Thanks for the chance to speak with you, as I mentioned on the phone I wanted to ask you a few questions. Can I start by asking why you chose the Waffen-SS as the branch to enlist in?

Erich: Yes, I was a member of the HJ in the motor unit and it was a given that we would join the military when we were old enough. The SS was the chosen branch as it was closely linked to the Führer and the Party. When war started I was 14, and I remember the English bombing Mannheim, I believe it was in the spring of 1940. This made an impression on me because it made me want to fight them.

That is what stands out the most, I remember reading about the first war, and how the English targeted civilians by imposing a blockade that was meant to starve women and children to end the war. Germany had to retaliate with U-boats and bombing to try to force them to quit. When I saw them bomb our cities and hit civilian areas, it made most Germans angry and want retaliation. My HJ troop was used to clear rubble in one nasty raid in November and again in December 1940 on Mannheim. We had to be shielded from the bodies; adults did not want children seeing the dead. It was a curiosity however, and we could not help but to stare, I saw a woman lying halfway in a doorway; a bomb hit her place while she must have been fleeing. These things were on my mind when our leaders spoke of duty and sacrifice. I wanted to get back at those causing this.

In 1941 we had a few Waffen-SS combat veterans come and speak to us. They talked about how dire our fight was for the freedom of Europe, and how the hordes from the east and their plutocrat allies wanted to destroy our culture. It was easy for me to believe this, as the bombing of cities bothered me. I did not think it was right, I wish we did not do the same thing. It may sound strange, but I felt we were doing a disservice to our idea by bombing our fellow Europeans, as misguided as they may have been. I do suppose the argument that we had no choice could be valid, as I do feel the Führer was forced into war, and then it spiraled out of his control. He built such a culturally superior state that aimed at preserving and growing Germanic culture and peoples. The war undid all of his work, and created enemies of this idea. I fervently believe that someday the lies about him and National Socialist Germany will fall.

I left these sit-down talks with the SS soldiers knowing I wanted to be one. I wanted to serve the Führer and Germany as an elite member of the Waffen-SS. In late 1942, we were assembled and told a new SS division was being formed and they wanted to know who might be interested in joining. They only wanted those over sixteen and I was sent home with a permission slip for my parents to fill out. They were not happy about this, but also they understood Germany needed everyone to do their duty when the nation called. My mother was a member of a Party organization but she was opposed to young boys fighting, my father had many questions and went down to talk to our leader. After this, he agreed, saying we were just going to be used for rear area duties. It took a long time to hear back on this, it was in late 1943 when I was accepted into the Waffen-SS. We were told this new division would bear the name HitlerJugend.

I know you trained in France and Belgium, what was training like? How did the civilians view you and treat you?

Erich: We were mere boys, most were 17, and the people treated us like their own children. Much to the anger of our trainers, one woman, who owned a bakery, sent us cupcakes on arrival. Our trainers were all combat veterans from the elite Leibstandarte, the Führer's guard. They allowed us to have them, but I remember we had to share, as there were not enough. From then on, the fun was over. Our commander, Fritz Witt, gave a talk where he told us how serious the situation was, and how dire the consequences are on the battlefield if we forget our training. He said, "Survival is attention to details".

Our trainers also told us war stories and consequences of not paying attention to the small things. The first few weeks of training were more bonding, learning military drills, and fitness. We were proud to be led by men who wore the Iron Cross, German Cross, and Knight's Cross. We felt they were teaching us the very practical things to make us victorious. We marched in the countryside, and drilled on farm fields and woods. Sometimes we saw Wehrmacht units nearby, and we could hear them cast remarks as to how young we looked. In our minds, we wanted to show how tough we could be. The people stayed to themselves mostly, a few would come and watch us march past, they would offer water, but we could not stop to accept. Once our leader let us stop to enjoy water on a very hot September day. We would have free time after our basic training was over, we could enjoy the sites or take a train back to Germany for the weekends. By late 1943 the bombings were getting bad, even France and Belgium were not spared. We would see the trails left by the formations as they flew.

In the time I was in France I never saw the people act anything else but nice to us. When we went out on the town to take walks and just enjoy nature, it was not uncommon for the girls to follow. Some of the old hares would tease if we had had our first kiss yet. I met a girl who was my age, and whose family made special butter for the fancy restaurants in Paris. They would let me take some back to camp to share. Even in the heart of the fighting in Normandy there was good relationships with the people. We helped many flee from the battle area. We also had orders to never bother them or harass them. Now not all French liked us, I remember there was a woman who lived just outside Caen; she had lost her husband in the first war, and son in 1940. He was an officer I was told. No one was permitted to approach her, or try to buy from her. When she would be out in the yard, if we drove by she waved her hand at us as if saying we annoyed her and would yell at us. There were a few like this in Normandy, we left them alone and they did not bother us. We would also run across those who refused to sell to us, one comrade was reprimanded for stealing from one of these angry people, and he had to pay him triple the cost and apologize. He spoke French so it made it a little easy on him, to his amazement the man returned the extra money to him.

Our training was tough, and designed to keep us alive. For the most part the relations with the civilians were very good, we had very little issues. Many comrades met good friends and a few created lasting friendships that still flourish today in spite of the papers always reporting some type of crime we supposedly committed. My HQ regiment was billeted in homes with French families; we paid them for food, and would share our rations as well. We ate very good and even received good wine lessons. Life was good for us until the invasion.