was nothing. She is nearly ninety years old. Anyone would have done the same.”

“Perhaps.” he replied, “Nevertheless, you helped her without a single thought.”

He paused, thinking.

“That was just an example, sweetheart, of how you are all the time. Never thinking of yourself and always putting others before your own wishes.”

He reached into his pocket and brought out a small box, not unlike one that would contain an engagement ring, but perhaps a little larger.

He handed the box to his daughter with a smile and the words:

“Happy Birthday, Katarina.”

Wiping her hands on her apron, Katarina took the box carefully from his outstretched hand and looked at it carefully. Then she looked at her mother, curiosity etched on her young face.

Magda smiled happily at her daughter and nodded her assent to open it.

Holding the little box between fingers and thumb of her left hand, Katarina slowly prised open the lid against the sprung hinge and gasped. Putting her hand to her mouth and her eyes filling with tears, she looked first at her father, and then at her mother, both of whom were smiling broadly and with moist eyes.

Inside the box was a small round brooch. The centre was white and upon that white background was a red cross. Around the top, in silver lettering on black enamel, the words:

‘Deutsches Rotes Kreutz’, then, below, ‘Schwesternhelferin’.

It was the Insignia of the German Red Cross, Nursing Auxiliary.

Katarina didn’t know what to say, but a whispered, ‘thank you’ found its way out.

After a pause to allow his daughter to regain her composure, Siegfried Langsdorff spoke again.

“I, well we, that is, your mother and I, have known for some time that you wanted to be a nurse...”

Katarina looked at her mother and frowned.

“I asked just to be sure,” her mother confirmed.

“I have some friends who have found you a place at the Charité Hospital, here in Berlin. When you have finished your studies at school, later this year, you will go to the hospital to train to be a nurse.”

Katarina threw her arms around her father.

“Oh Papa, Thank you, thank you, thank you...” then, releasing him, she ran over to her mother and gave her the same treatment.

“Mama, I am so happy. Thank you so much.”

Siegfried felt that, at that moment, there could be no happier family anywhere in the world.

Before too long, the meal was ready. Magda cut the meat from the bones and shared it between them and also the fried potatoes and onions. Katarina handed a dish to her father who took it with thanks and placed it before him on the table. She then sat at one side with her own, while her mother sat opposite her after placing a fresh pot of coffee on the table.

Siegfried Langsdorff made an announcement.

“Next week,” he began, “I have to go to England for a few days.” He waited to see how the news would be received.

“Oh, Papa...” Katarina pouted.

“Don’t be sad, little one,” he continued, “You and your mother are coming too!”

Her face brightened immediately.

“There is a conference I have to attend, but we shall also take a little holiday.”

“I love going to England, Papa! The people are always so nice.” Her eyes sparkled and danced with joy. “Oh, this is the best birthday ever!”

“I will send a letter of explanation to your teacher tomorrow, and we fly out from Tempelhof on Thursday. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful, Papa, I cannot wait!” She clapped her hands together in excitement.

“Will we stay in London?”

Siegfried smiled.

“Yes, Sweetheart, at the Embassy.”

By the time Katarina went to bed that night, she was happier than at any time in her short life.

She loved visiting London and of all the people she had met from around Europe, the English people were so much more like themselves. She found them very welcoming. It was true that some of the ministers and their families were quite stuffy and aloof. However, they were pleasant and, when she tried to learn a few words of English they were always so helpful in explaining the correct pronunciation.

It was a difficult language, she found. So confusing when there were so many words meaning the same thing, and then so many different meanings for the same words, and worse. Because she didn’t visit often, many of those words were soon forgotten.

What Katarina didn’t know, however, was that this would be her last visit to England.

Outside of her happy little world, many were beginning to suffer the effects of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi thugs. Little more than a week before, they had started a programme of hatred against the Jewish population. Their businesses had become out of bounds to the German populace and worse was to come but that was all unknown to Katarina as her parents had kept such things away from her and so, that night, she placed the little box containing her birthday present on the stand beside her bed climbed between her sheets.

With her future planned, everything was perfect.

München-Pasing. April 9th 1933: A New Beginning

In the quiet Munich suburb of Pasing, a new day was dawning. As was usual, Maria Kaufmann was rising along with the sun.

She went to the window and, in the half-light, drew back the curtains and took a deep breath.

The light was slowly increasing but the clear sky was still a deep blue.

She smiled as she surveyed the view from her window. It was going to be a beautiful day and not just because of the weather. No, today was Maria’s fifteenth birthday.

