The story of Helge Welling
Food Shortages
By 1943, the situation in Europe was bleak. We were relatively well off in Denmark but conditions were worsening. For quite a while our meals consisted of eggs (from our own chickens) and white bread with watery jam. Our grease and margarine were all used up. There were potatoes but little else.
Getting Around
By this time, a lot of cars had been put "on blocks" to be stored until they could be used again. Truck engines were modified to run on fuel produced by burning wood. My brother Arne and I went to Esbjerg in a truck with a modified engine. It was awfully smelly and the driver had to go out often to tend to the fire in the long stove that was attached to the box of the truck.
Air Raid
In Esbjerg, Arne and I stayed with the Gernharnmers. There was an air raid on the city and we were supposed to go to the bomb shelter. But Arne was sleeping so soundly the Gernhammers decided to leave him alone––it was likely another false alarm. But two bombs were dropped, and one landed just a few houses from theirs. When we returned, Arne was still sound asleep. He hadn't heard a thing. Next morning, he was certainly more rested than we were!
Danger From Both Sides
One evening, we were walking from the farm to some activity in Askov. We didn't come this way often, the road was unfamiliar and it was dark. Suddenly, someone stepped out in front of us and told us to stop. When we identified ourselves, he said we could proceed. We walked on and then saw it. A truck unloading weapons onto a farm wagon. If we'd been Germans or suspected German sympathizers, our journey would have ended––for good.
Adapted from the 2007 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
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