The Story

Born in 1932 on the 13th August in the North East of Poland. Now this part belongs to Byelorussia.

 

We lived on a farm in the Hamlet of Ostrow, which in the old Polish language means “the Island”. It was like an island, on one side was the river Zelwienka and on the other sides there were marshes. In the summer it was very dusty, but in the Spring and Autumn it was muddy and full of holes. However, in Winter you could ride across because it was frozen solid. We had very severe winters, but it was lovely and each season was beautiful to us all. There was plenty of fresh air and lots of trees. As I remember there were 9 other families like us in the Hamlet.

 

My Father was a soldier in the Polish army, which was called by Legions. He fought the Bolsheviks in 1920 when they invaded Poland. For this my Father was given the piece of land that became our home. As well as my Father and Mother there was Richard, my elder brother, Bogdan my younger brother and Babcia, my mums mother (Zbyszek, the youngest brother died when he was a year and a half old). Babcia came to live with us, from Warsaw, when I was born and never went back. In Warsaw I had my mothers 2 sisters.

 

My Fathers family lived not very far from Warsaw on a Farm. My father had 2 brothers and 2 sisters, one of whom emigrated to the USA. Our nearest neighbour lived half a mile away.

 

Our house stood on the-corner of three roads. We had a big apple orchard and a garden with plums, cherry trees and soja fruit. The house was surrounded by lots of flowers because my mother loved flowers. There were three other buildings making a sort of square, there was a barn, a byre and a big shed for farming tools and our carriage. We had 5 cows, 2 horses (sometimes three). We had some pigs, lots of poultry and of course our dog “Burek”. We were looking forward to the Spring, when everything started to get green and grow. There was a little wood on our land and some Walnut trees. My Mother and I went to look for the first flowers of the spring, violets, primroses and cowslips.

 

We started to get ready for Easter. My Father, with the help of a neighbour killed a pig. My Mother, with Babcia, made lots of sausages and hams were cured. Near to Easter we painted lots of eggs ready for Easter. On the Saturday before Easter we decorated the table in the dining room with a white table cloth green foliage and flowers. On the table were the sausages, hams, decorated eggs and a lamb made from sugar. On the afternoon of Easter Saturday the priest would come and bless the table. On Easter Sunday we went to church 7kms away in Rogoznica, the next village. There was a mass and a big procession. I was dressed in my national costume and everybody wore newclothes. We travelled there by carriage and horses, as did lots of other people, but many came on foot. Then after the procession and mass we met our friends and family. After that we went home for a big dinner, at which we played a game; you hold your painted egg in your hand and an opponent knocked it with his egg, if your egg was broken you had to give it to him.

 

Then came summer, we had visitors and family for the holiday, friends came to see us and we went to visit them. Birthdays were celebrated. Then there was Harvest, it was a very happy time. Out in the cornfields the men and women were busy cutting corn. It was very hard work, and as they worked the women sang. We had a man who worked for my father, I remember him brining a load of cut corn by horse and cart. Everybody prayed for good weather, and after the harvest was done the women made a wreath of corn and flowers and gave it to my father, whilst singing harvest songs. My father and mother invited them to eat at the tables which were full of food and drink. The party went on late

into the night and we, the children were allowed to stay up late.

 

In the small wooded hollows we would go and gather strawberries, there were lots of them. We had our diners outside under the lime tree. It was very nice to go to church early in the morning, the marshes were full of birds and everything was fresh and green. We had lots of fun, going on picnics with lots of good things to eat and plenty of fresh air and nice places to play.

 

There were three roads going from our house. One was planted with Acacia trees one side and on the other evergreen trees. One was full of shrubs on both sides and one was planted with lime and linden trees, which were big and old.

 

Then came the Autumn. I loved the Autumn on our farm. It was a very busy time for my Mother and Babcia, they made jams and syrups, pickled cucumber, cabbage and mushrooms. There were lots and lots of apples, the smell of them was all-round the farm. My father left the orchard to the fruitier from town, Wolkowysk. He organized the picking and the apples were collected in to big boxes. Of course my father left some tree for us. We were gathering walnuts and hazelnuts. In the garden we had a lot of vegetables and we were self-sufficient. The only things we bought in were paraffin and wicks for the lamps and salt and sugar. My mother baked our own bread, life was very happy for us. Autumn time was lovely, our little wood looked beautiful in gold and yellow.

 

The potatoes had to be harvested, and there was a lot of time spent digging them. My father would make a big fire on the empty field and we baked potatoes in the hot ashes. They tasted very nice. The potatoes were put in to big trenches and covered with straw and earth, they had to last us through the winter, or until the new crop was ready. We children were part of this wonderful life, very happy and loved.

 

Then came the Winter. We were looking forward to the snow, it came at the beginning of November. All the fields and the woods were covered by a blanket of snow. It was so deep that my father had to dig to clear a road to the barn and byre. We children only looked through the windows as it was very cold. In the house it was cosy and warm, we had our own peat on a piece of land by the river. In the summer my father and our farm hand would dig the peat and leave it to dry ready for winter burning. Some times, in winter, my father and the farm hand would go to our little wood to cut wood for burning. I always wanted to go with them, once I did , but my father had to bring me back home because I was so cold. My mum had to out my finger in cold water as it was frost bitten, it would have been very painful to put it near the fire first.