She was growing into a very beautiful young woman. She was tall and slim, her long blonde hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders and her ice blue eyes twinkled as she looked out at the quiet street below.

She turned from the window and put on her grey robe then slowly crept out through the door and down the stairs to the kitchen.

The house was an old house that used to belong to her grandparents. Her father had grown up there and when they passed away in nineteen-eighteen, the year she was born, Maria’s parents remained. It was a nice house, homely and warm but due to the recession, Germany had suffered terribly and her parents had struggled to maintain the house.

Despite making some life-changing decisions and giving up almost everything that was dear to them, they had come very close to losing it. Things were improving though and, although not rich, they managed.

In the kitchen, Maria busied herself with preparing some breakfast for them all. Her mother and father would be up soon, even though it was Sunday. They were all early risers so Sunday was just like any other in that respect.

It was still only six-fifteen but she lit the stove and placed a kettle of water upon it. Next, she began to slice bread and set three places at the table, Papa at the end and Mama and herself opposite each other at the sides.

From the pantry, she took three white eggs and pricked a small hole in the round end of each before placing them into the kettle of water on the stove. Finally, she sliced ham and cheese and placed both onto the plates set on the table before making a pot of coffee for them all.

Before long and just as the eggs began to boil, her mother and father appeared at the door.

“Good morning, Papa, Good morning, Mama.” Maria smiled at them.

“Good morning, Maria,” they both replied to her greeting, “Happy Birthday.”

They walked to her and hugged her simultaneously then sat down at the table.

Her father, Herman, clasped his hands together and bowed his head, a signal for Maria and her mother to do the same, then, raising his head and spreading his hands, said:

“Come Lord Jesus and be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed.”

Maria and her mother, Anna, both responded,

“Amen.”

Maria jumped up and went back to the stove. The eggs were ready now and she carefully scooped them out with a spoon, placing one on each of the three plates, then went back and brought the steaming coffee pot to the table where she poured out three cups.

She returned the pot carefully to the stove and, after ensuring it was turned off, returned to the table and sat with her parents.

They ate in silence for a while, enjoying their breakfast, until Herman spoke.

“So, Maria. Another year older.”

“Yes, Papa. Isn’t it wonderful?”

Herman Kaufmann smiled benignly.

“You have grown into a beautiful young woman, Maria. A daughter a father can be very proud of.”

“Oh, Papa! thank you.” Maria blushed, “I do try my best to be a nice person but sometimes it isn’t easy.”

“I don’t think you have any need to explain, Maria.” her mother rejoined, “We live in dark times and you shine brightly.”

“Now, young lady,” her father continued, “I think it is time.”

“Time, Papa? Time for what?” Maria frowned.

“Your birthday present of course,” her father replied.

“As you know, Maria, you should have joined the Bund Deutsche Madel before now and people at work often ask whether you have.”

“Oh, but Papa...” Herman Kaufmann held up his hand to interrupt her.

“You have no need to worry, my little one. I know that for a long time you have wanted to be a nurse. Am I right?”

Maria looked at him intently.

“Oh yes, Papa. Very much so.”

“Well then,” he continued, “Your mother and I have spoken at length and we have managed to get you an interview at the Ludwig-Maximillian University here in Munich.”

He paused and smiled as Maria’s jaw dropped and her ice blue eyes opened wide.

“The principal in charge of medicine has assured us that if you pass your final exam at school and impress him at the interview then you will be offered a place there to study nursing. How does that sound?”

Maria looked across at her mother, jaw still open, then back at her father.

“I... I don’t know what to say,” she said, slowly. “That is wonderful.”

Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and ran to her father at the head of the table, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Oh, Papa! Thank you so much.” Then she turned to her mother who held out her arms and held her tightly.

“Thank you so much, Mama, it is wonderful news, thank you.”

“Well, Sweetheart, it is up to you now. I know you will work hard, you always do and I am sure the Professor couldn’t fail to be impressed. You just need to be yourself.”

“When will the interview be, Papa? I will need to prepare.”

Her father paused for a moment as if considering his answer carefully.

“Well...” he began slowly, “I have spoken to the principal personally and he says the best opportunity would be...” He paused again, smiling, “Tomorrow morning at eight!”

The blood drained from Maria’s face.

“Tomorrow morning! But Papa, I will never be able to prepare in such a short time!”

Herman Kaufmann took his daughter’s hand and held it gently between his own two hands.

