Like Two Brothers - A Story from World War Two at Christmas

A Story from WWII - Like Two Brothers

I thought I would share this story of my husband’s grandfather, David Lubbock, as the original letters were given to my husband recently which were exchanged between his grandfather and a German soldier after World War Two. 

It is especially poignant for me to learn of James’ grandfather’s story at this time of year, when my own seven-month-old son, one of David’s great-grandchildren, will celebrate his first Christmas on this earth.

Fairey Albacore from Wikepedia

At war

James’ grandfather was a flight navigator, David M Lubbock, a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. In July 1941, Churchill personally instigated an attack on Nazi shipping in Kirkenes and Petsamo to help Britain’s new ally the Soviet Union, by the ships HMS Victorious (which David was on) and HMS Furious. The attack was planned to be carried out under bad weather, David’s requests that they carry out a low-level attack were ignored. When the skies cleared, the British bombers and their escorts were easily identified.

David was wounded, blinded in one eye. His friend and comrade the rear gunner died in his arms, having been shot in the dog-fight prior to crashing, the pilot 'Skids' survived after a superb bit of flying, but they were so badly shot up that they couldn't make it back to the aircraft carrier.

The stricken plane headed east towards safety in the Russian port of Murmansk, but the plane crashed five hundred yards into Russia, and was not recovered until forty years later.

David Miles Lubbock (1911-1992)

Prisoner of war

They were captured and shipped from the arctic through Norway and escorted South by a German armed guard from Oslo to Frankfurt, and it was during his transportation that he struck up an unlikely bond with one of the German soldiers who felt enough compassion in his heart to defy orders and offer David some of his own food. As a starving injured man, in a strange country after being shot down by the enemy, heading into the complete unknown as a prisoner of war, it must have been a gift from the gods to receive this unlikely act of kindness and kinship from an enemy soldier.

David was imprisoned in Stalag Luft III, for the next four years, where he became a part of history when he formed a lifelong friendship with the legless Douglas Bader and accompanied him on escape attempts. David became known as “the nutritionist” and was involved in the infamous Great Escape itself. He also made sure the escapees kept their energy levels up, creating possibly the first ever known energy bar, a concoction known in the camp as “Lubbock’s Fxck-off Fudge”, a.k.a “The Mixture” to everyone else!

“The bars were made out of a combination of sugar, oatmeal, chocolate, butter, Ovaltine and raisins. They were boiled up then dried and cut into flat cakes.” source The Express "Hidden Stories of the Great Escapers"

David survived his time in the camp, and at the end of the war he worked in Washington DC. USA, as the First Secretary to the Director General of FAO, of the United Nations, choosing to devote his life to ridding the world of famine. He worked alongside his father-in-law John Boyd Orr, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1949 for his ideas for a World Food Bank, but these were ultimately rejected by the USA and the UK. 

The letters

On 27th June 1947 David received a remarkable letter. 

It was from the same guard who had escorted him six years previously from Oslo to Frankfurt as a Prisoner of War after he had been shot down in the Petsano Raid.

The guard, Herr Walther Hessel, found himself in a desperate situation. He was poor and his family were starving in post-war Germany. Prior to the war he was a psychologist and afterwards, he found himself singing in the opera to make ends meet. His letter simply asked for ‘some articles of food’. He wrote: "my family and I have the greatest difficulties in making both ends meet with regard to nourishment. I do not ask for myself, but for my family. Only necessity, i.e. the hunger of my three children encourages me to ask for that."

We do not have David’s reply, but we know from Walther’s next letter that David sent a food parcel from America to Germany. The second letter which came from Walther in Leipzig in the Russian sector in January 1948 is full of thanks for the parcel which took five weeks to arrive. There is a heart-warming description of how Walther’s children responded to a drink of real Cocoa and his praise for America. He also included a photograph of his three children. 

How lucky we are

As I held these browned aged letters in my hand, reading the words of hopefulness in a time of desperation from one man to another, tears filled my eyes. What David must have went through and endured during his imprisonment. That the suffering didn’t stop there, as Walther’s children found themselves starving and had never tasted real cocoa, and that they were allowed a small taste of it, but then it was all put away for Christmas, so they had something to eat on that special day.

“My son of 8 years not yet having drunk real cocoa asked me, Daddy, such fine things can people in America drink every day, always (whenever) they like?”

David Lubbock devoted his life to striving to end world hunger. Who knows how much one random act of kindness remained with him and inspired him throughout his life.

Through the fading words on these seventy-year-old brown letters, David passes on a legacy to my son, his family, and anyone else who reads this. 

I hope you all have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas, and may we all continue to carry out acts of random kindness to each other, no matter where we find ourselves in life. 

Gemma.

Letter Three from Walther Hessel to David Lubbock

Transcription of letters:

Letter One: 

“Because it is possible that letters are lost I take the liberty of writing to you for the second time. When going from Norway to Frankfort you yourself told me to write to you when the war was over, at any rate. Perhaps, you remember me accompanying you. The reason for you asking me to write to you was that we shared my food like two brothers. You had not expected that, and you were much astonished. But I regarded that as a matter of fact, even if I had got an order relating to the opposite party.

At that time you told me your wife was mother-to-be, and you were very anxious. As a father of a family, too, I could understand your anxiety very well. Now the boy (or girl) is already six years old. The child is well, I hope.

At that time you were a foodstuff-physiologist, and I was employed as a psychologist. Now I am engaged as a singer at the operette-theatre in Leipzig.

At this opportunity I take the liberty of telling you that my family and I have the greatest difficulties in making both ends meet with regard to nourishment. Please, do not grow angry if I dare pray, would you be so kind as to help us in this direction by sending us some articles of food? I do not ask for myself, but for my family, 

Only necessity, i.e the hunger of my three children encourages me to ask for that, I was ever so much obliged to you.

Yours obediently, Walther Hessel.”

Letter Two:

“Dear Mr Lubbock, Leipzig, The 11th April 1948

I was so lucky as to gain this necessaire for children made of the best plexi-glass. I hope I succeeded in giving pleasure to you therewith in …(expressing) ... of the great joy given us by your parcel. The best wishes to you and your honoured family, I am,

Walther Hessel”

Photo Walther's children, Hans, Gudrun, Charlis, 18/11/1947

Letter Three:

“Leipzig, 20th January 1948, Am Eich Winkel 10, I do not know how to thank you for this indescribable surprise. How many acquaintances of mine having relations in America get parcels from “The Praised Country”, and now I may count myself to those happy persons. I never expected anything from America. Besides I knew parcels not being allowed to be sent off England. I often asked myself whether you might have got my two letters, and would like to answer. And now this unexpected surprise. Oh, could you have seen the faces of my wife and children opening the parcel. Then you would know the joy and thankfulness filling us which I am not able to describe. My son of 8 years not yet having drunk real cocoa asked me, Daddy, such fine things can people in America drink every day, always they like? Most of these delicious things we have spared for Xmas after having had a little trial of course. My daughter asked me impulsively, are we not able to please the good Mr Lubbock anyhow? With pleasure - but how? I take the liberty of enclosing a picture showing my children, my little doll drinking the fine milk-cocoa cried only, more, more please!

Coming to the end I and my family should like to thank you ever so much for your so welcome marvellous parcel, having been on the way for 5 weeks. - With the best wishes for the new year, I am, Walter Hessel.

Leipzig 36, am Eichwinkel"