De Schwimmwage
Banater Post Nr.17-18 * 15. September 2015

     b des jetz e Schwimmwage odr e Kiwlwage war, des kann ich heit mit‘m beschte Wille nimmi genau saan. (Gemennt ist eigentlich e Militätauto, des was iwwer 's Wasser fahre kann). Wie die Wehrmacht im Herbscht 1944 unsre Derfer besetzt hat, noh hat se warscheinlich alli zwaa Arte vun Militärautos mitgebrung. Saan mer aso, dass des e Schwimmwage war, där wu domols in Bugarisch steche geblieb is. Des muss ich awwr dr Reih noh vrzehle.

Mir ware uf Bugarisch gflicht, weil in Schandrhaas die Front war. Die Deitsche han die Russe ausm Dorf getrieb ghat, un han uns dann strengschtens befohl, for in e Nochberschdorf fahre, bis die Lage im Dorf sich geklärt hat. Als Kind war ich drbei sicher gwen, dass die Deitsche dort bleiwe wärre, weil se doch die beschti Soldate ware un immer gsiegt han. Wie hätte mir schun wisse solle, dass des Kriegsgewinne in däre Zeit schun am End war?

Mir han also in Bugarisch beim Vettr Phedr gwohnt, weil mer noch verwandt ware. De Vettr Phedr hat e großes Haus ghat, etliche Pherd un Kih, un aach e schenne, große Traktor, e "Hanomag". Weil de Traktor zu däre Zeit net benutzt is gin, war er hinne im Schopp abgstellt gin. A Fass mit Treibstoff hat noch weitr hinne im Schatte gstann.

So zwaa Wuche später han die Deitsche sich vun Schandrhaas iwwr Uihel gegr Bugarisch zuruckgezoo. Wie die Schießerei angfang hat, sin paar deitsche Soldate in de Hof kumm un han vum Vettr Phedr de Traktor verlangt, weil ihre Schwimmwage vor der Dorfinfuhr im Dreck stechegeblieb war. Sie han also e Traktor gebraucht, for ne rausziehe. De Vettr Phedr hat awwr där Sach net ganz getraut. Er hat ne gsaat, dass der Traktor schun langi Zeit net im Betrieb war, un dass‘r aach ohne Treibstoff war. Die Soldate han awwr net ufginn; sie han angfang, de Hanomag mit Diesel-Treibstoff zu fille, un han prowiert, for de Motor antreiwe. Die Schießerei is awwr näher kumm, un die Soldate sin dorch die Gärte weggeloff.

Wie sich die Lage beruhicht hat, han mer uns e Paar Täch spätr uf de Wech gegr Schandrhaas gemacht. Do sin mer an dem Auto vorbei gang. ’s hat tief im Dreck gstoch, war awwr sunscht noch intakt. Wie mer Paar Täch spätr widdr vorbei gang sin, han die Räddr schun gfehlt. Aach später noch war des Auto dort zu gsiehn, awwr es is immer wenicher gin, bis nor noch sei Gstell iwrich geblieb is. A Johr später war aach des Gstell wech.

Was is awwr mit de Soldate ohne Schwimmwage passiert? Sie solle angeblich in Bugarisch geblieb sin, weil die Leit se verstecklt han. Irgendwann sin se awwr vrrot gin. Die Miliz hat se also gfang un uf e Zug in Richtung Russland gebrung. Aus dem Zug soll eener oddr mähreri abgsprung un uf Bugarisch zuruck kumm sinn. Wie die Gschicht weitr gehr, weeß ich leidr net. Des misst schun jemand annerscht vrzähle, wu mähr drvun weeß wie ich.

The floating car
Translated by Nick Tullius

It’s hard to say today whether it was a “float car” (German: Schwimmwagen) or a bucket car (Kübelwagen). But it was a car that could drive across water. When the German Wehrmacht occupied our Banat villages in the autumn of 1944, it may have brought both of these military cars. For the sake of this story, let's just say that it was a float car that got stuck in Bogarosch.

When the battle front arrived in Alexanderhausen, we took refuge in Bogarosch. The Germans had driven the Russian from our village, and then strongly suggested that we move to a neighbouring village until the situation in the village had stabilized. As a child, I believed that the Germans were there to stay, because they were the best soldiers and always won. How should we have known that at this time their winning battles had ended?

In Bogarosch, we lived in the house of Vetter Peter, to whom we were somehow related. Vetter Peter had a big house, a number of horses and cows, and also a beautiful, big tractor of the "Hanomag" make. Because the tractor was not used at that time, it had been placed in the back of a shed. A barrel with fuel was sitting still further back in the shadows.

Two weeks later, the Germans retreated from Alexanderhausen toward Bogarosch, via Uihel (Neusiedel). Just as the shooting started in Bogarosch, some German soldiers entered the courtyard and asked Vetter Peter to borrow his tractor. Their “float car” had become stuck in the mud near the road entrance to the village and they needed a tractor to pull it out. In that situation, Vetter Peter was not very keen to lend out his tractor. He told them that the tractor had been out of operation for a long time, and that it was also without fuel. But the soldiers persisted with their plan and started filling the Hanomag with diesel fuel, and then trying to crank up the engine. But when the shooting came closer, the soldiers ran away through the gardens.

A few days later, after the situation had calmed down, we made our way back to Alexanderhausen. Where we left Bogarosch, we saw the car. It was stuck deep in the mud, but was otherwise intact. When we passed the place a few days later, the wheels of the car were already missing. Weeks later, the car was still there, but there was less and less of it, until only the frame was left. A year later, even the frame was gone.

But what happened to the soldiers who had lost their “float car”? Reportedly, they remained in Bogarosch, where some people provided them with a place to hide. At some point somebody allegedly betrayed them. The militia is said to have caught them and placed them on a train in the direction of Russia. One or more of them is said to have bailed out of that train and returned to Bogarosch. Unfortunately, I don't know how the story continues. That should be told by someone who knows more about it than I do.