[fso301]

Interesting p5 article about the German soldier who took the advice of his father by volunteering for the Africa Corps, volunteering for a front line unit and then taking the first opportunity to surrender. It's interesting because surrendering in combat, or to combat units is always a hazardous proposition.

[henkster]

I have the feeling the father of the young German soldier figured his advice was the only way to keep his son from eventually being sent to fight the Soviets, where surrender was not an option and death the only likely outcome. At least in an allied POW camp, his son would probably survive the war.

[colorado tanker]

The German soldiers who surrendered in Tunisia were lucky, indeed. They got to sit the war out in humane conditions in a British or American POW camp.

That father was giving risky advice, but he probably had figured out that the alternative would be for his son to be drafted and sent to the Russian front slaughterhouse, probably never to return.