A Pair of Shoes at Buchenwald
In April 1945, as the gates and confines of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany were thrown open, inmates and refugees streamed about the area, heading in all directions, without caring where the roads led, as long as they were away. These unfortunate or perhaps fortunate ones that survived were badly in need of shoes for the long journey to "anywhere & somewhere". As we passed by, I gave this one a spare pair that I had in my bag and he at once put them on without caring for style, size or fit. His ragged ill fitting clothes were all the wordly goods he posessed. I somehow knew, wherever home was, he was heading there. The grateful look on his face as he stood up in his newly gained footwear expressed the thanks that his words and tears were not able to give. Behind him, almost mirrorlike, another shoeless one also gets his chance to try on his pair own of gifted American shoes.
Robert Howard Searl Sr.
1945-04
Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1945
The pass-through of the Buchenwald Concentration camp was a horrible and hurried one for our unit as we were on our way to Pilzen, Czechoslovakia as our ultimate destination. Those surviving souls that were streaming from the confines of the enclosure and milling around the location were in complete and total disarray, not knowing or caring in which direction they were going. A liberation area of a mixture of death and half death. The roadways were filled with onward moving vehicles and troops intermingled with shoeless inmates, one of which was grateful for a pair that I gave. As far as I can recollect, the time period was early April 1945, although I may not be accurate. The US Military Forces were cordoning off the buildings and surroundings and severe restrictions were in order. These photos can express more than any written description, and the scenes merely added to the graphic horror of the experience of war.
Robert Howard Searl Sr.
1945-04
Chas Copeland
Entrance to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Weimar, E. Germany
Entrance to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Weimar, E. Germany
Robert Howard Searl Sr.
1945-06