“Maria,” he spoke gently but firmly. “The Professor does not want you to prepare. He wants to see you just as you are. You will learn all you need to know about nursing at the University. All you have to do is show him that you have the maturity and discipline to be a good student.”

She looked imploringly to her mother.

Anna Kaufmann smiled.

“Don’t worry, Maria,” she said, “All who know you are aware of how hard you work and how much you put others needs before your own. This interview will be just a formality, you will see.”

“So, tomorrow morning I will make sure you are awake when I rise at six,” her father continued, “and we will take the tram together, yes?”

“Oh yes, Papa, I will enjoy that!” Maria’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“I know you will, Sweetheart, but I will leave you at the Hauptbahnhof.” Herman paused and Maria waited patiently, “You will have to continue to Marienplatz and then take the bus to the University. Can you do that, do you think?”

After a moments thought, Maria replied.

“Oh yes, Papa, I surely can.”

Her mind was in a spin. This morning was just another birthday. Maybe not exactly like any other but now, it was the start of a whole new life.

Munich was in the grip of the National Socialist Democratic Workers Party, their leader, Adolf Hitler, having been proclaimed Chancellor just a few weeks before, had given rousing speeches.

Maria didn’t understand politics but she could see that things were happening. Men in brown uniforms roamed the streets in gangs but thus far she had seen nothing of the troubles that were beginning to happen in the city.

Herman Kaufmann stood up after they had finished breakfast. As a railway, worker he often had to work Sundays.

“Well,” he said, “I must get dressed. The railway cannot run without me.” and laughed, as he always did when he made that same statement.

In a way, he was right. He was a shift manager at the central station. He had worked his way up from a porter after being demobbed after the Great War. When Maria was born money had been very tight but he had worked long and hard to support his new family and at times it had been almost impossible, even reaching the point where he had considered selling the house. Together, they had made huge sacrifices to survive. He and Anna had been just twenty years old at the time of his parent’s death and without adequate income, some heartbreaking decisions had been made. Soon though, through hard work and determination, Herman Kaufmann had kept both home and family together and begun to make a better life for them. They were not rich by any means but at least they didn’t worry any more about paying the bills.

He went to the bathroom, leaving his wife alone with their daughter.

Together they worked in silence, clearing away the dishes, returning the bread to its bin and the remaining ham and cheese to the larder. After cleaning the cups, plates and cutlery and returning them to their rightful places in cupboards and drawers, they swept the floor and scrubbed the work surfaces until they were spotless.

Soon after, Maria’s father reappeared, smartly dressed in a shirt and tie with a grey suit. Trousers neatly pressed with sharp creases and brown shoes polished like mirrors and his hair neatly combed back, glistening with pomade. Over his arm, he carried his raincoat and in his hand, he held his trilby hat.

Maria noticed a small badge pinned to his lapel, just below his Bavarian Railway badge.

It was an eagle with its wings outstretched and in its talons, it held a wreath with a swastika.

“Papa, what is that?” she asked, pointing.

“Oh,” he replied, glancing quickly at his wife, “don’t you worry about that, it is just a membership badge.”

“Membership of what?” she persisted, “A club?”

“No, not a club.” Herman looked sad, “I suppose you would have to know sometime. In order to keep my position on the railway I have to be a member of the NSDAP.”

“The National Socialist Party, Papa? But I thought you didn’t like them.”

“Maria, you must never say anything like that outside this house!” Herman’s sharp response took her by surprise. “I must leave now or I will be late.”

He stroked Maria’s blonde hair and kissed her forehead.

“Your mother will explain it all to you, won’t you dear?”

He looked at his wife, an apologetic look in his eyes.

Anna put her arm around her daughter.

“Yes, dear, I will,” she replied and kissed him goodbye. “Have a nice day at work.”

Herman Kaufmann turned and left, the front door closing behind him with a gentle click.

Maria turned and looked at her mother, a puzzled look on her face.

Anna led her daughter back into the kitchen where they sat face to face at the table.

“Maria, you are growing fast now and we can no longer keep the world hidden from you.”

“I know that Mama, but I don’t understand why Papa has joined a group he didn’t like.”

“Well,” Anna searched hard for the words, “Herr Hitler has decreed that the people in important positions, such as that of your father, must pledge allegiance to the party and to do that, he has to be a member.”

Maria was puzzled. She had always been brought up to believe that she had the choice to do as she wished but now...

Anna continued.

