Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Gratz Alan & Gratz Allan

Author:Gratz, Alan & Gratz, Allan [Gratz, Alan & Gratz, Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Young Adult, War, Adventure
ISBN: 9780545880176
Goodreads: 53370113
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 2016-10-11T07:00:00+00:00

“Hey, remember that kid in line ahead of us at the initiation test who got sent home because his parents weren’t good Nazis?” Fritz asked me. “There he is.”

We stood at the end of a cobblestone street with other members of the SRD, ready, at last, to take on our first assignment for the Hitler Youth Patrol Force. The boy Fritz was talking about stood a little ways off from us wearing a brand-new SRD uniform just like ours.

I frowned. “Didn’t he get kicked out?” I said. “What’s he doing here, wearing that uniform?”

“His name’s Karl. You didn’t hear? He made it into the Hitler Youth after all by turning in his parents to the Gestapo.”

I shook my head. People were always spying on one another and ratting on each other to the secret police, especially if there was some reason they didn’t like them. Someone cuts in front of you in the food ration line? Tell the Gestapo you overheard them complaining about Hitler. Your boss at work gave you a bad review? Tell the Gestapo he’s been stealing office supplies. Your neighbor’s dog digs holes in your flower bed? Tell the Gestapo your neighbor is hiding a Jew. Turning in your neighbor was the German national pastime.

But to denounce your own parents? I shuddered at the thought. If you were denounced for a real reason, it was as good as a death sentence.

“They took them into protective custody,” Fritz whispered. Code for being arrested and sent to a concentration camp. “And Karl got an automatic promotion to the SRD.”

But of course. If you were a coldhearted weasel who would turn in your parents to get a promotion, you belonged in the SRD. I could see that the other SRD boys were giving him plenty of space, but I didn’t know if it was out of respect or out of fear.

“SRD, to me!” a man in an SS uniform called, and with a start I realized it was SS-Obersturmführer Trumbauer, the Gestapo man who told the story at dinner about the boy who turned in his parents for harboring a Jew. The SS officer who had almost caught me talking with Simon that night at the embassy. Apparently, ratting out your parents to the Gestapo was a great way to get on his good side. “The rest of you, line up!” he called.

This must be something important for an adult to be here with us, I thought. SS-Obersturmführer Trumbauer caught sight of me. He came over and tapped his riding crop against the silver gorget I wore on my blue SRD uniform.

“Michael O’Shaunessey. I see you chose the SRD,” he said, and my skin crawled. “Very impressive.”

Beside me, Fritz straightened as though he’d gotten the compliment.

SS-Obersturmführer Trumbauer turned his attention to the other boys, the ones wearing the plain black-and-brown uniforms of the regular Hitler Youth.

“You regular Hitler Youth are here today because we need extra manpower. Members of the Edelweiss Pirates are known to frequent the pool hall at the end of the street, and today, we are going to raid it.

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