As I, As A Worker, Came To

I Had Repeatedly Made Written Requests To The Fuehrer That I Might Be Allowed To Join The Wehrmacht As An Ordinary Soldier. He Refused To Give Me This Permission.

Although As A Sailor I Despised Politics - For I Loved My Sailor's Life And Still Love It Today - Conditions Forced Me To Take Up A Definite Attitude Towards Political Problems.

It So Happened That I Was On A German Sailing Vessel On The Way To Australia When The Ship Was Captured, And On The High Seas I Was Made Prisoner By The French.

I Was Never Informed In Advance About The Start Of The War Or About Foreign Political Developments.

I Attended The Elementary School At Schweinfurt And The Secondary School.