Devil on my shoulder

Devil on my shoulder - Hans Becker

I recently saw this book on someone's `wish-list' and I noted it had no reviews. I read it about 1979/80 and for some reason quite a few details stick in my mind, so with that in mind I'll review it as best I can.

Becker joined the artillery branch of the German army, primarily because it had the best uniform and he thought it would help him impress girls. With this training behind him he was assigned to the 13th Panzer Division as a tank gunner. He writes of his tank crew and several of the actions they fought in. I remember very clearly that prior to their final battle, their own tank was unavailable but they begged to take out a replacement one. They did not have time though to paint their `score' on the gun barrel and they thought this might be unlucky. So it proved and they are hit. I can't recall precisely whether this is where Becker is captured but at one point his earlier good-will to a Russian soldier is repaid. In any case the second and larger part of the book covers Becker's time as a POW.