大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a London CSV volunteer on behalf of Maksymilian Jarosz and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I wish this was a dream鈥︹�︹� wish it had never happened.

When the Second World War commenced in Poland, September 1939 I was fourteen years old, the youngest child of a very close knit Family consisting of six brothers and two sisters. We lived in a small town of Piaski near Lublin in the eastern part of Poland. Our Father ran his successful carpentry and building businesses.

Our Mother stayed at home looking after us. She was our world and we were hers. At that time my brothers were in their twenties still single full of life, and plans for the future. Being the youngest sibling I had their undisputed attention and affection at all times. I was therefore heartbroken when they were called to join the army and I had to stay at home. We kissed and hugged each other goodbye and hoped for a miraculous reunion.

This time our wish was granted. Within months the Polish Army was defeated on all fronts. Luckily all my brothers escaped unharmed and returned home safely. We were overjoyed to be together again.

Unfortunately the happiness didn鈥檛 last long as the short war left deep scars in my brother鈥檚 hearts. Young, patriotic with no jobs to go back to, humiliated by cruel treatment by local Nazis administration we became angry and restless.

Soon all of us except for our older sister who was married with small children joined the Polish resistance. My father who in his younger age was a socialist and for these activities was sent by the Tsar to a hard labor in Kazakhstan in Russia, kept cautioning us that 鈥渘othing good will come out of this鈥�. We simply didn鈥檛 listen. We wanted to be free again no matter of the consequences.

Piaski, had large Jewish population and we lived in peace side by side for many generations. With the arrival of Nazis things started to change rapidly. Jews were not allowed to leave town and they were obliged to wear the Star of David bands on their arms. The town was divided into Jewish and Polish section and we were forbidden by Nazis to have any contact with the Jews. We didn鈥檛 obey these orders because amongst them were our school friends, teachers and neighbours.

At the beginning it wasn鈥檛 difficult to smuggle food and medicine because the fences had some gaps. However each trip to the ghetto could cost us our life. My sister Marianna who was trained in first aid used to put on the Star of David band on her arm, cross to the other side and mix with her Jewish friends finding out about their needs. She also helped to deliver medicine and looked after sickly and weak people.

My brother Alexander had good contacts with farmers and therefore was able to buy the food which we smuggled inside the ghetto. He even managed to smuggle a live cow while the gate was open for people to go to wash in a nearby river.

We also delivered false identity documents and helped Jews escape from the ghetto
Later when the Jewish resistance was formed we smuggled fire arms and ammunition. In short, we did what we could to easier their sufferings.

Chapter two: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/a5827025

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