The rainbow never sets

quick action. I rolled over and went to sleep.

Sunday, 21 January. It didn't feel like Sunday. Work was as usual, but we all listened to the distant gunfire and made comments. If anything, it spurned us on to finish the work. Our gun was finally outside the bunker too, proudly exposing itself to full view, with a small mound of earth around it. We are going to show the Russki! It won't be long now, and we will shoot against tanks. All our actions became mechanical, there was little room left for emotions, or for thinking.

That night we could see in the distance what looked like lightening flashes, and the sound of gunfire had definitely come closer. Maybe tomorrow was going to be the day? No one knew, and no one mentioned it. What were the others thinking about? No one spoke. I thought of tomorrow, but it didn't touch my emotions. We went again to bed, fully clothed, and I thought how easy it was to go to sleep.

"Raus, all FLAK helpers line up on the exercise yard, and bring your personal belongings!" was shouted through the night and woke us rudely from our much needed sleep. It was 2 am, Monday 22.1.45. I just packed my bread bag with my few things that I had accumulated since the fire and was outside in the cold morning among the first ones to line up. Everyone was rushed and hurried up. When we had all assembled outside, shivering, Captain Günther addressed us: "Major General Mattern, the supreme commander of the Fortress Posen, has ordered, that all FLAK helpers be pulled out of Posen. This doesn't apply to FLAKV helpers, they are staying back. There is a train waiting for you at the station. Sergeant Will is going to escort you, to make sure that you get there. I'm sorry to lose you, but I hope you'll get through. I wish you good luck. Auf Wiedersehen."

I saw one or two of the FLAKV helpers standing at the door. Did they want to come with us, or were they happy to defend Posen to the last man? I personally had mixed feelings about leaving at this point.

Suddenly it dawned on me: This may be our chance to get out of Posen alive? Could this be possible? I had given up hope, but there seemed to be the faintest glimmer of a rainbow in the distance. A strange feeling came over me. Was there life for us after death?

It was hard to grasp that I, with about 40 other FLAK helpers, was about to be pulled out of our battery with the enemy just on the door step. Who could this Mattern be, that he had pity on us? And what about the others? Were we to leave the rest of the men to the barbarous Russians, who showed no pity on anyone? One half of me wanted to stay with the comrades, to fight the battle we had been preparing for so long, the other half was elated that there was this glimpse of hope.

We began to walk silently through the icy night. It was very slippery on the road, and bitter cold, --20°C. The full moon was throwing a ghostly silvery light over the frosted landscape.

At first the way went past some fields along a country road. We

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