War Diaries (April 20) (nonfiction)
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Diaries
Reina Spiegel: April 20, 1942
Today is the Führer’s birthday. I want to scream with all my might.
How can you be in love for 18 months? Everything is real, pulsating, seething with life and love and youth. I feel as though I were riding a chariot or racing into the wind and rain. I can’t catch my breath, I can’t find words. I might dissolve in my own tenderness, my own affection. Today I was really ready to strangle him, but what would I do then? Zygus, I’m really writing this for you and you only! I’ve opened my heart to you and you’re so very dear to me! I’m happy, happy and light and...Dreams! Stupid, mad, wonderful dreams!
—Renia Spiegel, civilian (diary)
George Beck: April 20, 1943
Today was a rather depressing day for I said goodbye to one of my dearest friends, Arthur Roberts. We’ve been together for a long time now and I thought we should accompany one another back to England. He’s the only Sheffilder I’ve ever met, may luck be with him and above all, roll on Blighty, it seems as if this darned war will never finish. Three and a half years this war has been on now and still no signs of peace. Fifteen of us left here now out of the twenty that came, they wouldn’t have left if the Gaffer had been OK but he’s a dog.
—George Beck,1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, prisoner of war (diary)
George Beck: April 20, 1944
One of the Czechs from here put in prison today, the police fetched him, no one knows why. Other news “Secret organisation running in fifty different towns in Czechoslovakia, discovered by Germans, girl overheard conversation and reported it. Czechs are being shot all over, chaps who works here says his two mates were shot last Sunday. Attempt to blow up gas works in Politchka, men caught red handed. Bridge and ammunition dump blown up near Brünn, success.
—George Beck,1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, prisoner of war (diary)