Friends, We read the story of German Field Marshal Guderin. He wanted to save the lives of 2,00,000 soldiers who were encircled by the Russian forces threatening with greater number of divisions and superior weaponry. Death was certain for them if immediate decision about surrender or evacuation was not taken in time.After Dufferein in Northern France this was greatest tragedy taking shape when large number of soldiers were destined to die at the hands of enemy armed with superior weapons and organisation.Now the fate had taken a turn and the same Germans who killed lakhs of western soldiers were facing imminent massacre themselves .
They were Generals and were deciding life and death of their soldiers or the enemy.
But in this story we are learning facts of a General who was encircled along his 10,000 soldiers and Hitler was not allowing surrender , in other words , he was pushing these soldiers to death.
Meanwhile wife of German General von Dexter came forward to save life of these 10,000 soldiers putting herself in great danger. This is the story of great sacrifice by a woman.
General von Dexter and his courageous wife Aloise
The year was 1944 , when the American, British, and Russian forces were threatening German main land. Hitler had virtually lost the war but was adamant to accept defeat and wanted all German soldiers and officers to lay down their lives for a defeated cause. Some of his Commanders sensing defeat , simply put up a show of resistance , but conducted talks with the advancing Allies for favorable terms of surrender. When Hitler knew such instances , he flew into a rage and wanted to teach a lesson to the surviving Generals in case they ever thought of surrender. For Hitler the lives of soldiers had no value now and it was better for them to die as they had not fought valiantly and so , they should die. Such was his perverted thinking. In fact on 22 March 1944, he ordered destruction of all industrial areas of Ruhr, electricity installations,, water works, gas works and all food and clothing stores before the enemies captured them. His War Production Minister Albert Speer, was so much horrified that he contacted the German Generals not to carry out this order of Hitler. Speer was called by Hitler and as usual gave a long lecture to him, then spoke “ The war is lost , the people will be lost also. It is not necessary to worry about what the German people will need for survival. On the contrary , it is best for us to destroy even these things. For the nation has proved to be the weaker , and the future belongs to the stronger Eastern nation ( Russia )In any case only those who are inferior will remain ( survive ) after this struggle, for , the good have already been killed . “ ( pp 230 Hitler : Military Commander by Rupert Matthews )
Such was the mentality of a dictator who ruled most of Europe .
When the German Armies suffered heavy losses and the war turned tables on Germany, the German Commanders started thinking sensibly and in some cases there were surrenders before the advancing American and British Armies. Hitler wanted to stop this mentality and issued ordinance that stipulated that the families of such Generals, Officers who surrendered or did not put up best efforts , will have to be either shot or sent to Concentration Camps ( labour jails ). In other words the families of the German officers fighting in armed forces were to be regarded as hostages, this order assumed legal sanctity as Hitler was duly empowered by amended Constitution to issue such orders and with its pronouncement, it became law. This was called the Law of Hostages.
General von Dexter’s family composed of 5 members, 1. himself. 2. his wife Aloise, sons 3. Friedrik von Dexter 4. Lothar von Dexter 5. Ernst von Dexter .
Out of these 1. Friedrik , the youngest was killed in El Alamein ( Africa ) 2. Lothar was killed at Stalingrad in Russia and 3. Ernst was killed in Rostow in Russia.So now only he and his wife Aloise remained in the family.
General von Dexter received order of posting at Montravil, on the Belgian frontier on the English Channel coast , he would be Commanding Officer there and Aloise would remain as hostage at home in village.
In military terminology then, this place was designated as fortress and it was expected of the soldiers to live fighting and die there. No escape or surrender. There was no choice , either you get killed or your families are shot.
Hitler had devised another method of spying on the Generals, he posted officers from SS , hard core loyalists as their superiors, and one Grupepenfuhrer Frey was to be his superior.
The German forces numbering thousands were encircled by American army , and there was no hope for them, either be killed in military action or be killed by SS men here , in fact two soldiers who attempted to escape were caught and a court martial held and they were to be shot within hours.
The news of this predicament of the German Army facing massacre at the hands of the Americans was broadcast by radios and papers and Mrs. Aloise Dexter came to know of it as many days had passed after von Dexter had joined duties there. She knew that there was no hope for the encircled army , and her husband could not surrender fearing her safety at home. The options were very cruel and either of them were to be killed and with von Dexter ten thousand German soldiers were also destined to die. In any case he can not attempt escape or surrender but would die fighting for a lost cause .
On the 17th day of the seize, the attacking forces launched a devastating attack , von Dexter was injured .If Dexter was killed his superior Frey was to sacrifice the entire garrison of 10,000 soldiers , he was a true disciple of Hitler and meant business of war well.
A German plane flew overhead and dropped a medal for von Dexter for resisting the onslaught of the American forces and a letter from Mrs. Aloise Dexter. General Dexter was too tired but in the light of a candle read the letter from his wife. It read :
“ My dearest - This letter brings you every good wish and my deepest love , you know you have had during all the years of our marriage. But, dearest, I am afraid this letter is going to add to your unhappiness. I have bad news for you..
“ I shall not be alive when you will receive this letter . I have a cancer . It has not been too bad until recent days but now I cannot go on. Dr. Mohrenwitz has been giving me pills to make me sleep and to ease the pain. , and I have been saving them up .Tonight I have posted this letter I am going to take them all at once. I have made all the arrangements and I know I shall die
“ So I have to say good-by to you , dearest. You have been always the best, the kindest, the tenderest of husbands to me. I have loved you with all my heart . And I have been fortunate to have a husband I could admire and love.
“ Tonight my last thoughts will be of you , always and ever my very dearest . Good-by , darling good-by “
General von Dexter now thought his entire family had been wiped out, there was only wife Aloise and she had also died. Life without her was not worth living , the world had slipped out of his hand. Only darkness remained , death was lurking all around along with all 10,000 soldiers trapped in death jaw.
What to do now ?
Why to sacrifice all 10,000 human beings to satisfy the death wish of a maniac named Hitler ? The war was already lost , but life was still worth living, why to turn thousands of innocent women widows by fighting for a lost war ?
He grabbed his revolver , came out of his bed and barged into a small crypt where the SS Commander Frey and Dexter’s deputy Busse were standing.
He pointed barrel of his gun towards Frey and said,
“ Move and you and you are dead “ “ Busse, telephone General Fussel at once “
Frey said, “ Are you going to surrender ? “
“ Yes “ said General Dexter.
“ But your wife ! Remember her ? “
“ My wife is dead “ said General Dexter.
Frey said, “ But my wife and my children … “ he started moving , his hand was going to the holster of his gun, but von Dexter did not allow Frey to touch the holster and General von Dexter shot Frey twice.
SS Commander Frey who was posted to keep watch over General von Dexter was dead now.
The lives of 10,000 soldiers and German officers were saved with the death of SS Commander Frey. All 10,000 soldiers came out of the shadow of imminent death that night. The same night BBC radio announced the surrender of German garrison at Montavril ,
Hitler camping in East Prussia learnt of this surrender and raved like a maniac as all the men whom he wished dead were now alive .
The Law of Hostage took its course. That night four armed men knocked at the door of General von Dexter , in village Welfenstrausse. The knock was answered by an old lady, who emerged from the house and said,
“ I was expecting you Gentlemen”
She was Aloise wife of General von Dexter.
She showed no signs of cancer , but love for her husband whom she had saved by volunteering to go into concentration camp of the tyrant Hitler. She was a saviour to 10,000 soldiers and their families , she had offered supreme sacrifice for others.
