Object numberM1993/045:004
DescriptionDiary handwritten in Yiddish by Dr. Leon Berk whilst in hiding in the forests of Belarus with Russian partisans, 1943.
Leon Berk’s diarized accounts add to the accumulated knowledge of Jewish response to Nazi atrocities and challenge the belief that Jews were passive sheeplike martyrs.
This is one of three diaries of a Jewish Partisan - Dr Leon Berk (Berkowicz) who fought the Nazis during the World War II in the forests of Belarus. The diary provides powerful eye witness descriptions and painstakingly details names, places and sabotage operations carried out against the German army by his partisan detachment. It describes the harsh living conditions of the cold, thick and swampy forests, the raging typhus epidemic and his attempts to treat the illnesses with the little medicines at his disposal. There is a wealth of intimate information on his inner life, his feelings of rage and a desire for revenge. Despite his grief, Dr Berk is strong, capable of hard work and emotionally able to carry on looking after the medical needs of his fellow partisans. He participates in many acts of sabotage such as dynamiting railroad tracks, making hit-and-run attacks on trains that are carrying military supplies to the front, ambushing German military cars, and constantly harassing German troops.
Leon Berk (Berkowicz) born 10 February 1915 in Baranowicze, Belarus to Ephraim and Miriam Brevda. He had four siblings, Israel, Moshe, Yitzak and Rivka Shilo (nee Berkowicz). Leon married Beile Berkowicz. His father was a timber merchant. Leon attended a Polish public school. ‘Numerus Clauses’ and ‘Numerus Nihlus’ prevented most Jews from studying medicine in universities in Poland. Consequently, his father subsidised his studies in Italy at the Politecnico di Milano.
In June of 1939, Leon went home to his family. His father’s business was confiscated. The Germans occupied Baranowicze on 25 June 1941. A ghetto was established in December 1941. The family moved into the ghetto and were given space in an apartment that already contained three other families. After the first Aktion in March 1942 Leon’s thoughts focused on ways to leave the ghetto and join the partisans. An ex-employee of his father’s, Pashka, offered to take him to partisans in the forest. Leon smuggled himself out of the ghetto and stayed with Pashka for two to three months until he had contacted Russian partisans and they were willing to take him. Leon was assigned to work with the feldsher—Fyedik Solovey—those trained to recognise basic illnesses and how to give injections. After successfully amputating the arm of one of Commander Bobkov’s “best scouts,” he was permitted to stay. Leon’s responsibility became the welfare of the camp and the soldiers; excursions into the villages to dispense medicine for food and support. Leon was forced to operate with basic instruments, without anaesthetic and in doubtful sterility.
In the forests the partisans carried out their war of ambush and raid, to wipe out German convoys and to destroy their lines of supply. They blew up trains, blocked roads and killed Germans. Leon’s unit was liberated on 10 July 1944. He returned to Baranowicze. The Jewish quarter lay in ruins. A Polish school friend told him where to find the mass grave of his family.
Leon was awarded the ‘Medal of the Great Patriotic War’. He saw out the rest of the war with the 9th Hospital of the Second Polish Army. He left Communist Poland as soon as he could, for Israel where his older sister had been living. Shortly after he joined the army. When the 1948 war ended, he joined Tel-Hashomer Hospital where he worked in the surgical department for 6 years. He was discharged from the army in 1955. He landed in Australia in February 1956. In time, due to his surgical experience, he was granted full right to practise.
Leon Berk’s diarized accounts add to the accumulated knowledge of Jewish response to Nazi atrocities and challenge the belief that Jews were passive sheeplike martyrs.
This is one of three diaries of a Jewish Partisan - Dr Leon Berk (Berkowicz) who fought the Nazis during the World War II in the forests of Belarus. The diary provides powerful eye witness descriptions and painstakingly details names, places and sabotage operations carried out against the German army by his partisan detachment. It describes the harsh living conditions of the cold, thick and swampy forests, the raging typhus epidemic and his attempts to treat the illnesses with the little medicines at his disposal. There is a wealth of intimate information on his inner life, his feelings of rage and a desire for revenge. Despite his grief, Dr Berk is strong, capable of hard work and emotionally able to carry on looking after the medical needs of his fellow partisans. He participates in many acts of sabotage such as dynamiting railroad tracks, making hit-and-run attacks on trains that are carrying military supplies to the front, ambushing German military cars, and constantly harassing German troops.
Leon Berk (Berkowicz) born 10 February 1915 in Baranowicze, Belarus to Ephraim and Miriam Brevda. He had four siblings, Israel, Moshe, Yitzak and Rivka Shilo (nee Berkowicz). Leon married Beile Berkowicz. His father was a timber merchant. Leon attended a Polish public school. ‘Numerus Clauses’ and ‘Numerus Nihlus’ prevented most Jews from studying medicine in universities in Poland. Consequently, his father subsidised his studies in Italy at the Politecnico di Milano.