“We cannot afford for your father to lose his position so he did as he was told and joined. It is very important when you are out that you never say anything against Herr Hitler or his policies. He has brought Germany out from the oppression that held us down. We must be grateful to him.”

Maria thought momentarily then smiled.

“Alright, Mama, I will only say good things then.”

Anna Kaufmann stroked her daughters face with the back of her fingers.

“You are a good girl, Maria. Your father and I are very proud of you.”

Maria looked at the clock on the wall. Eight-thirty.

Papa would not be home before six and she wondered what she would do for the rest of the day. Already, her mother was busy with cleaning and washing, as she did every day.

“Mama?” she asked as Anna scrubbed at a particularly dirty collar of one of her father’s shirts.

Anna stopped and wiped the hair back from her forehead with the back of her hand as Maria continued.

“Mama, do you think we could go for a walk in the park today?”

Her mother waited for a moment before answering then replied:

“Yes Sweetheart, I don’t see why not. It will be nice to take a break for a while. Wait until I finish the washing and I will set your hair before we go.”

It seemed an eternity until her mother had finished and hung the washing out to dry but it was only two hours before Anna called her daughter back to the kitchen and told her to sit on the dining chair, then, standing behind her, took strands of her long blonde hair and plaited them into braids. Finally, she set them around Maria’s head in the typical Bavarian style, matching that of her own hair.

Closing the door gently behind them, mother and daughter walked arm in arm towards the park.

They had to walk through the town to get there.

Bavaria, being a very religious area, the town was quiet. They passed a few people out for a stroll and greeted them.

“Grüß Gott,” they would say and Anna and Maria would smile and say,

“Ich auch” or simply repeat, “Grüß Gott.”

Maria began to notice that some of the shops had stars painted on the windows and the word ‘Juden’.

“Mama, Why have they done that?” she asked.

“Shhh... I will explain to you when we get home.” They walked on in silence but Maria remained puzzled.

Anna and her daughter chatted happily as they strolled through the park, The bright spring sun bringing joy to their hearts and warming their faces. Time passed quickly and it seemed like no time at all until she turned to Maria and said,

“It is getting late, we must start walking back so we can prepare supper for Papa when he gets home.”

Maria asked what her mother had planned for them and was very pleased with the reply.

“Well,” Anna smiled at her, “Because it is your birthday Papa has bought some pork steaks and I am going to make Wiener Schnitzel with potatoes and Sauerkraut.”

“Mmm... Mama, Delicious! It is so long since we had that.”

Maria skipped a little. This day just couldn’t get any better.

She put her arm through that of her mother and held it tightly as they walked home. Anna was careful to take a different route this time, being sure to avoid the shops and remain on roads and paths that took them past houses and apartments.

When they got home and removed their outdoor clothes, they went into the kitchen and began to prepare the supper. They worked away in silence until Maria heard a key in the front door.

“Papa,” she called out, “We are in the kitchen.”

Herman Kaufmann hung his coat and hat on the hall stand and went through to the kitchen.

The table was laid for three and the smell of cooking filled his nostrils. He smiled.

“Mmm... that smells good.”

Maria pulled out his chair and Herman sat down and watched his wife and daughter as they busied themselves serving up the schnitzels and potatoes.

Maria placed the sauerkraut on the table in a dish and sliced some bread and, finally, they sat at the table and Maria’s father clasped his hands together but instead of praying, he looked at Maria and said:

“Would you like to lead us, Maria, as it is your birthday?”

“Yes, Papa, I would.” Then she bowed her head and repeated the prayer of thanks her father had recited that morning over breakfast.

Herman and Anna waited until she finished, then together repeated,

“Amen.”

No-one spoke as they ate, enjoying every mouthful. Such a meal was a treat.

Placing his knife and fork on his empty plate, Herman Kaufmann wiped his mouth on his napkin and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package.

“Maria,” he said, turning to his daughter, “What I told you this morning wasn’t your only gift.”

Maria looked at him curiously and then at the package in his hand.

“It wasn’t?” she said slowly.

“No,” he continued, “I saved this until I could enjoy the time to see you open it.”

He handed the package to her.

It was a small, velvet-covered box and Maria took it and looked carefully at it.

“Open it, darling,” her mother said, softly.

Maria opened the hinged lid and her eyes opened wide for there, inside, was a silver and marcasite fob watch and the face was upside down, such as a nurse would have pinned to her uniform.

Maria’s eyes began to fill with moisture.

