Living under occupation - shortages

… I used to go with my two brothers who were 18 months and 3 years older than me, picking up potatoes dropped from the lorries being loaded, you might be lucky to get 5 or 6 each. Another time we were down in the Truchot and I had one of the carrier bags that you had then, the old fashioned ones, the brown ones with the string handles. I had been lucky enough, I had picked up 3 or 4 that were quite a reasonable size and quite nice and I thought
“ Oh mum’s going to be very pleased with me,”, you know
then all of a sudden- It was quite a young soldier who was up on the tailboard, handing these sacks of potatoes down. He started calling and beckoning,
“Komm see here”, or whatever they say, so I thought he doesn’t want me, but my two brothers. Oh yes, very defensive of their little sister..
‘It’s you he wants, off you go’, and pushed me forward! I thought well, thank you very much!
He beckoned, he wanted my bag, and I thought “He’s going to take my potatoes away!” I was really very angry. I wasn’t going to let it go. My brothers said
“Go on, he wants your bag, you better give it to him”,
and do you know what he did, he opened up a sack of potatoes, he filled up my carrier bag, handed it down to me, saying “Go, - off!”

I’ve often wondered what happened to that soldier and I hope he survived, I hope he’s had a good life.
RUTH WALSH

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