tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post6492414716535467848..comments2024-03-27T16:19:53.023+00:00Comments on Friko's World: Stealing Coal - The Winter of 46/47Frikohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04277167831642088694noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-77630904244754922772013-02-25T07:05:52.673+00:002013-02-25T07:05:52.673+00:00Do you think these days will return? Do you think these days will return? Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-66914912044607910222013-02-08T21:44:31.615+00:002013-02-08T21:44:31.615+00:00I'm so glad you revisited your earlier work be...I'm so glad you revisited your earlier work because I hadn't discovered you then, either. This is just fascinating and the kind of thing that we don't hear so much from those who were on the scene. I can imagine there was a good deal of fear, especially after they started sending military police. Then the wood cutting -- you must have been just terrified to see your father's foot Jeaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17482528482559445943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-30196574154474374702013-02-08T07:51:42.639+00:002013-02-08T07:51:42.639+00:00A great story, and well written at that. Thank yo...A great story, and well written at that. Thank you for sharing, it puts things in perspective.Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09512006137833754014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-33062930913327757982013-02-08T06:50:06.374+00:002013-02-08T06:50:06.374+00:00Wow, it is really something to hear of these thing...Wow, it is really something to hear of these things from a person who was actually there. Great story, thanks for sharing.Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-10504754190369672362013-02-08T06:11:52.385+00:002013-02-08T06:11:52.385+00:00Interesting story FrikoInteresting story Frikosunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17194522376789894727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-29289397714523108732013-02-08T02:32:02.476+00:002013-02-08T02:32:02.476+00:00So glad you shared this story. An eye-witness acco...So glad you shared this story. An eye-witness account of a hard, hard time.Vicki Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08114677510459055768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-7805686461319920832013-02-07T22:26:16.522+00:002013-02-07T22:26:16.522+00:00Wow. What an amazing story. And you tell it so w...Wow. What an amazing story. And you tell it so well. Thank you for sharing it with us. Kathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14339665205284492242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-71128755096514175022013-02-07T21:20:53.276+00:002013-02-07T21:20:53.276+00:00Impressive posting, Friko. Impressive posting, Friko. Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15089874417439896948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-50310369979954598532013-02-07T20:57:57.038+00:002013-02-07T20:57:57.038+00:00My mother and my father left Europe after the war ...My mother and my father left Europe after the war to seek a better life. I know these stories of hardship were shared by millions of people. Yet we still keep on warring as if the all the death and suffering were justified. Jonohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170214396483091419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-46444650947152200352013-02-07T19:40:11.116+00:002013-02-07T19:40:11.116+00:00A profound story, Friko, I had no idea of your suf...A profound story, Friko, I had no idea of your suffering in the aftermath of WW2. For everyone on that side of the pond as I remember the ration books in Ireland and the 3rd grade coal in the fireplaces that created a yellow miasma in the streets. We breathed that toxic sludge. And 1 egg a week.<br /><br />Thanks for this.<br /><br />XO<br />WWW Wisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-20311920228846146922013-02-07T16:40:57.845+00:002013-02-07T16:40:57.845+00:00This is incredible - we really are very spoilt in ...This is incredible - we really are very spoilt in the West these days.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-67604804254628844772013-02-07T06:52:28.944+00:002013-02-07T06:52:28.944+00:00Frico, this theme is important and I used 'Goo...Frico, this theme is important and I used 'Google translate' you downloaded.<br />I think the civilian people finding themselves in the flames of a war are suffering the most.<br />Petersburg was 400 days in the blockade in World War II. My whole family died, young children, women, all who stayed blockaded. Only my mother survived. I was born in the last days of the war, but for a long Nadezdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08159291982383302922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-84793196926183720292013-02-07T06:09:26.148+00:002013-02-07T06:09:26.148+00:00What an incredible story. Your childhood memories ...What an incredible story. Your childhood memories brought back so vividly for us to share. I was spellbound. I do hope that Nick's son is helped by his endeavour. Hilaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12787493532006658679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-65719221575711887902013-02-07T03:59:58.640+00:002013-02-07T03:59:58.640+00:00I thought I had already read this Friko then thoug...I thought I had already read this Friko then thought I must have been dreaming. But then you said it was a post written in 2009, so that is when I read it. It still made a big impression on me this time, as it did at first reading.