Sound and Fury: War Memoir of a Hamburg Family

During the Second World War, Peter Barth's three closest families were scattered around Europe, surviving the RAF bombings of Hamburg and the siege of Leningrad. The Koschel family moved to Krakow, the Barths were refugees in Bergen-Belsen, and the Cap Arcona was anchored in the Bay of Lübeck with two other ships, rescuing thousands of refugees and wounded soldiers. The day before the German forces surrendered, RAF planes bombed and sank them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2022
Publisher: The Book Guild Ltd

Despite the often-unimaginable horrors of war, bonds of family and friendship can hold us together. Peter Barth was born in Hamburg during the Second World War. Sound and Fury explores war-time memorabilia, tape-recorded conversations, photographs, and letters to uncover amazing stories about his three closest families during the war. All three families lived close by in Hamburg. Towards the end of July 1943, the RAF bombed the city, creating an enormous firestorm and killing 45,000 people. The families survived and were scattered around Europe. His father and cousin were sent to the siege of Leningrad, both returned severely wounded. The Koschel family moved to Krakow. When the Red Army moved west, they had to flee. They came close to being caught in the RAF firestorm of Dresden. Meanwhile, the Barths were refugees in a pretty village close to Bergen-Belsen, the horror of which only emerged when it was liberated by the Allies. Just north of there, the Cap Arcona (with Uncle Adam on board) was anchored in the Bay of Lübeck with two other ships, after rescuing thousands of refugees and wounded soldiers. The SS took command and packed the ships with thousands of concentration camp victims. The day before the German forces surrendered, RAF planes bombed and sank them. No one knows why.

Weight: 270g
Dimension: 144 x 216 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914471384