Soldaten, On Fighting, Killing, and Dying, The Secret World War II Transcripts of German POWs

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. First American edition. Hardcover. Small red dot on bottom edge, else near fine/near fine. 8vo. cloth. Pp. x, 438. Illustrated. Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

German soldiers captured during the Second World War were interned. Naturally they spoke among themselves freely about their experiences. Unbeknownst to them their conversations were secretly recorded by the British intelligence service. In the words on one of the editors of this book: the "men were talking live, in real time, about the war and their attitudes toward it.". The transcripts—called here protocols—of what they said were translated but then archived at the Public Record Office in Kew Gardens and forgotten, until they were found and brought to life beginning in 2001. Among the many stories was one by Sergeant Schmid told on 20 June 1942 about two 15-year old Russian boys, in military uniform, who were captured but told to go westward and let go. Once out of sight they disappeared, clearly intending to return to their unit. So a "large detachment was immediately send to look for them, but they couldn't find them. And they they caught the two boys. . . (Our people) behaved well and didn't kill them there and then." However, the boys were handed over to others who made them dig their own graves. In telling this story Sgt. Schmid clearly indicated his respect for the boys: "The other was told to push the first into the pit before he was shot himself. And he did so, smiling—a boy of fifteen! There's fanaticism and idealism for you!"