大象传媒

The following story appears courtesy of and with thanks to Marushka (Maria) and Zygmunt Skarbek-Kruszewski and George (Jurek) Zygmunt Skarbek.

The train was not crowded, with only an occasional passenger in a compartment. Not many were keen to go in the direction of the Front. Everywhere there was darkness and deathly quiet. Lighting a match, we put our belongings away and sat close to each other. On the empty platform, the stationmaster's lamp appeared, moved up and down a few times, and we started to move away. The hilly outlines of Krzemienice were barely visible. The monotonous sound of the wheels made us sleepy and we began to doze. After about an hour, the train stopped at Kamienica. Yells, calls and banging doors indicated a large crowd on the platform.
The darkness was so complete that it was impossible to distinguish anything. On the platform, seeking information, I found that the crowd consisted only of soldiers. I went to the stationmaster who informed me that the train was not going any further, that we would have to change trains and our next train would come soon.
After a half-hour wait, the blue light of a diesel train appeared. It was a passenger train full of soldiers. When it stopped, the soldiers waiting on the platform rushed to the doors. We had great trouble pushing our way on board and trying to find room between the packed rucksacks of the soldiers. There was no hope of squeezing into a compartment. We found room in the passage near a window. The soldiers were tired and sleepy. They did not talk, but tried to find a comfortable position to rest.
After an hour, Marushka was very tired from standing. I made her floor-space along the wall, giving her the gas mask as a pillow. I sat down on our suitcase, putting my feet in such a way that I could protect her head from the feet of passers-by.
It was dawn when the train arrived at Zdalbunowo. As the train was going no further, we had to leave.
The stationmaster did not know if another train would be coming, but he told us to wait. It was impossible to enter the waiting room as it was packed with soldiers. Near the station buildings were a few wooden houses. On one was a sign "Station Restaurant,鈥� on the other "Grocer". The restaurant was also very crowded and full of smoke. At the tables, which were covered with grey paper, soldiers were drinking tea.
I thought it time to buy some food for our journey and went to the grocer shop which was also packed full. One could only buy shoelaces, washing powder and matches. The prices were fantastic - a box of matches was 50 grosh (twenty-five times more than the normal price). I went back without buying anything.
Suddenly there was a commotion. Soldiers were grabbing their belongings and running away from the station; the train gave one piercing whistle and backed out of the station. We understood - it was an air raid. Grabbing the suitcase, we ran with Marushka through the restaurant kitchen into the backyard, hiding between trees. There were no shelters, no trenches. In seconds we could hear the bomber planes above us. Three German bombers were making tight turns over the station. We fell to the ground. They dived, coming in quite low. There were seconds of waiting with pounding hearts and heavy breathing. A tremendous explosion ... and then again, and again and again. The earth was trembling. We felt a blast of air, and then all became quiet. We looked around. Plumes of smoke curled above the rails near the station. We waited, but the planes did not return, so we all went back to the station to survey the damage. The main railway track was badly damaged and there was no hope of further travel by train. As Rowno was less than 20 km. away, we decided to walk, hoping that at a bigger station we might be able to find a possibility of further transport in the direction of Wilno. I strapped the two suitcases together and, throwing them over my shoulder, we went in the direction of Rowno.
The highway went over a bridge where police were checking identification documents and asking where we were heading. One policeman, on hearing that we were going towards Wilno, became very friendly as he himself was from Wilno. He gave us the address of his family, asking us to tell them that, up until this time, he was alive and healthy. He also informed us that, walking along the highway, we would have to be very careful and watch the sky for enemy planes as the German planes were shooting with machine guns at anything that moved. He told us that on the highway to Warsaw there were many private cars, bullet-ridden, and near them quite often suitcases, clothing and sometimes even money. He advised us that, after spotting planes, to leave the highway immediately and look for shelter between trees or shrubs. If there were none near us, just fall to the ground and not move. Worriedly, we continued our travel. Marushka put on her glasses and walked in front, being the observer. I followed with the suitcases, as a supply column should.
After many hours, with sweat dripping into my eyes and my observer walking with head bent low and dragging her dusty feet, we came to the suburbs of Rowno.
The streets were crowded. There were evacuees everywhere with their suitcases and rucksacks. They were sitting on steps in front of shops, they were crowding the pubs, forming groups, asking each other for information. Mainly they were men of conscriptable age.
Here I heard for the first time that this age group had orders to retreat to the east, away from the approaching Front.
