大象传媒

Wasyl'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 come from a place called Oriawczyk in the western Ukraine which was under Polish domination. I don鈥檛 really have any happy memories, as times were hard.

I had two brothers. I never met the youngest, Peter, but he is believed to have died while serving in the Soviet army.

My family had a small farm and I went to school. I was 15 years old when I was sent to Austria by the Germans for three years to work on a big farm.

On the farm we had to get up at 5 am. My jobs included feeding the animals and ploughing the fields. I did this from 1942 to 1945.

We had a note from the British High Command to assemble at a certain point to go back to the Ukraine. Most of us didn鈥檛 want to go back to the Communist oppression.

I told my employer that I was going West instead of East and I asked him for food to help me on my way, which he gave me. I went to the nearest checkpoint where I found two camps. On the left was a camp for people who wanted to return to the Ukraine. On the right was a camp for people who refused to go. From here I was transferred to a 鈥淒isplaced Persons Camp鈥� in Vilach, Austria where I stayed for two years, 1945 to 1947.

I came from Antwerp to Harwich by boat in
1947 when I was 18. After the war I had a choice in whether I went to Australia or here, but I volunteered to come to the United Kingdom.

I was thrilled to come over here and work as a free man, with no intimidation from anyone. But I was shocked by how much rain there was and the amount of smog. Older members had to wear masks whilst they worked and many houses were black due to the soot.

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