Evening star., 1943-12-23
German City S|icker
Says He Came From
Russia 10 Surrender
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star stan Correspondent.

Dy ASs
Star stan Correspondent.
WITH THE 5TH ARMY IN
ITALY, Dec. 20 Delayed. - An
extraordinary deserter walked into
the American lines near here the
other night.
He was a German version of the
'city slicker." He had come all the
way from Russia in order to turn
himself over to the Americans. He
was a "defreiter," German for "pri-
vate first class"
When first brought in, his ap-
pearance was remarkable for a
prisoner in a combat front. He was
Immediately dressed in an obvi-
ously tailor made uniform. His
shoes were polished. His f1ngernails
were immaculate. 1t was difficult to
believe that this man had spent
time in the lines. He had baffled
interrogating officers who questioned
him over and over again. He was so
insistent over details they were in
clined to believe his story.
He was, he said, on the Russian
front and did not like it. He faxed
sickness so cleverly that the Ger
man regimental surgeon was de-
ceived completely and ordered him
back to general hospital in Ger
many.
Preached Defeatism.
He started preaching defeatism
among his fellow patients. They
,cf fn1dar hn told
them. The hospital authorities
learned about it, but before they
had time to do anything he had
deserted. A description of him was
broadcast. The police and military
were looking for him everywhere.
He knew he had no chance of get
ting over the Swiss border or Of
getting on boat for Sweden, the
only neutral countries within reach
But in one direction there would be
no lookout for him. Nobody would
suspect man of deserting to the
front.
He hoped troop train filled with
soldiers returning from German
hospitals to Italy. He had, of course,
no orders but nobody asked him for
them. One Gestapo agent came
through the train but he hid in the,
toilet while the agent was examining
credentials of the other passengers.
If he had been caught In the toilet,
he said. he had two very good stories
which he thinks would have fooled
the agent completely.
Stole VOlkswagOn.
Ten miles north of Rome he
Jumped of the train and stole a
German "volkswagon" He aban-
doned the vehicle just outside Cas-
sino and walked through the town.
Once he was picked up by Ger
man sentry and taken to battalion
command post but convinced the
officer who questioned him that he
was trying to get back to his regi-
ment in the front lines. His next
step was to walk up to an American
sentry and surrender.
He always lived by his wits, he
told the examining officers Before
the war, he spent much of his time
travelling first class on trains
through Germany and Austria but
has never yet paid any fare. He
always was able to talk the con-
ductorS out Of it. He made a Living
by such tricks as selling the Adlon
Hotel to farmers just in from the
country.
His contempt for the German
military intelligence is supreme
In prisoner of war inclosure he
complains that it is difficult to keep
we'll dressed and spends hours every
day brushing his uniform and pol
ishing the buttons. He would like
to fight for the Allies, he said "but
with pen-not q gun"
Declaring, I'm no damn fool" he
said, I'm not sticking my neck out
for anybody"
Austrian Private Captured.
He did not care to desert to the
Russians, he told his interrogators
because it Is generally believed in
the German Army that they do not
accept prisoners, but shoot them
as soon as they get their hands on
them"
The same night American patrols
brought in an Austrian private who
was roaring drunk.
The Austrian had been a mem
Der of burial detail sent out that
day to collect bodies which had
lain on the hill four or five DAYS.
1t was such nasty job that those
on the detail were given two quarts
OF wine each when they got back.
They all got drunk and started
calling the Austrian, who was 40
years old and the father of four
children, an "old man."
This made him mad. He stag
eered out in the moonlight to do
something or other to prove his
prowess. He did not know exactly
what he was going to do, and an
American patrol picked him up.
Staggering between the lines he
thought he was in the hands of
German MPs who were arresting
him for being drunk. Not until he
sobered up next day did he realize
he was prisoner of war. He thought
it was a dirty trick for the Amer
leans to take advantage of a drunk
en- man.