 

Then we started, getting ready for Christmas. In the sitting room it was very cosy and warm. On the big table stood a big parafin lamp with a red shade. We would sit by the table making ‘toys’ to decorate the Christmas tree. We made many different things using coloured paper, angels and chains and lots and lots of toys made with straw and gold and silver stars. In the Autumn we had collected pine cones and these were painted gold and silver, as were some of the walnuts. I remember going with my father to our neighbour at night. It was a lovely clear frosty night, I looked at the sky and could see the moon and stars, the land glittered in reflection with the white providing an unreal feel to the whole scene. Christmas came, my mother and granny made many sorts of cakes and biscuits with holes in them so we could hang them on the Christmas tree. My father would cut a lovely tree from the wood and we decorated it with our toys and decorations and baubles we had bought, we put small coloured candles in the little candle holders, we also hung small red apples and painted walnuts. father was busy in the byre and barn, but in the house mother and Babcia were cooking wigllia, the Christmas Supper on Christmas eve. We children were looking outside for the first star to appear, it meant that we could start our supper. For supper there was red beetroot soup, mushrooms, dumplings, fish and potatoes, followed by lots of different cakes.

 

Sometimes visitors and my unmarried aunt came to stay. She and dad had nice voices, so we would sit and sing carols late into the night. Feeling happy we went to bed to wake up early on Christmas morning. Outside it was white with snow, and my father had to go out to feed the animals. Our farm hand had gone to his family. My father would have the sleigh ready as my aunty, granny and he were going to church. It was too cold for us to go, and it was too far. If the weather was nice when they came back my father would take us for a sleigh ride around the hamlet. it was beautiful riding in the sleigh, like in a fairy tale, everything was shimmering in the sun and how very still it was. Only the bells of the horses were ringing in the still air. Then we went home for Christmas diner. After dinner we went to visit our neighbours. Back home we gathered in the kitchen, my mother put on the table apples, nuts and cakes. It was very cosy and warm. Mum would sit and read aloud, outside the wind was blowing and it was snowing, but we were warm and happy.

 

Poland invaded by Germany from the West and Russia from the East.

 

One day I remember it was very dark and our father was away. In the kitchen it was warm and cosy. There was a little girl from the village helping my mother. There came a knock at the door, when my mother opened the door there was a man standing there. He was dressed shabbily and looked hungry and ill. My mother gave him something to eat and some warm clothes, he was not looking very much. He stayed for a little longer, thanked my mother for the food and clothes and left. The girl went home to the village and told the leader of the villagers about this. In the evening my father was at home, we finished dinner and there was a knock at the door. Father went to open it and three men with guns burst in. They asked, “Where is he? The spy?” They searched everywhere, keeping the guns pointed at my father. Of course they did not find him, and so they left. One Sunday when the war had just began, we looked through the window of our house and saw three men approaching. My father was away. We thought they were spies, but when they came nearer my mother recognised one of them as my fathers brother, with two of his friends. They had run away from the Germans. When the Russians invaded they were going back home, and we were ready to go with them.

 

One day my uncle went to the town to get the necessary papers for us to go home, when he was arrested. My father realised that something was wrong when uncle did not come back in the evening. My father went the next to find him, only to be told that he had been killed. It took my father the whole day to convince the communists that my uncle had ran away from the Germans, nothing else. When our uncle was at last released from prison, his hair had turned white. Throughout the whole night people were being killed. My uncle thought that he would be next. When he left we did not go with him, because my father did not want to leave the farm.

 

I was very lonely because all our neighbours children were older than me, I stayed at home whilst they went to school. My brother Richard was at school, Bogdan was only 2 years old, so when I was allowed to go to school I was very pleased. The only problem was that it was a long way, 7 kilometers. There was a school at the nearest village, but my father did not want me to go there. My father bought Richard a bicycle and he was supposed to take me with him to school. It was a very uncomfortable ride. I was afraid because Richard rode very fast. On one occasion, when coming home I lost my sandal, but Richard would not stop. However, when we got home, my mother sent him back to look for it. When I started school I could already read. Mother and Father liked reading and when they went to town they always bought lovely children’s books for us.

 

In “Rogoznica”, where the school was, we had many friends, like us on small-holdings. One of the couples did not have any children, and the husband was Bogdan’s godfather. They said that I could stay with them and go to school. It seemed a very good solution and they were very good to me. But I missed my family. Near to their farm was the wood that was used by the villagers who passed by my home in Ostrow on their way to gather hay by the river. I was sitting by the wood and I was homesick, so I asked one of the men to tell my father to come and take me home. In the evening my dad and mum came and took me home. But what could we do to solve the problem of going to school? One answer was that my father rented a room in the village of “Rogoznica” and granny stayed their with me and Richard. I was staring school and he was finishing primary school. Dad and mum came every Sunday, coming to church, and brought provisions for the whole week. Granny cooked our meals and looked after us, but at holiday time we went back home. It was wonderful to go home, and be home again. My father had to work very hard, but because my mother had a ‘bad’ heart she could not do any hard work to help. We had a manservant to help my father, and granny helped a lot. She would milk the cows. For main cleaning and for washdays, women came from the nearest estate. There were many people there and they were glad to have some work.

