     PFC Ralph Ellis was in the 28th Infantry Division, holding a strongpoint near Clervaux, when the German offensive began. Cut off from his unit in the first day of the attack, Ellis wandered westward for days, trying to get back to American lines. But it was slow going. During the day he had to stay hidden. He moved only at night, very slowly and carefully. He avoided roads and houses, anyplace where Germans might gather. He built no fires.
     After ten days, Ellis had reached the end of his tether. He was cold, thirsty and hungry; he'd lost the feeling in his feet. He headed for the nearest town, found himself an empty house, and went inside. He ate some oatmeal he found there and slept in the bed. He didn't know it, but he was in German-occupied Wiltz. The next day he boldly walked down the street, ran into some Germans, got away, hid in another house, and was found by two Luxembourgers, Meisy Steiner and Louis Steinmetz. They took him into their home, a grocery store, and hid him from the Germans.
     There were several close calls. Once, two SS men barged into their home looking for a place to stay. When they saw Ellis dressed in civilian clothes, they demanded to know why he wasn't in the army. Meisy scolded the two burly soldiers and chased them out of the house, claiming that Ellis was mentally incapacitated.
     Ellis remained in Meisy Steiner's grocery store until January 22nd, when Wiltz was liberated by the Americans. Two other Americans, Lester Koritz and George Carroll, had also been hidden by friendly Luxembourgers.
/Behind Enemy Lines
   Suppose that you found yourself cut off behind German lines in the first days of the Battle of the Bulge. What would you do? First, you wouldn't panic or despair. Being caught behind enemy lines is not as dangerous or as frightening as one might think. The enemy is not everywhere and it is easy to avoid detection for a while. After all, soldiers have much more important things to do than wander around in the hills and forests. All the Germans will be either on the front line, in towns near the front, or on roads leading to the front. Avoid those places and they'll never find you.
   Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that you can just camp out in the hills and wait out the war; you'd starve to death. You need food and water, and you won't find it in the hills -- you'll find it in the towns, where the enemy is, or back among friendly troops. Your problem is, how do you get around behind enemy lines without being captured? First, find a good hiding place during the day and stay put. Move only at night, and do it slowly, watching long and hard before moving out into the open. Never walk along a road, because you can be sure that Germans will come down that road sooner or later. Scrounge for bits of food in abandoned houses, but watch a house for several hours before entering it, and be sure to get out before daylight.
   The most dangerous phase will be when you reach the front line, and you won't even know when you're there. There will be Germans on the German side of the line; you've got to sneak past them. When you approach the Americans, they'll think you're a German and will try to shoot you. Stand up straight, put your arms over your head, and walk forward slowly. Don't step on any mines, don't get shot by trigger-happy Americans, and you'll be just fine./