Memoirs

1939-1945

By W.Buczkowski

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I've lived and went to a trade high school in Czortkov [Czortkow]. During the Sees! World War the town had about 25000 inhabitants. At present not many events/episodes from the last war are still arousing emotions the way that the invasion of the Red Army does. The entrance of the Soviet troops did not take place without a conflict. On the long eastern border, of about 1400km, there was Border Protection Corps KOP [korpus ochrony pogranicza]. They have tried to fight but it was only a symbolic resistance. During the first stage of the occupation of Eastern Poland Soviet Union embarked on a road to exterminate Polish ruling class. This correlated/corresponded with soviet desire to colonise those

annexed areas. They were calling for elimination of "the enemies of the people". After Polish state administration was done away

with /destroyed, Soviet occupying forces called into existence a temporary administration consisting of the officers of the Red Army, officials of NKVD, Ukrainians brought from the Soviet Ukrain and from the local Jewish inhabitants. Ukrainian and Russian became the official language. The new order imposed by the occupying forces affected mainly Poles living there. On the official buildings Polish eagle was replaced by the red star. Soviet currency was introduced, which had an effect that Polish currency became valueless straightaway. Polish population of Czortkov was shocked by the Soviet occupation of the town and by the arrests. Gradually, as they were receiving news about the formation of Polish Army in France, they started to organise themselves into conspiratorial organizations. Soon a project of armed uprising using a railway line to Rumania (via Zaleszczyki), appeared. * * * It was a way to join the Polish Army being formed in France. In January 1940 large part of the Russian troops left Czortkov for Finland. The conspirators decided to use this opportunity to start an uprising. On the Sunday night of January 21/22 four groups were formed, each had a different task. The first was going to seize the main barracks, the second- the prison, the third- the centre of the town, and the fourth- the rail station. Between 150 and 200 people took part in it. Most of them were not armed. * * * The plotters failed to make this uprising a success. They did not manage:___cJ to seize the barracks or the prison or to kidnap a train which was supposed to take them to Rumania. 17 people died on both sides. The initial shock was short-lived and on the next day they [the NKVD troops] began

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mass arrests and searches of participants in the uprising. As a result 100 people were arrested. The defeat had a high price. Many of those arrested were sentenced to death. For some it was later changed to a long imprisonment. Many died during the interrogations, which took place mainly at night. It was the first Polish uprising during World War II. This bold attempt to take over the town had no chance to succeed. Almost unarmed and alone the plotters had to fail( there are still many unanswered questions about the history of Czortkov uprising).

On the day of the uprising I was with my friend at a restaurant. He told me about the planned attack. I was not very impressed by it so I had no intension of joining it. After few days my friend was arrested. He was tortured and forced to denounce me and others. I was arrested on 27 January. Initially, I was imprisoned in Czortkov. Later I was kept in Tarnopol for 10 months. I was accused of taking part in the uprising, of being a member of a secret organization and of "znal a ne skazal"[of knowing and not telling]. During the interrogations we were badly beaten with wooden poles, handguns, bottles and metal bars on heads and faces. They tied us up with a wire and kicked us sens&'dess.

After 10 months there was a court case behind the closed doors. I was sentenced to 15years of imprisonment, 5 years of exile and 5 years of being deprived of civic rights (forfeiture of public rights??). Many of the participants of the uprising were sentenced to death and their sentences were carried out immediately. I was taken to Kharkiv ( Charkow ). There were 40 thousand prisoners of different nationalities. It was unbelievably crowded in there. There were 3 people per every square meter, so we had to sleep in turns. After 5 months, we were taken to Ural in a goods train. We were put in a camp built from wood by the prisoners themselves. They were of different nationalities: Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian

and from the southern part of Russia Uzbeks and Kazakhs. The life in a camp was very difficult. We were working 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. We were digging, cutting wood, building barracks and working in a brick factory. The food was bad and in small quantity: half a litre of soup, 20g of sugar and one slice of brawn bread per day. Hunger was terrible. * * * Undoubtly I have survived thanks to gen.Sikorski's talk with Stalin in 1941 [due to the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement]. All Poles were very happy after hearing on the radio that we were going to be free soon. After being

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released from the camp we wet'e transported in goods trains to the South, were Poli military units were being formed. This time we were travelling without the supervision of Russian guards. At the stations, on our way, small meals were prepared for us. They consisted of salty fish, slice of bread and so called "kipiotka" (boiling water). Unfortunately, the camps in which our units were being formed, were already overcrowded. Therefore we were sent further up South to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We had to sail on barges up the river Amu-Daria. The journey was hard and many Poles did not survive it. They died of exhaustion and various epidemics. In Uzbekistan our life was very hard but we were free. We have worked mainly at cotton plantations. Those of us who were specialists in some fields worked at their professions. * * *

The people in Uzbekistan were very friendly but they were very poor. At the beginning of 1942 we have received information that we are to continue on our journey to the West to Krasnovodska a port town on Caspian Sea. We have travelled there for free on a train and then by a Russian ship to Pahlavi. Our ship was overcrowded since, not surprisingly, everyone wanted to "escape from the heaven". On the journey we were only given salty fish and water. We have slept on the bare iron, squashed but happy that we are sailing towards freedom.