 

Today I understand the word ‘war’, but then it did not have any meaning. I noticed that my father and mother, and the neighbours, had very sad faces when they were discussing the possibility of the war. But all to soon we learned what it was. We had a radio, but I do not remember if my parents learned about the war from it! Germany invaded Poland, it was 10th September 1939. Early one Saturday morning we heard the noise of airplanes. We were standing on the corner of our road and my aunt Lucyna, who came from Warsaw for a holiday, said these airplanes were going to bomb the capital, Warsaw. It is war. I did not know then that this little word would take me to faraway countries and continents. The summer of 1939 was very nice, hot. We played outside and had many visitors from Warsaw and Grodno. Our cousin Jurek came to stay, he was 11 years old. School remained closed. Everybody was sad and the grownups were whispering about what will happen. before the war I was twice in Warsaw. The first time was when I was 2 years old and went with my mother. The second time I remember a little of. We went for the wedding of my aunty Anna. The next day some old friends of my father came to us from the ner by town. There was a Plywood factory there and it had been bombed. They had a daughter of my age, but they did not stay long and went back home.

 

Then Russia invaded Poland from the East. people were saying that Poland was ‘lost’. We were living on the eastern borders of Poland with Russia and so the communist. In the villages near there lived a lot of Byelorussia’s, and they liked the communists. The man who used to work for my father became a communist leader. One day when my father was away, he came with his helpers. There was only my mother and granny and us, the children in the house. He took my mothers rosary, threw it on the ground and stepped on it saying that it was no good. He took a prayer book and tore it up. They took Richards bicycle, when my mother tried to stop them they said that we would get it back after the war. We were very frightened, they were carrying guns. Of course these people were jealous of us because we had farms and they were poor. Then there was the day when they all came, the whole village, to pillage the apples from the orchard. They did ask which trees were ours, and these were left alone. We watched through the windows as everybody in the orchard grabbed as many apples as they could carry. (Later on when the Russian came, the apples were thrown into the ditches).

 

Then one day they decided that it was too much for us to have the whole house to ourselves, sothey told the people of the village they can come and live with us and the other farmers. Theleader brought his sister and his mother to our house, we had to give them our room. Our motherhad to take all our things from that room. However, before my mother had time to take all ourthings from the room, the leader took away the key and locked the room. My mother told myfather who was working outside, working with a hammer, when he heard what had happened hegot very cross. With the hammer in his hand he said’ it is my house you so and so’. The leaderwent to the village and started to collect signatures on a petition to kill my father, but my fatherwas well liked in the village. He always paid their wages and helped some of them, so no onesigned the petition. My father was saved.

 

These were very bad times for us. One day someone from the village came and said hidesomewhere because the communists from over the river are coming to kill you, all the farmersand their families. It was a strange and horrible night, all the families came to our house, all theadults were sitting up all night and the children were put to sleep on the floor. The men went outfrom time to time to see if the farms were alright. We could the horrible noises of guns and seethe sky lit up red over the river. They were killing people like us over the river.

 

Morning came and we were saved. The Russian army came and with them some kind of peace.One of the officers would come to our house quite often because he liked my aunty; she came tous for a holiday, but never returned to Warsaw because of the war.

 

Winter came and it was very cold and a lot of snow fell. Christmas was very sad that year. The Russian soldiers were stationed at the big state near us. They were killing cows for the army.Before the war there was a big fire at the estate. It was near to us, so my mother and father started taking everything they could from the house. We were dressed and told to stay outside inthe orchard. Luckily the wind was in the opposite direction, away from us and the river). Anothertime the German airplanes were bombing even small villages. So every time we heard the noiseof airplanes we ran to hide in the orchard. My granny was very frightened and sometimes we hadto go and look for her. Once we found her in the ditch near the big estate. We were smiling through our tears.The New Year came, but there was no celebration, everybody was thinking about what the new year will bring. It was very cold with lots of snow and the temperature was 40c. And then came the 10th February, it was a Saturday. Before, the 1st February was my father’s birthday, but it was very sad too.

 

1940 - 10th February - Frost up to 40c.

 

Taken by Russian soldiers from our farm to the Urals - ZSSR

 

Winter of 1940 was very severe, deep snow was lying everywhere. In the night we sometimesheard wolves coming near our farm, the dogs and animals were very restless in their byre. Myfather or the man who helped went to see if everything was alright. We did not sleep very easilybecause the bands of communists still roamed the country.

 

One day my father went to town, Wolkowysk, when he came back he brought a lovely pair of boots for me. He said they were transforming freight wagons to transport people. We never thought about it anymore until 10th February.

 

It was about six o’clock in the morning, we were woken by very loud knocking on the front door. When my father went to open it he was confronted by 2 Russian soldiers with guns and 2 men from the village. They put my father in one corner of the room, my l5 year old brother Richard in the other corner of the room. It was very cold. My mother was sitting in bed with Bogdan in her arms shaking with fright. In another room was Granny (Babcia) and me, also shaking with fright and cold. The soldiers told us to dress and pack because we were going to another county. The 2 village men helped us to pack, they told my father in a whisper to take everything we could and they helped to pack. They took us by sleigh to our nearest neighbours house where there were our other neighbours. Every woman was crying, children were shaking with fright and cold. We did not have anything to eat. It was Saturday. No one was allowed to go out. On the floors they put some straw for us to sleep. My granny (Babcia) was sad because our aunty, Lucyna, was notwith us because she was on the farm of our cousins near the next village, Rogoznica. We did not know what was happening to her. By the time it was one o’clock my father asked the soldiers if he could go to our farm and milk the cows. After they talked (each family had two soldiers) theylet my father go with the soldiers and milk the cows. So we had warm milk, all the children. The night came but no one could sleep, it was very cold.