Here one could see miners' hats from Silesia, tram conductors from Warsaw and Krakow, many railway employees and postmen. The crowd was disorientated. Nobody knew for certain what to do with oneself. Tiredness and exasperation showed on every face.
"If only the army would take us, at least we would know what to do," was the bitter comment.
The streets were packed with military cars and trucks, as well as with groups of evacuees, children and belongings. There were signs of previous bombings. Many houses were in ruins - some were still burning. We rested a while on a fence and then continued towards the station.
Suddenly, in the street I saw my old University friend.
"George, how are you?" I called out, being very happy to see him and thinking that now we would have a friend for company on our journey. I introduced Marushka as they had not met before.
"Where have you come from?" I asked.
"From Warsaw, as an evacuee."
"Will you come with us, back to Wilno?"
"No, I cannot now."
"Why not?"
"My wife, who ..." but I interrupted "Nata is here too? That is splendid; we will all go together." His wife, whom I had known for a long time, was also a student with us in Wilno.
"We can't go now," he explained, "she is ill ... she will soon have a baby. We decided to stay here. I found a place in a village near Rowno. You stay with us for a few weeks and we will go together later. I have even been planning a safe, cheap and comfortable route."
"Which way?"
"Floating down the Horyn, through all the Polesia. The Horyn passes not far from here. It is deep and one can paddle down as far as Dawigrodek."
"Not a bad idea, but we are in a hurry and can't wait. Anyway I already have train tickets to Wilno."
"I don't think you will be able to go by train," he told us in his characteristic, phlegmatic way. "There are many people waiting for the train for the last few days. But you should enquire."
"Will you go with us?"
"Sure I will."
We continued on our way to the station, talking about recent events. Suddenly we heard approaching aircraft. We spotted nine planes immediately. They were flying in formation towards Rowno. We rushed along, looking for some shelter or a house. The nearest, a two-storey, brick house had no shelter. I tried the door and it was not locked. The house was empty as everyone had left. I looked into the rooms and went through the kitchen to the back yard. They must have left only a short while ago as a meal was still cooking on the stove. The dull growl of the three-engine planes thundered gloomily above our heads. I ran back and we decided to await our fate here. In this by now common situation, we were seized with the feeling of utter helplessness. This small house offered no guarantee for survival. Before our eyes were the ruins of brick houses in Rowno. However there was nothing we could do, so we just closed the door and sat down on the steps to wait.
After the last raid in Krzemienice, Marushka was more nervous and frightened. She was feeling sick - the sight of the wounded and dead had been a shock. We waited for what seemed a very long time. Then we could hear the bombing; it had started again. Some bombs were close, others were further away. The house shook and glass from the windowpanes was breaking. Marushka was pressing towards me and I hugged her closely. Distressing seconds passed. Would the destruction reach us? We had the feeling of being in a closed box, not knowing what was happening nearby. Some bombs were falling in series of threes and fours. We could also hear machine guns not far away, probably ours, trying to shoot down a plane. At last the thunder subsided and the growl of the planes stopped.
We opened the door and looked out. No planes were visible, but around us were many columns of smoke. Slowly, people started, to emerge from their hiding places.
We continued towards the station. Alas, of the station only ruins, clouds of dust and smoke were left. On the platform were bits of furniture, ceiling and plenty of broken glass. Between the railway lines were big crates, twisted rails and torn portraits of our President and both Field Marshals.
This meant the finish to our train travel. Sad and depressed, we said goodbye to my friend and returned to town, seeking some accommodation. With great difficulty, we found a room with a single bed in a small hotel. Exhausted, both physically and mentally, we sat dawn on the bed, leaning against the wall, and started to think about our situation. It was not enviable. Home was 400 km. away. To walk with two suitcases was hopeless. To wait here for a couple of days, hoping that the railway lines would be repaired? Marushka was quite definite that she did not want to stay in Rowno. I found that one couldn't buy food for any money. Eventually we agreed to leave Rowno the next day at dawn. Of course we intended to walk, hoping for a lift and maybe finding a station where trains were still departing. Marushka hurried down the street to get some material to make a rucksack as walking for any length of time with suitcases was out of the question. She returned with some striped pieces of fabric, usually used for making mattresses. We made a bag resembling a rucksack with shoulder straps. Into it we crammed the most necessary things and the rest, including two leather suitcases, the hotel maid exchanged for a handful of salt.

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'This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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