The Orphans of Dachau.

by Anthony Hulse

Young RAF bomb aimer, Flight Sergeant Danny Wilkinson panics when his aircraft encounters heavy flak over Germany. He prematurely orders the release of the bombs, hoping his skipper orders the aircraft to return to England. When the Lancaster bomber is hit, he bails out and discovers the bombs intended for a munitions factory had in fact struck a concentration camp for women and children. As he descends, he views the horrific sight of the victims, some mutilated, others burnt alive. The self-confessed coward at first refuses to help the woman and children he encounters, but later reconsiders; his conscience troubling him. He agrees to lead them to Switzerland, but sadistic Jew hater, SS Major Richter, The Black Hawk, employs extreme and brutal methods to hunt down the escapees. A sad, harrowing and sometimes disturbing account of bravery and heroism.

Genres: Holocaust, World War II, Historical Fiction, War

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2012

About the author

I am an author and live in the north east of England. After working thirty-two years as a steelworker, I retired early to concentrate on writing. I have been writing approximately eighteen years and have written and published thirty-four novels and over fifty short stories. My main genre is psychological thrillers and horror, but I have published a biography of a late friend and a war novel concerning the Holocaust.
My impatience with the mainstream publishers and my former publishers folding prompted me to self publish. i have rewritten and republished my books with KDP in 2022 and 2023. When purchasing, I would advise the latter editions. I appreciate all feedback. Thank you.

Reviews

[Randa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Orphans of Dachau" offers a powerful and emotional story with a unique perspective — portraying both a Nazi and an English soldier who each believed they were on the right side of the war, only to confront the painful truth about their roles. This inner conflict is one of the book’s strongest elements, adding emotional depth and moral complexity.

That said, the novel does contain a notable historical inaccuracy: Danny refers to Jews being “in Israel” during a time when Israel hadn’t yet been established — it wasn’t founded until 1948. This anachronism takes away from the otherwise well-researched setting.

While the story is well-written overall, it tries to portray too many horrific events of the Holocaust in too few pages, which at times makes the narrative feel rushed and emotionally disconnected. There’s not enough space to process or absorb the weight of each tragedy, which weakens their impact.

However, the ending redeems the pacing issues — it’s hopeful, poignant, and a much-needed reminder that even in the darkest times, goodness can survive. A meaningful read, especially for those interested in post-war trauma and redemption arcs, though it could have benefited from tighter editing and more space to let the story breathe.

[Tom Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent thriller about orphans who happen to be freed when a bomb hits the concentration camp. A wide range of attitudes about the Holocaust are shown by the characters, many of whom don't realize how terrible it really was, but the truly sadistic bad guy loves the war because he can torture people and get whatever he wants. It's a very realistic portrayal of the war and Germany, and at the same time a thriller you can't put down.

[Beverley Latimer]

Highly recommended!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WW11 fiction. Beautifully written by Anthony House, the book touched me deeply as it took me on an emotional journey. An English airman and an SS officer strike up an unlikely friendship as they unselfishly attempt to help a group of Jewish children to reach Switzerland. An emotional but superb read. Highly recommended!

[Lucas W Mayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny an RAF bomb sighter didn’t think he was much of a hero. His job was up in the air making sure the bombs his plane dropped reached their intended targets. He didn’t actually have to face the enemy and fight them in close quarters. That was until he and his crew mistake a concentration camp for a munitions factory and after bombing it his plane is shot down. Now in enemy territory and the only survivor out of his crew he intends to make his way through Germany to safety but he promptly comes across residents of the concentration camp who have managed to escape the confines because of the accidental bombing. Most of them children and all of them hungry and near to death, Danny reluctantly agrees to help them evade Nazis including Major Richter an especially sadistic SS officer and escape to Switzerland. It doesn’t all go to plan though but Danny and the children may have found a friend in the most unlikely of places in the shape of Lieutenant Scholten another SS officer who sees the error in his ways and gets a conscience after witnessing the vile horrors committed by the despicable Richter. However, is the selfless and heroic acts from both men enough to save these children, these orphans of Dachau? This is a heart wrenching, heart warming, emotional and thrilling story in equal measure. The horrors that the people of Dachau experience are vividly brought to life in shocking detail. It is a very gritty and dark tale but there is some light in the shapes of Danny, Scholten and the nuns of a convent that the children hide out at at some point and you really feel for their plight and genuinely hope that they survive. The amount of research that went into this was obvious especially in the day to day life in war time Germany and the politics at play in that period I found intriguing too. I was especially interested in the interactions between Danny and Levi one of the Jewish children he rescued. Even though Danny saved him from the Nazis, Levi still counted himself as a proud German and as Germany was at war with England he felt a kind of hatred towards Danny to the point that he threatened to kill him. And that was one of the interesting parts of the story that highlighted the complexities of that time. It was also highlighted and pointed out many times that not all Germans were Nazis like the character of Major Hessler and his police force who in some small way tried to help the Jewish children too. All in all this was a great page turner. It’s one of those books that will stay with me for a while.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author is a notorious spammer of horror list. Try using your writing skills and not your spamming skills to sell books!