 

In the morning they told us to get ready. In that moment my aunty Lucyna found us. Soldiers came to our cousins and took them like us, but told my aunt to go find us. She walked 7kilometers in the snow. When she did not find us in our farm she came to our nearest neighbours. We could hear her shouting because the soldiers would not let her in. My father had to explain that she was part of our family.

 

Then came people from the village with sleighs. We were given 2 sleighs. My father and motherwere in the bottom of the sleigh, put us two [Bogdan and me ] on it and covered us with anothereiderdown. They were sitting on the back, in the other sleigh was granny [babcia], and aunty Lucyna with Richard. Other families followed in the same way. It was very cold (-4OoF) and the snow was very deep. Our dog [Burek] started to follow us so Richard threw him some bread. On each farm we could hear the animals. No one was looking after them. It must have been very sad for everyone like my father and mother, leaving everything they had worked so hard for. After travelling for a while we started to cry because we were getting very cold. Mother told the soldier to stop in the nearest village to give the children something hot to drink. So we stopped at the village school and good people from the village brought us some hot soup and milk. After an hour we were put on the sleigh and started again. I do not remember how long we travelled and I do not remember to which town they brought us or the name of the station. I do however, remember being put on the freight wagons. The wagons had been made to accommodate people. They were set out as follows...In the middle was a round stove with a long pipe to the roof. On two sides there were flat shelves that were used for the sleeping areas and living areas see diagram. There were 8 families in a wagon and as a result there were 2 families on each of the levels - there were no partitions between the families. At one side there was a hole in the floor that served as the toilet.

 

It was a very long train with 2 locomotives. It was a train of sadness, hunger and hopelessness. We did not know where we were going. I cannot remember how long we were travelling, but we were hungry and thirsty. Some people were praying, some were cursing the Russians. The people in our wagon made my father responsible for our wagon. At one time someone said we are crossing the Polish border into Russia everyone was crying. Goodbye to our dear Poland!

 

After crossing the border we stopped in the open country, it was cold. They told my father to take men with him. When they came back they brought with them buckets of steaming soup and some bread. It was not much but at least it was hot. The soldiers let us out of the wagon to have a little fresh air. Then we were all back nside and the train started again.Where we were going no one knew! We were travelling further and further from Poland and our homes.One week, two weeks, how many more we did not know. From time to time the train stopped, not at a station but somewhere further in the country. We got our soup and bread and hot water to make tea. Half of the way we were hungry. When we passed the big river people said it was the Wolga. It was very cold and snow was lying on the fields. Then we were travelling through big mountains, the Urals. On the 8th March we arrived at our destination.It was still very cold and snowing. We were taken in the sleighs to the big hail. The walls were decorated with printing, it was a church, made by the communists into a hail. The first night we slept in this hail on straw. In the morning we were moved across to a new timber building. We were put in one room with our cousins from Rogozmca, it was aunty and grandmother of my brother Richard.

 

I remember going out. There were big rooms as well where people from our train were. In one room there was a little girl dressed all in white, she was dead. I was very frightened. People were talking about what they were going to do with us. It was a small town named Karabasz. It was surrounded by forests and big mountains.There was an iron ore mine tere and my father was going to work down the mine.Someone went to explore the town and coming back said the shop was full of meat and sausages, but on further inspection it was all made from wood! We stayed in that building until the end of April. Then by lorries we were moved to the other end of town, rather out of town. There were standing big barracks made of timber. They were very long. Every so often there were steps and doors. Each family got two rooms, one was a kitchen and the other for us to sleep. Some men, like my father were working down the mine. Some were working in the forests. My brother Richard was working in the forest. My aunty Lucyna was working in the club and then later on, she being a teacher, worked in the play school.My mother was not working because she had a bad heart, so Bogdan was not accepted into the play school. At least the children and babies were fed good food and plenty of milk.We had to buy our milk. I started going to school. Some people did not want their chioldren going to the Russian school, but my father let me go because at least I would be learning.And I was too small to listen to the Communist propaganda at school. I was a very good scholar. The teacher came to see my parents to tell them I was excellent at everything. In a short time I could read books in Russian. On the New Year day I got a prize, it was a very nice bun. I was going to take it home, when I arrived nothing was left of the bun! That’s how hungry we were all the time. The place was very lovely, plenty of fresh air, round three sides there was forest and a river. From the other side we could see in the distance white covered mountains, the Urals.

 

The Ural summer was short but very hot and beautiful. At 12o’clock at night there still day light, you could read a book. In the forest there were plenty of billberries and cranberries. In the autumn there were plenty of wild mushrooms. You had to be very careful in the forest not to lose our way .My granny (babcia) was lost for a whole day! We searched for her, and at last we could see her coming from the forest, we were very relieved! We were not left alone by the communists. Every so often they came at night making an inspection to see if we had a radio. I remember my mother sorting our pictures (photographs) to burn some with my father in soldiers uniform and our uncle in (Jrodnow) who was a regular soldier in the army. I still have the picture of him in the uniform with his son and wife. My mother did not want to destroy it. It was difficult to buy food. Luckily we had some good dressess and under wear, so my mother was selling it. With the money we could buy milk. Other food was less easy to buy. One day there was an accident at the mine, one man was killed, it was our friend. His daughter was my friend. His wife was very sad and was cursing the Bolsheviks and Communists. Everyone told her to be quiet because they can take her to prison, she had four children.But they, the communists, felt guilty and left her alone. There was a big funeral, every Polish family was there. We children were in our national costumes (who had them). Of course aunt Lucyna organised it all.