“Oh, Papa, it is beautiful. Thank you so much.”

She stood and leaned over her father and hugged him then went over to her mother and hugged her as well.

“Thank you, Mama. This truly is the best day ever.”

Anna Kaufmann wiped away a tear and held her daughter tightly.

That night, fifteen-year old Maria Kaufmann lay in her bed, sleep in no hurry to come to her. The memories of the day running round and round inside her head and the worry of the interview in the morning all conspired to keep her awake but, eventually, she drifted off into a deep, contented sleep.

Berlin. April 9th 1939

Katarina yawned and stretched out her arms. Although today was Sunday she had to work at the hospital. She checked the clock beside her bed. Five O’Clock.

Her shift began at seven so she threw back the covers and sat up, turned to the side and grabbed her robe from the end of the bed before standing, slipping her arms into the sleeves and fastening the cord around her waist.

Walking to the window she drew back the heavy curtains.

Dawn was beginning to show and the black sky was already beginning to turn a deep blue.

The streets were almost empty outside. A few people walked past, men, on their way to their own work no doubt and a tram rumbled by with a handful of passengers on board, most reading the Völkischer Beobachter newspaper.

Neither the people on the street nor those on the tram were aware of Katarina watching them from the window above and even less so were aware of the significance of this day.

To Katarina, however, this day was very significant for today was her twenty-first birthday.

She remembered back to that Sunday six years before. So much had happened since that joyful day. The world, especially Germany, had changed so much. Berlin had become a violent and almost unrecognisable place. The Jewish population had been all but removed from the city. Businesses had been either destroyed or taken over and all the Jewish medical staff at the Charité Hospital, whether Professor, Doctor, Nurse or even porter, had been expelled.

She had suffered seeing these injustices all through her professional career. She didn’t understand how these people were any different from any other people. Her Mother and Father had always taught her that all people were equal and she had seen nothing to suggest they were wrong.

Even though all the other students had come together against the Jews, she had not. She felt ashamed that she had not been able to help those who were persecuted but she tried always to be caring and help in other ways. Never turning her back on anyone who needed her help, whomsoever they may be.

Katarina sighed, turned away from the window and left her room, walking down the hall to the kitchen. She put some coffee in the pot, filled it with water, put it on the stove and lit the gas.

It was too early for her mother to be awake and her father was away, as he often was these days. She didn’t know what he did any more but he seemed to be having a lot of time at the office and away on business. Katarina was glad she could stay at home with her mother but her hours were long now. The hospital was very understaffed and twelve to fourteen-hour shifts were not unusual. Days off were also a luxury. The hospital was very busy but all over Berlin Jews were beaten and rounded up and taken to the station, for what reason she could not fathom but there were never any Jews brought to the hospital, they were not welcome there.

The boiling water percolating through the coffee snapped her back from her thoughts. Taking a cloth, she lifted the pot off the stove and poured herself a large cup of the steaming dark liquid.

The pot back on the stove, Katarina sat at the table and held the cup in front of her with both hands around it, her elbows on the table.

How different she felt from that day just six years ago when she awoke full of joy and hope. The day when she knew what her life was going to be... or so she thought.

As she sipped the hot, bitter coffee she remembered that first cup. Papa was right, there had been time to grow up but now that seemed so long ago.

“Is there any coffee left?” a voice behind her asked.

Katarina turned.

“Mama!” she exclaimed, “I’m sorry, did I disturb you?”

“No, Sweetheart,” her mother replied. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Magda Langsdorf moved towards the stove as Katarina jumped to her feet.

“Sit down, Mama, I will get your coffee,” she said, went to the cupboard, took out a fresh cup and filled it from the pot, placing it in front of her mother.

Magda smiled, the tiredness showing in her face.

“You have never changed, Katarina. Still a caring, loving daughter.”

“I never will, Mama.” she replied, “There is so much suffering and misery in the world, I will always do my very best to ease that wherever I can.”

Magda sat at the table as Katarina placed her coffee in front of her.

“Happy Birthday, my Darling.”

“Thank you, Mama.” Katarina kissed her mother and sat at the table opposite her.

“It seems so long ago since we sat here on my fifteenth birthday, when Papa gave me the brooch.”

“Yes, it does,” Magda answered wistfully. “So much has happened since then.”

“It is awful at the Hospital, Mama. Everyone wears military uniforms now. It is so difficult.

I am glad I trained when I did because there is no money or even interest now. The professors are all gone, the conditions are so poor.”

