White Buses

We were awakened very early and transported to the ferry. There we were met by an unexpected sight. During the night, the buses had been painted white, but with the painted flags, red crosses, and inscriptions still intact. After we had left Hässleholm, the Allies had issued instructions that our vehicles had to be painted white so that their pilots could distinguish us from the Germans.

The white paint was intended to serve as a kind of life insurance. During the night, as many painters from Malmö as possible were engaged to paint our buses white. Some of the painters accompanied us across the strait to finish the work. Unfortunately, it could not be done with durable paint, and it gradually wore off in rainy weather. We brought along paint cans and brushes, and during the few free moments available over the following two months, we made sure to maintain this “life insurance.”

The ferry set out. It was an early March morning, dark, chilly, and foggy.