 

There was a club where meetings were held or propaganda pictures were shown. One day someone demolished the club. Of course there were investigations and some young men were taken to prison. There was a lighter side too. One day our friends wife sent him to bring a bucket of water from the pump outside, it was in the winter and dark. He took the water and came back to visit my father. After a while his wife came to us cross with her husband for not brining the water. He had taken it to someone elses house instead because all the barracks and entrances looked the same! We were forbidden to sing Polish songs and congregate to pray, so everything had to be done on the quiet!

 

Then came spring and summer again. Everywhere was green, plenty of wild flowers, the countryside was beautiful. But it was not our country and we were not free! One day my brother Richard was to go to prison because he took some sticks to make the fire for his aunt and granny. They lived on the other side of the barracks. He should not have taken it as it was Sowiecki Soius property. They sentenced him to one year in prison in the near by town.

 

1941 - AMNESTY. GERMANS ATTACK RUSSIA.

 

Summer came and we still were in the Urals. My father was very sad about my brother Richard going to prison for a year, he was only 15 years old. We were not allowed to sing Polish songs, or celebrate Holy days. Food was very difficult to get, we were always hungry.

 

1941 June

 

And then one day (the weather was nice), high dignitaries came from Moscow and told us that we were free, that we could sing our national anthmn and songs. Ussr and Britain had become allies against Hitler. They told us that the Polish army was being organised in the south of Russia. So my father and nearly all the other Polish people decided to go south. They collected money from the families who decided to go, hired a train and on 11th November, we started our journey to the south. It was already very cold and lots of snow was everywhere. We travelled to the main town from where we were, but we had to wait for another train. It was very cold. The women and children were staying in rented accommodation, but our father had to sleep outside the station because they had to look after the luggage. Then someone told our father to collect some money and give it to the station master if we were to get wagons to travel in. True enough we got the wagons and we started the long journey to the south.

 

We did not have many provisions. In the stations you could only have some hot water. Some times, when the train stopped for longer, the men and women went in search of food. Sometimes they were lost, but some did manage to come back by the next train, but some were lost, never to return. My aunty went to look for some bread and did not come back when the train started moving. Imagine our distress! Granny was crying, but at the next station our aunt was waiting for us. She had gone on an earlier train.

 

How long we travelled like that I do not know. If the train stopped for long people tried to cook soup by the train, making fires from little sticks and then hurrying up with hot pots of soup when the train started. Many times we had to it holy cooked soup. Slowly the countryside became green and the fields were red from Tulips. We arrived south.

 

Then one day we arrived at a station called ”Burne”, and this was our destination. The people here were different, they were Uzbeks. Some Uzbeks were waiting at the station with their horses and carts to take some Polish families to the “Kolhoz” to work. Our family and some others were going to the same kolhoz, but we were to travel not by the horse and cart, but by cow! So by the time we arrived at our destination it was dark. They put us all in one round hut, which was very small and very dan, without any food or drink. I remember being very frightened! I suppose everyone was! The next day they put us in separate huts, we got one with a little window looking out on a big

space where the were many cows.

 

My father was told to come to work collecting cotton. There were fields of it. They did not pay money, but gave corn. What were we going to do with this corn? The next door neighbour was a Ukranian family and they helped us a little. They had a daughter of the same age as I was, so I played with her. They always gave me a piece of bread or cake.

 

After a while my father decided to go to the Polish army. So we were left, 3 women and 2 small children. We had some things to sell and could buy a few potatoes and bread. Then my aunt, Lucyna, started to go to the town, Burna. There was a Polish organization there to help Polish people like us, but she had to walk 20 kilometres and there were 2 rivers to cross. So she had to sit on the bank of the river where people were crossing and beg whoever came with the cart to give her a lift across the river. It was the same coming back. She was given a bit of money and some warm clothing for us. Polish organization helped us because my father was in the army. Then came the news that our father was going with the army abroad to Teheran, in Persia. It was the last time that we heard from my father!

 

We stayed there over Christmas, but it was a very sad Christmas. In March, when our aunt Lucyna went to see the Polish officials in Burna, they told her if we come to Burna we can go to Polish military camp in ~Czak Pak”. So my aunt and mother sold the rest of the little things like the sugar bowl and some cutlery from Poland and aunty Lucyna hired the cart and we started early one morning across the rivers to Burna. We all of us did nothing most of the time, just sitting on the cart at the crossing of the river. We were very tired by the time we came to Burna. We found a little room with Russian women for some money. That Easter we were in town and there were some people like us. We were lucky because some of the Polish families in Kolhoz where we were, were sick, and to this day we do not know if they came alive from that kolhoz!