“And your shifts are very long,” her mother agreed.

Katarina drained the last of her coffee and stood up.

“I must dress now, Mama,” she said.

Magda Langsdorf looked up at her daughter, remembering the first time she tried coffee. She smiled. Such a lovely woman now, so strong and kind-hearted. She wondered what the future would hold for her.

She squeezed Katarina’s hand as she passed.

Back in her room, clean and refreshed, Katarina dressed in her uniform and picked up the brooch that had been her birthday gift six long years ago. The Red Cross brooch she had been so proud of, still was proud of.

She studied it for a moment and sighed, remembering the moment she opened its container, then she pinned it to her collar beneath her chin. She was a fully qualified nursing sister now, no longer an auxiliary but she vowed to wear that brooch as long as she had life in her body.

Standing in front of the mirror she smiled at the image. Before her was the image of the perfect nurse. Pristine uniform with white starched collar splendidly adorned with Deutsche Rotes Kreutz brooch.

She should have begun her new career with the Jugendrotkreutz, an organisation founded by the National Socialists but her father, through his contacts, had been able to get her into nurses training at the Charité as soon as she finished her schooling.

Katarina turned away and left her room.

At the front door, she kissed her mother and hugged her.

“Goodbye, Mama,” she said. Magda hugged her daughter tightly.

“I hope you have a nice day, my love. I will get a special dinner ready for you when you get home.”

At the bottom of the stairs, the door to the concierge’s apartment was open.

“Good morning, Sister.” The middle-aged woman in the doorway knew everyone who lived there.

“Good morning, Frau Müller,” Katarina smiled warmly

Outside, Katarina walked toward the tram stop. Berlin had changed. All the buildings were draped with banners showing Nazi insignia. Uniformed people were everywhere. No-one trusted anyone else. Even at home, the apartment blocks were full of spies for the Gestapo. The concierge watched everyone come and go and although Katarina always greeted Frau Müller cheerily, she did not say more than a few words to her, no-one did. In fact, no-one spoke long to anyone anymore, afraid of what might be reported in case one inadvertently said something that could easily be misconstrued and reported to the authorities.

She didn’t have to wait long for the tram to rumble along and she boarded and sat by the window just inside the door.

On the other side of the tram sat a man. He looked old but was probably only around fifty. He appeared pale and sickly and wore a yellow, six-pointed star sewn to his shabby grey jacket.

As Katarina looked, he turned his head towards her, his sunken brown eyes full of fear. She smiled at him, half with pity but mainly because that was her nature.

The pale man in the shabby suit smiled back at her, a look of gratitude on his wizened, unshaven face, for the fact that she had not ignored him as all others did.

For some minutes the tram rumbled along the streets. Stopping and starting, people getting on and off until it reached the point where Katarina stood to depart. As she did so, she looked at the shabby man in the crumpled grey suit and careworn, unshaven face and smiled again as he watched her rise.

He smiled back and as she passed she heard him speak, quietly.

“God Bless you, Miss.”

“God bless you too, “ she replied before stepping off the tram.

Two men in the brown uniforms of the SturmAbteilung stood back to let her alight.

“Thank you,” she smiled at them.

Suddenly, as Katarina stepped from the tram, she lost her footing and fell forwards, pitching herself straight into the two men and falling in an undignified heap on the ground. Immediately they stepped forward to help.

“Are you hurt?” asked one as the other offered her his hand.

“My ankle,” she replied, sitting on the cobbles and rubbing it, “I think I twisted it.”

The tram began to move away and she glanced up at it and saw the shabby man at the window mouth the words:

“Thank you.”

She smiled and returned her attention to the two SA men.

“Would you help me up please?”

Once on her feet, she thanked them.

“I am so sorry,” she apologised profusely, “I have made you miss your tram.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he replied, “We can catch another. Jews are everywhere.”

“Well, thank you anyway,” she said, smiling sweetly and began to hobble away.

“Wait!” The first one called after her.

She stopped and, holding her breath, tentatively turned back to face them.

“Are you sure you are all right?” the second one asked. “We can get you some transport if you wish.”

Katarina smiled again and breathed a small sigh of relief.

She assured them she would be fine. Walking on it would help prevent it stiffening and swelling.

Before they had time to protest, another tram arrived and, bidding her farewell, they boarded and Katarina limped away toward the hospital.

Once more, she looked back and saw the tram disappear around the corner, wheels squealing in protest against the steel rails.

