About
the Book:
After
the closure of the Suez Canal during the Second World War to ships transporting
troops, war material and goods between the East and the theatres of war
in Europe, the only route open to them was around the Cape of Good Hope.
This persuaded German Navy High Command to send their U-Boats to the waters
along South Africa’s coast where they torpedoed allied ships.
As a result, the coastal population became involved either by witnessing
explosions of striken ships, by assisting sailors and their lifeboats
in distress and by the inconveniance of having to suffer black-outs, food-
and other shortages, as well as hearing reports from a war going badly
far away “up-north”.
Added to this, a politically divided press used rumours to stir up emotions
for or against the enemy or the Allies, with a local weerstandsbeweging
adding to the fatal mix. People saw spies and saboteurs behind every bush
or on every church tower, and imagined nightly “talks” of
lamps and flashlights between shore and U-Boats crews. Wild and woolie
stories were bandied about, in bars, sewing circles, at church meetings
or in corner shop, and slowly a repertoire of tall tales and anecdotes
built itself, involving coastal and inland people and their impressions
and reactions to U-Boat and spy activities.
Over a span of six years the author collected his stories. Some are serious,
more are funny, and a few hilarious. But although they are meant to entertain,
the collection is also a reminder of days long past for those who were
young then and either “kept the home fires burning”, “did
their bit” by operating the fledgling radar chain, sailed on anti-sub-trawlers
or spent wind-swept lonely nights on look-out points. . .
The author has
presented a number of talks under the title "The German World War
Two U-Boat Commander who did his shopping at Stuttafords", which
were very well received, especially by the older generation, and he hopes
that his book will entertain as well.
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