Saturday, August 20, 2022

16 year old German soldier crying after being captured by the Allies, 1945

 

This image of Hans-Georg Henke shows not only the pain of war, but the terror that comes with being a soldier. As hardened as battle renders someone, inside they’re frightened that the next mortar shell has their name on it.

16 is far too young to be drafted into battle, but it’s the only thing that Henke could do to take care of his mother. He joined the Luftwaffe when he was 15 and served in the anti-air squad.

Varying stories about Henke claim that he was either upset that he was captured by American forces, or that he was having a panic attack, but either way it’s clear that he was far too young to deal with the enormity of the situation.

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