<br /><br />Vagabondehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774109692564954568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-15792946665347070792013-02-07T00:03:50.717+00:002013-02-07T00:03:50.717+00:00Tough times back then. My in-laws were in a displa...Tough times back then. My in-laws were in a displaced persons camp in Germany after the war. They told some hair-raising tales! I'm delighted that you're going to do the "Where I'm From" challenge. Looking forward to reading it!mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03797484583400519909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-58257587105473987792013-02-06T23:15:19.150+00:002013-02-06T23:15:19.150+00:00Loved the story Friko. I could feel the cold. Ac...Loved the story Friko. I could feel the cold. Actually, I have no idea about that kind of cold. We Americans are always pounding our chests about the sacrifices made during the war but, in fact, we have no idea what real sacrifice is. The vast prosperity the U.S. enjoys today comes from being the victors of a war in which we suffered virtually no damage. Pure, blind luck of time, place and Mr. Charlestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17497415823443875308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-80571254002399673762013-02-06T23:06:04.734+00:002013-02-06T23:06:04.734+00:00Facinating story. My parents told stories of Engl...Facinating story. My parents told stories of England during the war. Even though England was the victor, they also experienced hardships. I immigrated to the US with my parents in 1955. One old document I have from my life in England is my ration book. When we left England, years after the war had ended, there was still food rationing. One thing my parents always enjoyed was the fruit that #1Nanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-3440473968212996472013-02-06T21:25:15.500+00:002013-02-06T21:25:15.500+00:00Thank you for sharing this moving post. I would be...Thank you for sharing this moving post. I would be honoured to have it as part of the anthology. I regret the 500 word limit - many people needed more than this to tell their stories.<br /><br />Your story shows the endurance of the human spirit and that these days we too often take for granted things like food and warmth. I knew the German people suffered after the war but now I have a better Nick Wilfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841776353790635132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-55365153630242984322013-02-06T20:37:39.261+00:002013-02-06T20:37:39.261+00:00Compelling story. My mother heard war stories from...Compelling story. My mother heard war stories from her parents, and would not go back to her homeland (Poland) from which she emigrated when she was only five years old. The old stories of her mother's experiences in a concentration camp left an indelible mark on her that lasted a lifetime. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-33787118101912087672013-02-06T20:35:45.415+00:002013-02-06T20:35:45.415+00:00Dear Friko, your story today was all new to me. Al...Dear Friko, your story today was all new to me. All I know of the aftermath of World War II is that President Truman came up with the Marshall Plan and that there was airlifting into and out of Berlin during the blockade. So I am grateful to you for sharing this story and expanding my understanding not only of that period of history but of your own background that must have helped form the Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-2349327888382542252013-02-06T18:40:25.434+00:002013-02-06T18:40:25.434+00:00Husband , just eleven at the start of the war , re...Husband , just eleven at the start of the war , remembers similar "creative" moments in Belgium ; hacking down a tree with his big brother and hauling bits of it home through the woods in the dark or sweeping flour up outside the mill .<br />Have you read "The Ark" by Margot Benary-Isbert about Germany just after the war , or its sequel "Rowan Farm" ? I loved them ,SmitoniusAndSonatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11210817141287881808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-13262190870397585522013-02-06T16:26:46.144+00:002013-02-06T16:26:46.144+00:00A wonderful piece Friko. I knew you had these mem...A wonderful piece Friko. I knew you had these memories and love to read about them. I have read many bios of this period. I would have stolen the coal too. You do what you must. DianneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-64587719497775507292013-02-06T16:12:03.139+00:002013-02-06T16:12:03.139+00:00I was only 3 during this winter and have no memori...I was only 3 during this winter and have no memories at all. I lived with my grandparents in a little town on the countryside which was occupied by the Americans. I remember that my grandpa had a big stock of logs and the kitchen was always warm as far as I can remember. The biggest problem was getting food. Although we lived on the countryside and there were lots of farmers, we just had enough Gattinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06636525277807715146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-30761894929843566242013-02-06T12:30:36.794+00:002013-02-06T12:30:36.794+00:00Oh Friko... It sounds like the horrific parts of ...Oh Friko... It sounds like the horrific parts of the old old stories. People starving, being injured and ill, clutching nuggets of stolen coal and small sticks for fuel...<br />I'm not surprised at all at the vividness of the memories. We live past these things, we "overcome adversity," <i>but we don't forget.</i>Junehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11710135137635433217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294026230680025155.post-59567788223498342882013-02-06T11:56:54.336+00:002013-02-06T11:56:54.336+00:00This is so vivid and horrifying, as well as deeply...This is so vivid and horrifying, as well as deeply moving, Friko. I learned from the parents of my German penfriend something of the privations endured by the German people in the post-war period, but your story is so much more immediate because of being seen through a child's eyes. I'm too young to remember the winter of 1947, but grew up with my parents' and grandparents' clear Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.com