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In Pahlevi we were shaved and cleaned. Our verminous clothes were got rid off and we were dressed in British battle dresses. We were incredibly happy to have left unwelcoming Soviet soil behind us. I often looked behind me to see if "stri{ok"

the Soviet guide is not following me. From Pahlavi we were take to Teheran in cars. There we stayed for 3 months to recover. Our further route took us to Iraqi to Habania Lake. Here we also spent few weeks in order to have a rest. Next stop was Palestine the town of Gedera. The weather was sunny, "Jaffa"oranges were sweet and cheap and there were also some grapes. We were recovering and regaining health. After this nice rest we went to Alexandria from where we have sailed on board of "Mauritania" via Red Sea to Africa. We spent 3 months in this country before finally we have reached our final destination England. Here the First Pancer Division was being formed. It was stationed in Scotland near Edinburgh. Scottish people were very friendly and hospitable towards us.

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I was assigned to First Artillery Regiment (=I Putk Artylerii Motoro~~j). This division was lead by gen Maczek. It was fully motorised and had 10 thousand soldiers in it. During the next two years we underwent an intense military training which was

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suppose to prepare us to be able to participate in the military actions of Allies, to invade Europe and to free France, Belgium and Holland. I was the radio operator. I was responsible for the communication between the units in our regiment and with other regiments.

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First Pancer Division landed on the continent on 7 August 1944, which was two months after the Allies invasion. Not long after that the Division took part in battles in Falaise and Chambois in France. The region of Caen became a centre of intense fightings in the next few weeks. It was here that for the first time I have seen German tanks destroyed, leopards and tigers armed with 88mm guns. The first impression of fightings was terrible. Mortar shells were flying over our heads. Shrapnels were wounding my friends. The saying that the soldiers are shooting and God is carrying bullets seemed very appropriate. I Pancer Division was one of those large divisions without which the impressive progresses of the Allies on the other sections of the front line were impossible.

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On 6 September 1944 our Division has crossed the Belgian border. One cannot convey the atmosphere of this triumphal chase and the enthusiasm of liberated towns. The Belgians were extremely happy by their unexpected freedom. If a vehicle stopped it was immediately surrounded by the crowd. We have thought that French

were enthusiastic but that was nothing compared to Belgians. Whole towns or villages were coming out to the streets to greet us. We could see all kinds of flags at the windows including our white and red one. If they only heard that there are Poles among the soldiers their exultation was reaching a pick. The cheers and shouts were so loud that one couldn't hear the vehicles. People were climbing the sides of the tanks just to shake hands of Polish soldiers. The flowers, fruits and gifts were endless. We have rested for few days and on 25 September our Division surrounded Antwerp which was a part of a further military action this time on Dutch soil.

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The suburbs of Breda were captured on 29 October. It is worth mentioning that despite the heavy fights the town was in almost ideal shape/ condition. The joy of the local people was limitless. Very soon in almost all the windows there were signs:" Poles we thank you". They even named one of the streets Poland. But the most spectacular and unheard of thing was that all the soldiers from our division were _giv~!', honorary citizenship. We have remained in this region for a while. During that time many friendships were formed and even some of of our soldiers got married. Everyone behaved perfectly.

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For the past 50 years I have been carrying in my prayer book a picture of the crucified Christ with a prayer of gratitude from the people of Breda both in Polish and Dutch. It says: "There is no greater love than when you give your life for it. Let it be to us people of Breda in Holland, a monument of constant gratitude to the brave heroes of the First Pancer Division, who have died for our freedom in October and November 1944. You have come from a far away country. Your names are unknown but forever you have become a part of us and we will never forget you. You fought and died for us. You

will remain with us forever. Far away from here your loved ones will be crying over your deaths. We feel for their sorrow and we are going to look after your graves. We are going to pray to God to console them and to give you eternal rest. You fought for a just cause, the reward for you is everlasting glory and our gratitude. It is because of you that we are free from the poverty and the oppression of the enemy. Giving

your lives you have conquered death and that is why you will live forever. Your bodies will stay in our soil. The memory of you is engraved in our hearts forever."

On 8 May 1945 the I Pancer Division has reached Willhelmkaren in Germany and that is where we were on V.E. Day. For the soldiers fighting on the side of the Allies it

was a very happy day because they went back to their families, wives, children and homes. We Poles were once again disappointed, because the Eastern part of our country was sold without our knowledge or consent. After the successful war of the Allies we had a choice: freedom in the West or to go back to the regime. I have chosen freedom, Recently in Edinburgh, at the age of 102 died gen.Maczek commander of the First Pancer Division. As a sign of gratitude of Dutch people he was burried in Breda in Holland.

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