On 4 Jan.1945 we began our march from Melch through Kohlhütte towards Wingen, shortly after dark we came under fire from an American patrol in a small forested area. I returned fire with my 08 and shot at a fleeing American, then I felt a blow on my head. I had been hit by an American Mpi. At first I had thought, now its all over with. But then I said to myself, when you can still think, then it isn't over with yet.

Oberscharfführer Summer, my platoon leader in the 1/SS-Geb.Jg.Rgt. 12 (I was his runner) bandaged my head for me. It was a grazing wound above my right ear. Because I had fastened the chin strap across the lip of my helmet, the bullet had shoved the helmet backwards giving me only a minor wound, with some splinters being under the skin. After it got light out I went with two medics, who were carrying a wounded comrade that had been hit in the stomach. I was carrying the red cross flag as we climbed over the railroad embankment and into a basement, possibly the basement of the catholic church. (The Americans respected the red cross flag and held their fire until we were safe.) In the basement I found an American aid station, where we were taken care of for two days and nights by American medics and doctors.

When food supplies ran out, an American doctor requested that everyone that had something edible, should lay it in their helmet and it would be then divided out to the wounded with concern to nationality. I was taken prisoner on the evening of 6th Jan., in a basement of a neighboring house (which also had civilians in it) as we raised our hands one American said, "Wounded soldiers do not have to raise their hands." Then they guided us across an ice covered road, warning us to be careful and not to slip. We were placed in another Aid Station, this time in a school. There I saw Dr. Lautenschlager, how he treated the wounded German and American. I can still remember how under his white doctors coat his SS-mirror stuck out. After I received a medical tag around my neck, we were taken to a farm house. There we were given American Cocoa and cakes. After our ambulance became stuck in the snow, we were transferred to another and arrived in Saarburg. (There an American relieved me of my watch.) From there I was placed in a Field Hospital set up in a school in the town of Badonville for 3-4 days, there they removed the splinter from my head. Up until that time I still had my Finnish Knife, which I had hidden in my clothing. When I was undressed for the operation, I watched as the Americans argued as to who would get the knife. In the hospital I shared a schoolroom with many American wounded. They bought a toothbrush, a razor and a can of cakes from their shop. Later I was sent to an American hospital in Mirecurt and from there to a prison camp in Epinal (POW-Camp 451) on the 20.02.1945 and the 28th March I was assigned to a POW Company. On 25 May 1946 I was moved to various places and finally released at Marburg an der Lahn Germany

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