17th November 2020. 247 days of lockdown/isolation

Went to see Mum today. I thought I would test her memory of the events of 1945 and her and her families escape from Ponarth, Koenigsberg in early 1945. Apart from the actual escape route which has always changed slightly, she is still very sure of her arrival in Kiel/Laboe and how she was allocated “lodgings” in Laboe with the Arp family. She can even remember the rooms they were given and who slept where. The Arp family were very kind, Walter and Edith and their daughter Antja. They remained family friends until Mum stopped her visits to Germany and they have mostly passed away now. Every time we went to Laboe, almost every year, we visited them for coffee and cake and my sister Angela and I grew up as friends of Antja’s children Franki and Kirsten (Schueler). Kirsten lives in Kiel now and very rarely goes to Laboe and Franki lives in a flat in the same house and has become a recluse, barely seeing anyone. He passes cousin Petra’s flat each day as he makes his daily walk to the bakers. He is badly “stooped” and walks like a very sick old man. Very sad. I would love to see him to talk to but I have been advised that he would not want to make contact and would probably not remember me anyway. Shame. We had some good times together.

The Arps were a well off family. Walter had his own business, building and repairing ships. Even so, they welcomed the 6 refugees with open arms. (The British Expeditionary Force..BEF, were due to arrive and hundreds of soldiers including my father, would be looking for billets but this house was full). They were Oma (my grandmother), My Mum (18), Auntie Mariechen(15), Auntie Christel (11) and Uncle Gerhard (8 years old). The 6th member of the group was Gerda (22), the daughter of a neighbour in Ponarth who’s separated mother had thrown her out to make room for a new boyfriend. We grew up knowing Gerda and as was the “tradition” we called her Auntie.

I was at Mum’s for over two hours. Nearly twice as long as normal. I may quiz her some more next time about how she met my father.