history of an elderly Pole. he told me his story.
(Sorry for my english)
In one of the forum topics, I saw an interest in the World War II, especially in the war on the Eastern Front, when Germany (after the defeat of Poland and France), together with its allies (Hungary, Romania and Finland), launched an attack on Russia ....
This is eyewitness evidence.
his name is Mechislav
here is his story
"I was born in Berdichev, my nationality is Polish.
Berdichev is a city in the western part of the USSR (the majority of the population of the city at that time were Jews and Poles), now this city is in Ukraine
the war began on June 22 in 1941, in July the Germans entered Berdichev, but the first Hungarian troops entered the city (allies of Germany)
I just turned
7 years old, nobody on the streets, I was curious to see, I ran away from home, one Hungarian saw me and chased me, I ran away from him, When I ran away, I came across a man, he was lying on the ground, his mouth gnawed the ground, his fingers scratched the ground,
I asked: "Uncle, what's wrong with you, can I get you some water?" he couldn't tell me anything, I quickly ran for water, when I came back, he no longer moved... I saw the first death from the invaders ..
Before the war, his father was repressed , he worked at the factory as a mechanic, was a very good fitter....(Stalinist repression of 1937-38. one suspicion of unfaithfulness to the authorities was enough to be able to arrest a person, mass arrests were made in the years 1937-38)
once I was pointed to a man on the street: "he's a Snitch....he denounced your father... his last name Pasechnik" he later "worked" on the Germans, he continued to make denunciations, this such a breed - "informer"
my brother was drafted into the Red Army in 1940, and my mother and I were left alone..
in July 1941 in the early days of the occupation...outside the city I met a red army man, he was hiding there from the Germans, he told me: "Something to eat" at night I brought him home
my mother fed him, mom gave my brother's clothes, and burned his uniform in the oven.
At midnight, someone knocked on our door. The police chief comes in. before the war, he worked with my father in a factory. I don't know how he became the police chief. maybe the Germans appointed him
- "do you have a red army man?"
- mother goggled: "what a red army man?"
- "I warn you, he shouldn't be here tomorrow, tomorrow will be a raid"
He did not look for him...he was in our basement, he was in our basement at the time, under the floorboards.
Some bitch snitched... For shelter, without talking, immediately shot!
That night I took him to the cemetery, my brother's friends lived nearby, they hid him (And after all then to Mechislav only 7 years were!).
Our neighbor was a railroad man, the Germans mobilized him to serve on the railway,some time he worked,
and then he came to my mother: "I leave you the garden and the cow." he joined the partisans...
the garden was big, there was a good harvest of cabbage and potatoes
Two weeks after the capture of the city, an ad was posted: "all Jews must collect valuables and come to the collection point, you will be deported " not far from our house was fenced with barbed wire empty space and placed Jews. Behind the barbed wire I saw a boy 3-4 years old, I crawled under the wire, we played there, the German saw everything but pretended not to notice, but if it was collaborationist, you will not get close! I took this boy by the hand and brought him home, my mother fed him, he burst into tears:"i want my mom" I returned it to his mom. Mom said something to him, he didn’t cry anymore, she pushed him towards me, I took him back to my house again.Mother then transported him somewhere to our relatives, to the village. and Jews were soon taken out of the city and all were shot
(seven-year-old boy rescued from the death of a Red Army man and a little Jewish boy)
(I asked: "how did the Germans treat the Poles?" he replied: "you know, it was bad for everyone")
I fed captured Russian soldiers, the Germans almost did not feed them, just like skeletons ... scary ...
You ask the German: "I can feed the Russian prisoner?" The German allowed to feed them one by one.I fed them boiled potatoes and cabbage.
In the winter before our release, the Germans put a car-radio station near our house. At home, we needed gasoline for the kerosene lamp.
you pour gasoline, you add a handful of salt and gasoline burns like kerosene. Mom cook hot potatoes. The car was a radio operator, a young guy, maybe twenty years, he was frozen and dirty (mother washed his clothes later) I said: "Essen, Essen" (eat, eat) he was careful with me, but he ate my hot potatoes.Then he poured gasoline in my bottle. I said: " go home and get warm." he said, "I can't" I said: "don't worry. I'll see." we are met each other from time to time I gave him potatoes and cabbage, he gave gasoline (it was the winter of 1943-44, passed two and a half years of occupation...Mechislav was nine and a half years old )
One night four Germans dressed in camouflage burst into our home. They probably returned from intelligence.
(the front line was already quite close, I even saw our soldiers from afar) the Germans gave us the command - "weg!" (away!)
mom and I go to the kitchen, the Germans sit down at the table. they drank alcohol all night, one lost his balance fell and pushed chest with mirror behind chest with mirror were bottles of gasoline...one bottle fell and gasoline flowed...it was dark...a drunken German lit the match and lit up like a torch...Then I saw his bloody prints on the door.Then I saw bloody prints on the door. he ran out the door.
other Germans rushed to extinguish it. The Germans grabbed the gun machine and pointed at my mom. I shouted loudly: “Nain!” (No! But in what voice I screamed! ...) And blocked my mom...German stopped for a second...and then behind him the radio boy slapped him gently on the shoulder: "no one set you on fire, you yourself ..." he abruptly turned around and left, and the radio operator helped us put out the flames.
He saved our lives, a drunk can pull the trigger..."In the coming days, the Russian attack will begin ... I don’t want to die ... " I told him: "So let me hide you" "It is impossible, I have codes, our all of you shock, and someone admits, and all of you will be shot ..."
Then he said he was leaving tomorrow, gave me another bottle of gasoline.. A few days of silence, the Germans fled the city. Entered our troops, the first three days of power was not. Local guys began to catch the remaining employees with the Germans .. they caught the informant Pasechnik and a German officer. The German was not touched, and the informant was hanged.
the car stops at the house, drives a very young captain of twenty, on the jacket two awards "Red Star"(for personal courage and bravery in battle), shakes my hand, asks my name, I tell him:"Mitya"(abbreviated version of the name - Mechislav),"I - Ivan (Vanya)...Can we stay in your house, Mitya?"I lived alone, my mother was in the village, and then the front line departed, the Germans retreated, and my mother was on the other side and could not return...I told him, " of course you can.".. turns out he was in command of intelligence...he and his scouts came and went..after returning from the mission, they silently get up, first drink in the silence of vodka, and then, as usual, talking loudly...I ask Vanya where this scout or the other is?...- "You know... Mitya, they left....".I didn't realize then that they were no longer alive....
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after liberation, I started going to school ... a lot was destroyed ... for many, life was hungry ... I often carried food to school and fed my classmates (potatoes, cabbage - there was no other) ... At that moment, the young teacher turned away and looked at the window ... I did not understand that she, too, was hungry ...
I want to tell you why I survived ... I learned to survive ... no circumstances could bend me ... thirst for life"
Last edited by Martin Stu; 03-03-2020 at 10:28 AM.
Originally posted by Tbone51 
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