大象传媒

Katerina's story is part of a collection recorded for a reminiscence project to celebrate the history of the Ukrainian community in Gloucester, and contributed to the 大象传媒 People's War with permission.

I was born in Chernyhoska, Oblas, Ukraine. It was a large village but the church had been destroyed in 1937. I had two older brothers.

In 1939 we were moved to the village of Mrin. We had a small garden where we planted potatoes and other edible vegetables. All I can remember of my life at home is hard work.

My father used to go to town and sell some wood to buy bread. I remember when I went with my father to Dubno, we begged for some bread.

When I was starving I remember trying to pick up crumbs by wetting my fingers and pressing them on the crumbs to pick them up.

My father was taken ill and went to Hamburg hospital. We were not allowed to visit and were not informed of his well being or when his health deteriorated. He died within a week.

My elder brother went into the army before the war. I was very young when the war started, about 13 years old. The Germans burnt all the houses in the village. The Germans took my 17-year-old brother. We never saw him again. We drifted to a Labour Camp in Germany.

I married in the refugee camp in Germany. My husband, Alec, arrived in England in 1947 and I arrived later in 1949. We had a choice of going to England, France or Belgium.

The men had to work a three-year contract for the Ministry of Agriculture, after that period they had a choice of where they could work. We went up north and worked in a factory. I worked in a rubber factory along with my husband.

We then moved to Worcestershire and worked on a farm. In 1959 we arrived in Gloucester.

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