Transport To Odessa

At the beginning of October they were busy putting together a detachment to Odessa. Hello, this could be something for me I thought. So I report to sick call. The doctor takes aim at me and says "You, YOU! You're unfit. What do you want? You can't even carry any armaments. What will happen when you get sick in Russia?" I reply that they will also have a hospital there. Then he, "No. No! This doesn't work. Dismissed!" Lord god, I have to get on that train. Somehow I will have to work it out.

Two days later the new outfits are distributed and I join the bunch. Two guards with bayonets drawn stand in front of the warehouse. We are let in one by one. Then they read off the name and the item. The weapon is issued and it continues like that without another question being asked. I see a couple of men who are also not on the list and I decided to take a chance. Suddenly there was a rush at the door, the guards go inside and whoosh, I am inside too. The name of the man in front of me was Meier. I grabbed a weapon behind the back of the guard and stepped forward. Then he asked, "Did I check you off yet? What is your name?" "Meier!" I answered. All was in order and I was outfitted without hesitation.

So now I have to hide the things until it is time for the transport to leave. It will be eight days. On the morning of October 10th the equipment was loaded onto a truck and taken to the train station. I throw my bundle on too. At 2:00 in the afternoon, "Detachment for Odessa, Fall in!" I watched from the window of the sixth floor. It took a long time for the speeches and then came the Imperial song. Then, "Double column, right…March!" I grabbed my stack and run. Run down the stairway…oh, what if things go wrong now? Through the yard and out the barracks gate to catch up with the others. The guard on duty yells at me "Will you run, you cripple!" I ran as fast as I could and soon caught up with them, marching behind as if nothing was wrong. One man asks me "You too?" I tell him to keep his mouth shut and on we march to the railway station to the sound of military music.

The Devil! They are checking everybody. One by one they are going through, giving their name. What now? I crawl over a fence and run behind a row of railroad cars. This must be the transport train.I jumped into a depression between the rails to hide and "Pfui Teufel!" There is water in it but it can't matter now. It was two hours before the order to load the cars was given. I was freezing like a dog. Finally the locomotive whistle sounded. Now, out of here in a hurry and into a railcar. Three or four arms stretched out to pull me inside. Relief! Once inside I see more faces that don't belong. How did they get here? I never found out.

Finally we start moving. There are loud shouts. "Adio Austria! Mi non torno piu. Per nostro non se piu guerra." (Farewell Austria, we will never return, for us is no more war.) A few Triesters started to sing, "Urdesso andiamo in Ukraina pace. In Austria no se piu farina." (we go to the ukraine because in Austria is no more flour.) And soon the whole car joined in the song.

Ah, now this was a redemption! Slowly up the hillside the train winds its way. We look down toward Fasana and the Island of Brioni once more. I had the feeling "I see you for the last time." There were some good days too, some happy hours came to mind. But that seemed like so long ago. The last year was not so pretty anymore. In Divaca we stop fo a longer period. Meier came to me and told me if we travel via Budapest, he will disappear at St. Peter. The I may assume his name. Otherwise I had to wait until Vienna. To that I reply that he can change his name to Strobl if we go across the Towern Mountains. But it turns out we travel toward Budapest. Meier is gone and I now bear his name.