My Captain's Promise

When I was a young soldier back when World War Two began, my captain gave me a pair of binoculars and told me to look after them. They were nothing special. Just dark green and came in a brown leather case.

I kept them closely by me during all early campaigns but during 1940 I was captured at Dunkirk and was forced to surrender. I was taken to some POW camp deep in the heart of Germany " I know not where., as I entered the camp, I was first searched and asked to surrender my military binoculars.

I first held tight and declined as my captain back then told me 'to look after them!'

However, I was forced to hand them over as they came under 'Military Equipment' in which was not allowed in a prisoner of war camp.

As the war years past, I was still held captive. Yet, during 1944-45 when most Germans knew the war was lost, they gave us back our once treasured possessions that they took from us back in the early days.

They returned to me my treasured binoculars.

Much later, when the war was practically over and the Russians and Americans were scouring the German lands, the American 8^th Army approached our camp and told us that we were now free.

Before boarding the trucks for embarkation, each one of us had to pass through tables of officials and armed guards " just like we did when first entering the camp. Many had traded German war souvenirs with red cross gifts like cigarettes or chocolate to the now beleaguered worse off German guards.

The US 8^th Army made us give them all up!

It came to my turn and I was once again told to give up my treasured binoculars. I so angrily said no and that it was British Military Equipment. The Yank sergeant replied, 'This is 'Liberation' and that also means liberation from all you own!'

So I handed him my treasured binoculars and boarded the truck that soon returned me back to England.

For many years after, I felt I had let my captain down. I had not looked after the binoculars that he gave me.

Years later, and well past my retirement., a postman called and handed me a parcel. I opened it not knowing what it might be as I had not ordered anything. Inside, wrapped in dark brown greaseproof paper, was a tatty old brown leather case that contained my old binoculars.

A letter with it read.,

'From an old GI from back then. I kept these binoculars when I first took them from you but over the years have felt so bad about it as I knew just how much they meant to you. In my now old age I return them and I hope it gives you as much peace of mind as it sure has done for me.'

I still have those binoculars in which I will pass down to my children.

I feel so good that I kept my Captain's promise.

Christine Peters

Reviews

[Christine Peters]

November 11th, 2016

The above is in commemoration for all serving and ex-serving troops from all lands that simply did their duty and stood by their comrades.

I salute them all.

Christine Peters (ex-military).