[CGTRWK]

Pope Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927. Do the simple math. He was a school boy during the war years.

There was no such thing as just a school boy in wartime Germany.

From 1936 onwards, every boy in the country was enrolled in the Hitler Youth. As the war situation worsened, the HJ were increasingly incorporated into the fighting apparatus of the country. In 1942, that meant 15 year old kids working the fire brigades after RAF bombing. In 1945, it meant 12 year olds being sent to Volkssturm units to fight Russians house to house in Berlin.

[onyx]

Did you read the poster's snarky allegation? Your post validates my point in detail.

[Peter Libra]

In 1942,that meant 15 year old kids were working the fire brigades after the RAF bombing.

I would have left this alone but your post strikes a chord. I remember WW2. We (snot nosed English kids were told lies, about the Allied bombing and it kept up morale.

The book that brought the horror of war to me was "Slaughter House Five", by Kurt Vonnegut. An American soldier surving captivity in Dresden. He WAS there. 20,000 forced labour workers were killed in that raid. Possibly 50,000 German civilians were incinerated.

"Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn" Scotlands immortal bard. Robert Burns.