A German soldier fills an officer's boots with water, and the Battle of the Bulge begins

Nearly every night a couple of shells were returned to the opposition. Some success reports came back from the observer position. During November 1944, three soldiers of our group were wounded near our hide-out. They came screaming for help to us. We did our best. An ambulance had to take them away. We were at war and the unexpected could happen any time. I never comprehended how close it could come to me.

My unwanted job, besides bringing food to the officer, was also cleaning his boots daily. Very angry about it, I simply filled the boots with water in the evening and delivered them wet in the morning. That did it. I was part of a group sent to the front line one night. The company's lookout post there had to be moved to another position. Places on the way were under enemy fire. We had to wait until the enemy stopped firing and then run for our life.

It was still November 1944. Safely back early in the morning, there was bad news; very bad for me. My young friend and others were walking along the road to pick up the meals for the company, when a shell exploded right above them in a tree. One soldier was badly wounded and my friend died on the spot. The funeral was near Rommersheim. I had to climb into the open grave and remove the cover from his face so a photo could be taken. Firing the salute, that was all we could do for him.

From then on, my way to the kitchen was right behind us over the hill. One night I was peacefully sitting there, when a fragment went right next to my arm through the timber post, hitting the opposite wall. Was someone after me? We kept this position for some time.

During one night, in early December 1944, came the order to move to the West Wall near the township of Ormond. Here were Bunkers and Tank traps near the German-Belgian border. Pictures of deserters were displayed, with the notice of the death sentence for them, in absence.
We waited for the big event to happen. It did shortly before Christmas. The officer that made the announcement, mentioned 3000 German planes in the air, next morning.

16.12.1944 at midnight it started. We were only onlookers from a West Wall pillbox, at this stage. There was quite a noise and fireworks started. Launcher grenades, by the dozens, went over us with a terrible whistle and fire trail. It was the start of the Rundstedt Offensive (Battle of the Bulge).