Lotte returned to her workplace, trying to keep her focus on the radio transmission and not on Johann’s imminent departure. But the content of the messages didn’t help to dampen her fears. The Red Army seemed to have renewed their vigor; station after station sent frantic texts about being chased westward. Devastating losses led to a disorganized retreat, as the Soviets sent the Germans scrambling to figure out their next move.
While Lotte reveled in the imminent liberation of Poland, she also worried for the men dear to her heart. Her father had been a prisoner of war for so long, he probably didn’t care either way, but as far as she knew, somewhere in Poland her dearest brother Richard was still alive and well with the Wehrmacht. The family hadn’t heard from him in a few months, since h