She smiled again, this time to herself and walked easily and painlessly towards the hospital, her limp miraculously gone!

Checking her watch, she saw it was still only six thirty. There was no hurry so she walked steadily and enjoyed the early morning freshness that cooled the air as the sun began to appear.

Katarina thought about the last six years as she walked the final few metres. She had left school with excellent marks and gone straight into the hospital training course.

The studies had been tortuous but she had worked very hard and progressed rapidly. At times it had not been easy. There had been purges at the Charité and they were very short staffed. Professors had not been replaced, funds were not forthcoming and interest from the national socialists had been minimal but this was what she wanted to do and now she had worked her way up to be a fully qualified Red Cross nursing sister.

She knew things happened at the hospital, things that appalled her, but she managed to stay well away from ‘research’ and was able to remain a ward sister, dealing with general hospital duties and looking after the sick and injured.

The majority of cases seemed to be either disease and sickness caused by malnutrition and cold, heating fuel was difficult to obtain, food was scarce, and the winter had been particularly harsh and cold this year, or just age-related.

Katarina and her parents were fine because her father worked in the ministry. He was able to obtain all the fuel and food they needed via military channels but still, they gave as much as they could to their neighbours.

At the hospital Katarina worked tirelessly, doing her utmost to ease her patients’ pain with the limited resources she had available. A kind word here, a gentle touch there. She was both efficient and kind and was known throughout the hospital with affection.

The threat of war was growing and even in Berlin, Katarina saw a few casualties arriving from the occupation of Czechoslovakia, soldiers who had received battle wounds, but she treated them all with the same care and professionalism as her other patients.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and that evening she returned home to find her mother and father sitting together at the kitchen table, deep in conversation.

“Papa, you are home!”

Siegfried Langsdorf stood and turned to her, arms outstretched.

“Happy birthday, My Darling,” he said and took her in his arms, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a strong hug then stood back and looked at her admiringly.

“Look at you! Such a beautiful woman. And so smart in your uniform.”

Katarina looked at her father, a concerned look on her face.

“Papa, is something wrong?”

“No, my dear.” came his reply, “Well, nothing specific. The leaders are planning further acquisitions. Great Britain will not stay asleep forever. I worry what will become of you.”

“Me, Papa?” Katarina was surprised, “Why me?”

“Well, not just you, all of us but you because you are my daughter and I love you very much.”

Siegfried paused.

“I fear war is coming. A war that will not be over soon. The world will not be the same after.”

“Oh, Papa! Herr Hitler would not make war with Britain, surely?” she exclaimed, “The British are our friends... aren’t they?”

“Yes, my darling, they are but they have other friends too, countries that Herr Hitler has invaded and annexed. They will not sit idly by and allow this to continue. If Hitler tries to take Poland then Great Britain, and France, will have no choice.”

The room fell silent for a while as this news sank in. Katarina looked at her mother but she remained silent, sitting at the table.

“Papa, I am sure it will not come to this. The English are our friends. We will not fight with them I am sure.”

Siegfried Langsdorf sighed and squeezed his daughter’s hand.

“I hope you are right,” he said, “I truly hope you are right.”

Deep in his heart, he knew that Germany could be as little as just days away from war with Britain and the rest of Europe.

Magda Langsdorf took a deep breath.

“Now then,” she said, as cheerily as she could, “I have baked a cake for you, Katarina.”

“Mama! How wonderful!”

Katarina stopped suddenly.

“You didn’t use up all your allowances just for this cake did you?” she asked with a frown.

“Don’t worry, Sweetheart,” her mother replied with a smile, “I have been saving the ingredients. It is just like you to be concerned for others,” and she turned to the pantry with a little chuckle.

Katarina could not see into the pantry as her mother was standing in front of it when she reached in, so she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table with her father.

Magda turned and in her hands she held a large plate with a sponge cake on it. Katarina could see that it had some kind of decoration on it but it was too high for her to see what it was.

Her mother walked to the table and placed the plate in the centre. A small cloth was over it, which is what Katarina had thought was a decoration,

Magda took the edge of the cloth and, painfully slowly, revealed what was beneath.

She had decorated the cake with sugar icing around the top. It was white. Katarina put her hand to her mouth as, in the centre, was revealed... a red cross. ‘Katarina’ was written in red above and below, the number twenty-one.

She looked up at her mother and her eyes began to fill with tears of joy.

“Oh, Mama,” she choked, “It is beautiful. Thank you so much.”

