The family of Shanti and Vikram looked for me as much attractive as exotic.
I love mother of Vikram -Leila Seth, for her outstanding beauty. I go very often to her
photos to see her.
Generally during reading the book, I feel like to be in my family.
There are some photos of the Indian family.
Leila with her fiance.
Leila with younger brother of Vikram.
Indian family (half of the picture).
When Shanti was studying dental surgery in Germany, he lived at home of family Caro(I
like this surname). They had one son and two daughters. Henny and Lola. Shanti liked this
family very much. Especially he favored the beautiful and chic Henny. But Henny had had
already the fiance - Hans. The family Caro had led very sociable life, and had the open
house for many friends.
Photos:
Parents of Henny and Lola Caro.
Mrs.Caro in festive coiffure.
Henny and Hans 2x.
Henny, Lola and friend in the mountains.
The atrocity time was coming inevitably.
But people tried to enjoy of their free time by
leading sociable life, by practice sport, and
by going
to the mountains- for hiking, and skiing.
Also friends of family Caro, and Shanti had
opportunity to spend nice time this way.
Pictures:
Tightly but joyfully.
What the pyramid! Skilful Henny on the top of
pyramid.
Shanti and Hans on the picnic.
Hans, Henny and Shanti on skiing trip in the
Riesengebirge on the Czech border.
The second world war was hanging on the thread. German people, like the rest people of
Europe felt threatened. Especially German Jews tried to hide somewhere. They started to
be persecuted in the different ways. They were gradually deprived all their belongings.
At first all jewelry.
Henny was able to escape to the Great Britain thanks to protection her boss.
Lola and her mother firstly were taken to the collection camp. Then soon they were
transported to the concentrate camps.
They were parted from each other .
Lola to Birkenau and her mother to Terezin.
These, so much liked, and valuable women, were soon deprived their life.
Pictures:
Mother Caro, with her daughters Henny and Lola.
Sisters, Henny and Lola.
Lola at her work.
It was five month after the war broke out when Shanti joined British Army.
He was taken to the Army Dental Corps.
He stationed in many places on the front of Africa. In Sudan and Egypt. After his time
in Syria he was sent to Italy. There, the good luck had left him.
During the famous battle for Monte Cassino his right arm was blown off.
He was sent immediately back to hospital to Great Britain. The lost of right arm for
dental surgeon - it was horrible verdict for Shanti.
We will see later that he heroically was able to overcome it.
All his time at the war front - Shanti sent tender letters to Henny. But her thoughts
were at her fiance Hans who escaped to USA. She even didn’t visit Shanti during his
treatment in British hospital.
Pictures:
Again: Captain S.B.Seth,119952, Army Dental Corps. Middle East Forces.
Shanti in Egypt
Shanti in the desert camp.
In 1948 Santi bought a nice house - if I well remember - with money which he got as
the compensation for his wounded arm.
The room on the ground floor with the large windows facing the Queens street - was
Shanti’s surgery.
When Henny had heard that Shanti was going to open his private practice, she
immediately decided to help him to lead it.
Shanti firstly got the work in prosthetic dental clinic. He was subjected of rehabilitation
his right arm, but he couldn’t use this arm in his dentist work. He had to adjust his left
arm to it. He was able to work outstanding dexterously.
Pictures:
18 Queens Road , seen from Hendon Park.
Shanti with Henny (standing in for his nurse) in the surgery.
Hans Mehnert ,the fiance of Henny, escaped to USA. He loved Henny dearly, and sent
to her the poems of love.
All their friends knew that Henny and Hans had decided to get married.
The war lasted long time, and Hans didn’t resist the test of time.
He married the Polish woman Wanda…
Henny suffered strongly, and even if she admitted in the end that she forgave him his
treachery, she never replied for his letters to her.
Some of Hans letters have remained, and had traces of tears.
But Hans and Shanti still had been friends .
The pictures:
The poem from Hans to Henny.
Hans Mehnert with his wife Wanda.
On the back of picture is written:To my dear Shanti from Wanda and Hans, Berlin March
12,1947.
Friends: Hans and Shanti in old good times.
The original poem from Hans to Henny written in German.