 

No news from my Father. In the kolchoz, after my father had gone to the army we all of us were sick with Tyfus. Only a miracle saved us from death. There was no medicine, no doctor or nourishing food. At last we have some hope of going with the Polish army and with our father. After so many weeks my aunt Lucyna brought good news that the army was sending a vehicle and horses to take us and our friends to the army camp.

 

I remember it was very cold and wet, and everywhere there was a lot of mud. I was staying with our friend who lived out of town when the soldiers came to take them the sent me to town to go with my family. But I was lucky for after going on my own for so many miles, I saw horses coming my way, it was my family coming to take me with them. I was very cold, but my mum gave me hot food, cooked in the morning, so even the soldiers were glad of something hot. It was late at night when we arrived at the camp called Czak Pak. At last saved from starving and we were safe.

 

1941 - NOVEMBER. Travelling to the south of Russia- Uzbekistan.

 

Life was very hard in Uzbekistan. Very often we were hungry! We were ill with typhoid, only my aunt Lucyna was looking after us all. My father was somewhere in the army and Richard was still in prison. I then remember travelling to Czok-Pak. We arrived there at night and were given the place in the tent. It was dug out from the soil, a big hole with in the middle a small stove and upper shelves for sleeping. It was raining all the time and everything was wet and damp. There my aunt Lucyna met her future husband and got married there. There was a church and priests there at least. How long we were there I don’t remember. Only travelling again, by train to another awful place called “Guzar”. It meant valley of death, and it was. So many people died there. At least in the Urals it had been healthy with so many forests. In “Guzar” we were placed again in a dug out tent. The army there was getting food cooked for them but we did not get any food. My mum and aunt were selling beat things they had for a little yoghurt or a piece of bread. Uncle Krzysztof sometimes brought some more of his food for us. We were living in the tents by the river. But water was very dirty and yellow. That way everybody was ill with dysyntry and I got it. So I was sent to the little hospital for children. We were lying on mats on the floor. So many children died! But I was lucky! But I did not go back to the tent, but was sent to a childrens home as was Bogdan.

 

My mother was crying but uncle Krzysztof said at least we were given food and shelter in the old horses stables. You had to look for Scorpions and other insects. Mother and granny, or aunt Lucyna visited us often. When they were going back Bogdan was very hysterical and cried very

badly for he wanted to go back with them. I was too, but I was pretending that I have a headache. He was not with me but with small children. Some of the children were very sick and they were not eating. So when my mum or granny came and brought some melons I exchanged them for pieces of bread and sugar and gave it to my mother or granny for them to eat. My mum was very sick, she was swollen from hunger.

 

One day somebody said that we are going out of Uzbekistan to Iran! So as we were going to town in the bus to have a bath I sent a message to my mum. They were very sad, but went and got tickets too because my father was in the army. (They could get tickets because grandfather

was in the army).So they were going to Persia too, but I did not know about it. So I was very sad that we were going on our own from Russia.

The day came that we were going to the station by buses. Our “teacher”, or the lady who was looking after us told us to pack only small bundles of essential things. We did not have any suitcases.

 

Life in the childrens home was better because we got plenty to eat. But the rest was bad. We were sleeping in big stables, it was very hot, and we had to sleep on the floor. There were a lot of scorpions. One day we heard that a girl was found drowned in the well where we were getting water from. No wonder we were getting bad stomachs.

 

The station in the (luzars was only a big open space. When we got there we found a place to sleep because we were going next day. The night was beautiful, full of stars and it was warm. But I was sad leaving my family in Russia. It was probably near midnight when I heard someone calling my Name. It was my mother. I was so happy when she told me that they are going too. They had walked all the way from the Guzras to the station only a man brought their few pieces of luggage on a donkey. Imagine! My mum ill, granny old and only aunty was helping them! But nothing mattered, we were going together. My mother was going to look for Bogdan to tell him too.

 

Morning came and about 10 o’clock the train came and we started to board the train. We were in and after a while the train got on its way. But when we looked through the window so many children and grown ups were left. So I was crying. Mum and family were left behind. Travelling was not very comfortable because of too many people in one carriage. I was sleeping between the seats on the floor. Bogdan was travelling in a different carriage. I had the mumps and was bad. Bogdan was not very well. He missed mother! I cannot remember how long we travelled, when we came to a big station. We were going to have dinner there. As we were going back, who is going to dinner but my mother, granny and aunt Lucyna. We were all very happy because they were afraid that we had been left behind. They let my mother take Bogdan to her carriage so he was happy.

 

How long we travelled I do not remember. It must have been days. We arrived in Krasnowdek, a big port on the Caspian Sea. We were place in big hangers, it was very hot and I lost my luggage. I was very please because it was so very heavy to carry, but at the last moment it was found! Night came and we were again put on the train to travel to the sea port to board a ship. It was something new. We were going to board. Of course when we boarded the ship was packed. We children found space on the deck. All the time I was looking for my mother. Would they be lucky a second time and travel with us from this horrible country of Russia. Everywhere people were sick and ill. The toilet was a bucket behind sacks, to shelter people from those waiting. So many people were ill but there was not any doctors or nurses. Everybody wanted us to as quickly as possible from Russia!

 

Near the evening I found my mother, granny and aunt. They WERE with us and we were crying with happiness.

