The Day the Nazis Came The true story of one British child's journey to a German prison camp

By the time he was six years old, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jewish prisoners straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen- Belsen. He had nearly drowned, narrowly avoided being savaged by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a pathological member of the SS and had his hand broken by a guard whilst attempting to feed a Russian prisoner. The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, reinforced by their strong sense of survival and their loving support for each other, before a dramatic and violent liberation by Allied forces ended their ordeal. Yet when they were eventually returned to Guernsey, it was to find that their tranquil home had been stricken and scarred by Nazi occupation. Told through Steven Matthews’ own memories, as well as writing from his mother’s diaries and previously unpublished photographs, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child – a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure – it tells not just of the prisoners’ plight, but provides an important and poignant reminder that not every German soldier was cruel and hateful. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of childhood, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places. By the time he was six years old, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jewish prisoners straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen- Belsen. He had nearly drowned, narrowly avoided being savaged by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a pathological member of the SS and had his hand broken by a guard whilst attempting to feed a Russian prisoner.
The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, reinforced by their strong sense of survival and their loving support for each other, before a dramatic and violent liberation by Allied forces ended their ordeal. Yet when they were eventually returned to Guernsey, it was to find that their tranquil home had been stricken and scarred by Nazi occupation.
Told through Steven Matthews’ own memories, as well as writing from his mother’s diaries and previously unpublished photographs, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child – a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure – it tells not just of the prisoners’ plight, but provides an important and poignant reminder that not every German soldier was cruel and hateful. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of childhood, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places. By the time he was six years old, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jewish prisoners straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen-Belsen. He had nearly drowned, narrowly avoided being savaged by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a pathological member of the SS and had his hand broken by a guard whilst attempting to feed a Russian prisoner. The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, reinforced by their strong sense of survival and their loving support for each other, before a dramatic and violent liberation by Allied forces ended their ordeal. Yet when they were eventually returned to Guernsey, it was to find that their tranquil home had been stricken and scarred by Nazi occupation. Told through Stephen's own memories, as well as writing from his mother's diaries and previously unpublished photographs, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child - a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure - it tells not just of the prisoners' plight, but provides an important and poignant reminder that not every German soldier was cruel and hateful. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of childhood, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places. Book jacket From working in a corner shop to running a multi-national corporation, Iqbal Ahmed overcame the odds to rise from humble beginnings and change his life.Known in some circles as ‘King Prawn', Iqbal arrived in England at the age of fifteen having fled with his mother and siblings from the war that was then raging in his native Bangladesh. Upon arrival he joined his father's business at a corner shop in Oldham, but soon his eye for innovation saw an opportunity which would alter his life for ever.Ahmed made his fortune in importing ocean tiger prawns to the UK from his home country, to the great benefit of many people along the way. While his achievements have not gone unnoticed – in 2001 he was appointed OBE for his services to international trade – little is known about the man behind the money and how he rose from rags to riches.In King Prawn, Ahmed reveals his astonishing life story, and shows that success certainly hasn't made him idle, detailing the numerous charities which he has worked for over the years.Iqbal Ahmed's indomitable spirit is undoubtedly an inspiration to all who hear of it. This tale appeals to readers on a multitude of levels; highlighting the importance of family, charity and most importantly is a stirring story of triumph over adversity, and the evergreen virtues of hope, perseverance and self-improvement. "Known in some circles as 'King Prawn', Iqbal arrived in England at the age of fifteen having fled with his mother and siblings from the war that was then raging in his native Bangladesh. Upon arrival he joined his father s business at a corner shop in Oldham, but soon his eye for innovation saw an opportunity which would alter his life for ever. Ahmed made his fortune in importing ocean tiger prawns to the UK from his home country, to the great benefit of many people along the way. While his achievements have not gone unnoticed in 2001 he was appointed OBE for his services to international trade little is known about the man behind the money and how he rose from rags to riches. Ahmed reveals his astonishing life story, and shows that success certainly hasn't made him idle, detailing the numerous charities which he has worked for over the years. Iqbal Ahmed s indomitable spirit is undoubtedly an inspiration to all who hear of it. This tale appeals to readers on a multitude of levels; highlighting the importance of family, charity and most importantly is a stirring story of triumph over adversity, and the evergreen virtues of hope, perseverance and self-improvement."--Amazon.co.uk By the time he was six, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him, walked with Jews straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen-Belsen, and had his hand broken by a German guard for attempting to feed Russian prisoners. The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, and were eventually returned to a Guernsey which had been stricken to the core by Nazi occupation. Told through Steven Matthews' own extraordinary experiences, as well as writing from his mother's diaries and previously unpublished photos of historical significance, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child; a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure, it tells not just of the prisoners desperate plight, but provides a reminder that there were some German soldiers who risked their own lives to help their prisoners. Above all, it shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places Intro -- Title Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Forewords by the Lord Mayor of Biberach and the Bailiff of Guernsey -- Epigraph -- Map -- CHAPTER 1: The Lull Before the Storm -- CHAPTER 2: The Storm -- CHAPTER 3: Living with the Devil -- CHAPTER 4: The Sword of Damocles -- CHAPTER 5: Deportation -- CHAPTER 6: Dorsten Transit Camp -- CHAPTER 7: Journey to Satanic Regions -- CHAPTER 8: Early Days in Biberach Concentration Camp -- CHAPTER 9: Settling Down -- CHAPTER 10: My Four-Leaf Clover -- CHAPTER 11: The Long, Winding Road -- CHAPTER 12: The Beginning of the End -- CHAPTER 13: Liberation CHAPTER 14: Going Home -- CHAPTER 15: Afterwards -- Author's Note -- Acknowledgements -- Sources -- Plates -- Copyright