Signs of the End

We knew that the end was near because we could hear tank and artillery fire on either side. We met a number of German soldiers going from place to place. They had left the front and were going home or back in the Alps— going away from the war and the S. S. Troops. One complete battery of artillery left their guns and passed us on the way back.

We had seen several strange turns in the war and although hope was strong we were very cautious. We knew that we were to be held as hostages and the guards were carrying us back into the Alps.

When we arrived at Gars on the Inns River, we stopped. They were going to march us across. Our colonel told us to be hard to find, and we disappeared. When the Germans could not find us they had to blow up the bridges at the appointed time. That left us north of the Gars River and much nearer our troops.