 

It was 1942 but I do not know the month. We travelled the whole night. In the middle of the sea we had to go aboard smaller ships to land on the Persian (Iranian) soil in “Pableve”. There we met the first English people. We were placed on the sands by the sea. We only had a cover it was enough and some poles to keep it up. The weather was very nice and we got very good food, very rich good food, very rich and people started to be ill!! Being hungry for so long, it was dangerous to eat such rich food.

 

The camp was divided into two parts. One part was for people who had not gone through the quarantine. It was a very big building and we were told to strip and go to have a shower! Our heads were shaven. On the other side of the building we were given clean clothes from top

to bottom, and we were sent to the clean part of the camp. Bogdan and I were stuck in the childrens home. My mother asked if she can take us to be with them but the social worker said to let the children travel with the childrens home to Teheran and then she could have us.

 

How long we stayed by the sea I do not remember. Of course my mother, granny and aunt Lucyna visited us when they had been quaranteened. We were given some money, so I remember I bought ice cream for Bogdan and myself. Then one day very early in the morning we were told to pack our few possessions and we were going to Teheran. Not even my mother was told, when she came to visit us and brought us some bread we were gone.

 

I never forgot that journey. At first we were travelling through lowland, with nice orchards. Some children were travelling by lorry, we had a very old bus. It was shaking very badly on the bad roads. Then we started to climb up very high mountains. The road was going like a serpentine. At the bottom of the precipice we saw old cars broken at the bottom. It was hair raising and the driver was going like mad. We stopped at the roadside cafe but only to go to the toilet. At the beginning of the journey I exchanged a little sugar for a basket of apricots so Bogdan and I were eating them, so we were not very hungry. We were travelling through the mountains the whole day. By the evening we arrived at the camp of Polish soldiers. Through my journey I keep asking everybody about my father. So when we arrived at the camp my first question was to ask a soldier if they saw my father. It never occurred to me to tell them his name! I was convinced everybody knew my father. But there was no news of my father when I told them his name. We were given supper and went to sleep in a big building, on the floor. Early in the morning we were ready to go. After breakfast it was a beautiful day and about 12 o’clock we were travelling on proper roads with asphalt on, it was very smooth to travel in our shaking bus. And then we arrived in the camp called Ni. 2.

 

We were put in the big block. I do not remember a lot about it. Only that we were standing in the "rain” to be examined by the doctors. We were standing together with Bogdan. The lady doctor told me that we can go to Mexico when it was our time to see her. But next to us was sitting a doctor and when he looked at us he said no they are not going to Mexico, but to the camp Ni. 5. We were too weak to travel so far to Mexico. I was with Bogdan then all the time.I was to look after him. Camp Ni. 5 was very nice, it was the Palace of a Persian Lady who gave it to convalescent for Polish children. It was very beautiful, gardens with trees and flowers and waterfalls. We were living in sits of cabins without doors. Bogdan was with me. We met there our friend from Russia, so we were glad because she looked after us. We were eating in the big hall in the main building. One morning Bogdan had gone before me for breakfast and did not come back. I was very worried and was looking for him everywhere. Someone said that he was taken by a Persian man. I was crying, he was lost. Then this friend of ours told me Bogdan was in hospital with a bad eye infection. Everybody was bad and in a few days time I was to be admitted with a bad eye infection.

There was no room so we were sleeping both together in one bed. Every afternoon sister put some ointment in our eyes.

 

In the meantime my Mum, Granny and Aunt Lucyna had come to Teheran with all the Polish refugees from ZSRR, who managed to come like we had. There were 3 camps for refugees on the outskirts of Teheran. Number one, Number two, in which we were, and Number 3 where our

mum with granny and auntie were placed. Of course my mum wanted to take us back with them, but was told that we arrived at number 2 camp. So we walked all the way from No. 3 to No. 2 camp through the city, because the camps were miles from the city. When mum arrived at No.2 camp, she was very tired but hopeful that she would be reunited with us. But was told that we were gone to Mexico with the other children. It was too much for my mother, she just sat down and started to cry. Then came a soldier, actually a Major, and asked why she was crying. So she told him about us. He took her to his office and asked her if she is hungry. He told a soldier to bring something to eat and a cup of tea and started to enquire about us on the telephone. After mum had had something to eat and drink she felt better. Of course he found out that we were in Teheran. in No.5 camp for children. So she was very pleased and thanked the Major for his help. She started back to tell Granny and Auntie where we were.

 

So it happened one Sunday noon time, we were lying on a bed with Bogdan, because we had had ointment put in our eyes. I heard a girl at the other end of the room saying, ‘Ala, it is your Mother looking for you’. i could see someone but did not recognise my mum at first. Then we started to cry with happiness. Mum told us that she was taking us, but not straight away, because of our eyes. When she had gone, we were living with hope that we were going to be reunited with them soon. Then one day came a very nice man who said that my aunty asked him to bring us back, if he was by any chance at No. 5 camp. He never told my Mum or Amity when he would be there. So they came to the camp, all 3 of them, but we were gone! When he brought us to Mums’ camp, they had gone to see us in No. 5 camp. We were left sitting on blankets in a big tent. There were so many people, everybody was very kind, but we wanted our mum! There were no beds, people slept on the mats and blankets. At last Mum, Granny and Auntie came back and we were together.