Magda Langsdorf smiled down at her daughter. She was so proud and her eyes too began to fill.

“Happy birthday, Katarina,” was all she could manage to say.

Siegfried Langsdorf placed a box on the table in front of his daughter.

“Happy Birthday, young lady,” he said, “Now you are officially an adult.”

Katarina opened the box and saw inside an ornate gold wristwatch. It looked old. Taking it from the box she looked closely at it. On the face was the name ‘Junghans’. She looked, then, at her father.

“It was your Grandmother’s watch. Before she passed away she gave it to your mother to keep for you until your twenty-first birthday. You were not yet born when she died but she always hoped we would have a daughter and so, that day has arrived and, maybe, she is looking down on you and is as pleased as we are at how well you have turned out.”

“I will treasure it always, Papa.” Katarina leaned across and kissed her father. “Thank you.”

“I know you will, my Darling,” her father replied.

In the light of the dim electric lamps, Katarina and her parents sat and enjoyed a slice of her birthday cake and chatted about her day and her plans for the future. She didn’t tell them about the man in the shabby suit, she didn’t want them to worry.

Finally, Katarina got to her feet and cleared away the remaining plates.

“Do you mind if I go to bed now?” she politely asked her mother and father.

They smiled and nodded their assent then she went and kissed each of them in turn.

“Goodnight Mama, Goodnight Papa,” she said and headed for the door where she turned and looked back at them.

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” she smiled, “For my cake and present. They were wonderful.”

Siegfried and Magda Langsdorf smiled back at her but said nothing as she turned again and headed for bed.

In her room, Katarina took the red cross brooch from her collar and placed it carefully in its box, as she did every night, but this time she placed the open box containing her Grandmothers watch beside it on the dresser, leaving both boxes open. These were now her two most prized possessions which marked the most important stages of her young life so far.

München-Pasing. April 9th 1939.

Maria Kaufmann awoke in the light-filled room. She looked at the clock on her bedside table.

Half past twelve. Just five hours since she climbed wearily into bed after getting home after a long night’s work at the Ludwig-Maximilians University hospital.

She had finished her shift at six and taken the bus and tram home. It had been reasonably quiet at that time on a Sunday morning. Even so, there were some people going to work for the essential services that operated all day every day. Shops, offices and factories all closed on a Sunday in Bavaria but, of course, the emergency services, transport services and other such institutions all had to work regardless.

As she lay, rubbing the gritty sleep from her eyes, she remembered the journey home.

She had alighted the bus at Marienplatz and walked the few metres to the tram stop. As she waited, a man in a suit and an elegant young woman on each arm walked, well, staggered past. They were laughing, the ladies giggling, as they went by and Maria noticed one of the ladies had a ladder in her stocking and the other had none at all but a pencil line drawn, none too straight, up the back of her legs.

One of the women saw her looking and smiled. Making the other two stop she said:

“Grüß Gott, Sister. You look tired, going home?”

Maria smiled at her.

“Grüß Gott. Yes, It has been a long night. You too?”

“I think so,” she giggled again and looked at the other two. “But I am not sure whose home.”

Maria smiled with her.

“Take care now, Miss.”

“I will,” she replied as the other two dragged at her arm, “You too,” and, arm in arm, they all gradually disappeared around the corner.

Suddenly, Maria heard a crash and a scream from the direction they had disappeared. She jumped up and ran around the corner to see the woman she had just spoken to lying on the floor, the other woman was the one who screamed and the man was kneeling on the floor beside her.

Maria ran over, shouting:

“What happened?”

“I don’t know!” the man said. “One minute she was laughing and the next she pitched forwards onto the ground.”

Maria checked the woman’s pulse and breathing. Both were fine. Her heartbeat was a little fast but otherwise strong. After checking for any injuries or broken bones and being satisfied there were none, Maria, with the man’s help, turned the young woman onto her back. Immediately she saw the problem, the woman had tripped on the scarf she was carrying, fallen over and passed out from the alcohol she had consumed.

“She is all right,” Maria said with a smile, looking down at the silly grin on the recumbent woman’s face. “Does she live nearby?”

“Yes,” the other woman replied. “We live just over there.”

She pointed to a doorway along the road.

“Then I suggest you get her to bed to sleep it off.”

She helped them get the now giggling woman to her feet.

Behind her, she heard the rumble of an approaching tram and as she turned and looked in the direction of the tram-stop the woman said:

“Go! Quickly! We can manage here.”