 

We started going to school. We were having lessons after people had their breakfast, because we had lessons on the big long tables under roofs, but no walls. It was very warm. Then I went to ‘First Communion’. At the camp by the sea everybody had their hair shorn to the skin. So I was without hair, but we had white dressess. How long we lived in No. 3 camp I do not remember, but winter was coming. Winters in Iran were not very bad, but all the same we were moved to No. 1 camp. But not to tents, but long barracks built from mud.

 

Inside there was a long platform in the middle of the barrack and families had so much space to put their blankets. In the middle there was a partition, but only half way. For us children it was fun, but for adults it was very hard not having any privacy. I started school and so did Bogdan. Christmas came and there was a big Christmas tree in the middle of the camp. All the children got presents. I got an orange, some sweets and coloured pencils. Those pencils were like a treasure to me, after our lives in ZSRR, so hard. Then one day my aunt went into hospital because she was having a baby. My mum was in hospital too with a bad heart, so we were left with granny. One night I had my usual earache, I was in pain and crying, it was the middle of the night. On the other side of the barrack, head to head, was my friend Ala, her name was like mine. Her father came for the weekend from the army, who were in Camp 4. He and granny took me to the doctor in the hospital on the campsite. In the hospital they gave me some tablets and something in my ear, so it stopped hurting. They told granny to take me to the specialist who was coming everyday to the camp. I was attending his surgery every week for a long time and I never had a bad ear again. Winter came and lots of rain. Mother worked sitting by the main gate because people had to have passess when going to town or to other camps. So with another person, she was checking passess. Then very often Mother and I went to see Aunty Lucyna and the baby, Wlodek. After hospital she never returned to the camp but was living in Teheran in the Mother and baby home. There were lots of mothers like her. It was a lovely house with a terrace on the top. One day when we were coming back from my aunt, there was a lot of police and english soldiers on the road. One man was lying dead. We were asked what we were doing out of the camp. Did we know that there was an uprising in Teheran? They told us to go quickly to the camp. After that we had to stay in the camp and no passess were issued. Then came the blockade of Teheran. There were lots of balloons in the air. One was right outside our camp. We could hear the fighting in the town, Then it stopped and peace came again. We used to go to Teheran to the pictures, or look at the shops and markets. The markets were full of vegetables and fruits, what a lovely smell it was. There was one street full of shops with silver things and men were sitting in the doors and made bracelets and ornaments. There was a street with carpet sellers.

 

Coming back outside our camp we bought grapes and “Halva” eastern sweet. During the winter we were moved to the big block in the entrance to the camp because our mud barrack was leaking and coming apart. People were going in big transports to Africa, but we were left for 1 and a half years because baby Wlodek was too small to travel.

 

Of course the time came that we were going to Africa. First we travelled in lorries to the station and by train to Ahras. Ever so often there was a tunnel. People were counting there were 200 tunnels on the journey. We arrived at Abras in the morning and were put in big blocks. Started school. There was a lot of army camps. There were Americans, English and Indians.

 

In Abraz we lived for 6 weeks. It was very nice, we had sweets from soldiers and went to the football matches. Then again we had to pack and move. We were put on the train with wagons transporting goods, but the journey was short, just one night and we arrived at the seaport. We had a big surprise because the ship was the polish, the “Batory”. We had very comfortable cabins, everyone spoke Polish and we had good food. But as it was a war ship there had to be a blackout. Every porthole and door had to be closed at night. We were escorted by many ships.

 

Then there was a very big storm which lasted a day and night. We all were very frightened. In the bog salon pews and tables were moving all over the place. When it was gone we arrived at the port of “Karachi”: We were in India! Because it was still British Rule, the sailors brought us first bananas, oranges and peanuts. Then we were moved to a camp outside “Karachi”. It was a camp full of tents, very big tents. There were a lot of beds in each, it was going to be our home until we were moved again. Life was very happy. In the evenings people gathered to tell stories and we could go to the pictures outside on the big piece of ground. We were going to school again and we went to the circus in town. There was a chapel and we had mass every Sunday. On Christmas day all the children were taken to the camps of English and American soldiers. Big lorries came and we were taken in groups. My ~ was taken by English soldiers. When we arrived at the camp there was a big Christmas tree. We got some presents, we all got jumpers, sweets and some money.

 

There was a big party and then we were taken by soldiers and their wives to tour the seaside of Karachi. In the evening we were brought back to camp, happy but tired. In the nights we could hear jackals as they tries to come to the camp for food. Then came Easter.

 

 

1942 OUT OP RUSSIA - UZBEKISTAN TO TEHERAN.

The big camps.

 

1943 - BY BOAT “BATORY” TO KARACHI - INDIA

Camped in tents (English Government).

 

END OF 1943 TRAVELLED BY BOAT TO AFRICA, PORT MOMBASA.

 

TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO CAMP “MAKJNOLM”, IN KENYA

 

1944 - TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO BIG CAMP (RUN BY ENGLISH) IN TANGANYIKA (TANZANIA).

 

CAMP TENGERU

 

1950 - FROM MOMBASA BY BOAT, “DUNDALK BAY” TO ENGLAND (THREE WEEKS TRAVELLING).

 

FROM HULL TO CAMP(SPRINGHILL LODGE HOSTEL)

 

MARRIED 1951 - WENT TO LiVE IN COVENTRY 1952

 

These are the notes of Alicja Ferenc. I have re-printed them here as I received them with a couple of alterations for cohesion of spelling for camp names etc.