In June of 1939, Leon went home to his family. His father’s business was confiscated. The Germans occupied Baranowicze on 25 June 1941. A ghetto was established in December 1941. The family moved into the ghetto and were given space in an apartment that already contained three other families. After the first Aktion in March 1942 Leon’s thoughts focused on ways to leave the ghetto and join the partisans. An ex-employee of his father’s, Pashka, offered to take him to partisans in the forest. Leon smuggled himself out of the ghetto and stayed with Pashka for two to three months until he had contacted Russian partisans and they were willing to take him. Leon was assigned to work with the feldsher—Fyedik Solovey—those trained to recognise basic illnesses and how to give injections. After successfully amputating the arm of one of Commander Bobkov’s “best scouts,” he was permitted to stay. Leon’s responsibility became the welfare of the camp and the soldiers; excursions into the villages to dispense medicine for food and support. Leon was forced to operate with basic instruments, without anaesthetic and in doubtful sterility.
In the forests the partisans carried out their war of ambush and raid, to wipe out German convoys and to destroy their lines of supply. They blew up trains, blocked roads and killed Germans. Leon’s unit was liberated on 10 July 1944. He returned to Baranowicze. The Jewish quarter lay in ruins. A Polish school friend told him where to find the mass grave of his family.
Leon was awarded the ‘Medal of the Great Patriotic War’. He saw out the rest of the war with the 9th Hospital of the Second Polish Army. He left Communist Poland as soon as he could, for Israel where his older sister had been living. Shortly after he joined the army. When the 1948 war ended, he joined Tel-Hashomer Hospital where he worked in the surgical department for 6 years. He was discharged from the army in 1955. He landed in Australia in February 1956. In time, due to his surgical experience, he was granted full right to practise.
Production date 1943 - 1944
Subjectpartisans, hiding, adaptation, resistance, survival
Object namejournals
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 170.00 mm
height: 208.00 mm
depth: 40.00 mm
Language
- Yiddish M1993/045.004
This is a diary kept by Dr. Leon Berkowicz (later Berk) written in a Russian notebook in Yiddish.
Translated by Michael Herman
In an entry on 23/10/1943 he says that he had heard that his friend Lotke is alive and that he couldn’t mask from his friends his joy. I never wanted to allow the thought that Lotke is dead and now my joy is big. Perhaps at last I will meet him. Today the 29th we had a visitor to our forest. General KAPUSTA who showed a great liking for our partisans.
Today the 30/10/43 a Kosak Kniazev shot dead the politruk Jurka. Kniazev himself was shot dead.
Today the 7/11 is the anniversary of the October revolution – a day of great happiness for us.
8/10 – We are tearing apart railway tracks. I am taking part in burning a military car on the highway Slarim-Barunavitsz – one killed and one wounded. On my return from the road my temperature is 39.7 deg. high and I am going to lie down for a while – because of typhus. A German with a Ukrainian woman came voluntarily into the forest. They were quickly liquidated.
27/1 Until the present moment I have up to 30 sick with typhus. The sickness is spreading. It is very difficult for me to work because I don’t have enough medicines.
4/1/44 The number of sick had reached 40. I set up an isolation area deep in the forest and the majority are there. We received from Dr Smolinski a small number of medicines. I’ll have to quickly travel to him and he will come here.
7/2/1944 – the author talks about an attack on a train carrying ammunition to the front. One dead was left in the field the second one was wounded.
Two dead from the scouting party were brought back. One also heavily wounded – large wounds on his body, knocked out teeth – inflicted by German sadism. The wounded Krivolasov was the oldest and strongest partisan.
It was quite dark when we stopped in the unfamiliar forest. We reached our destination – our leader is working out how to get to the train line which passes through the forest, on the left side there is a train pass which is guarded by the Germans. On the right side there is a small station and our leader tells us that we have to work from a distance. He gives us an order to get ready for action. However suddenly we hear a whistle from the locomotive and the rhythmic noise of the rushing train – if we only had come a minute earlier said one person, another said the Germans were lucky; holding the mine he clutched his teeth in anger. We all became quiet listening how the train is running, it is flying as if it felt that robbers are sitting not far and waiting for the moment to insert a knife in his side. He (the locomotive) is getting closer to us, the locomotive noise is getting louder and again everything is getting fainter and fainter the train is getting further away.
We were too late – what a pity, a huge pity, but suddenly everything changes. Explosive noise is heard in the forest. Again a noise from flying wheels, from collided steel carriages, then everything becomes quiet – our happiness becomes great. Our clenched fists have gone. Bright smiles appear on faces. Everyone understands what happened here. Not us, but someone else had hit the train, everything is flying in the air. Communication is totally paralyzed. But what should we do now? Return home! No says our leader, “We can’t return with empty hands to our camp”. Not withstanding (not looking at what had occurred) what had occurred forward to train lines. Suddenly everyone quickly awakens and everyone checks their package and forward! The forest is deeply dark; quietly we place our feet one behind the other walking deeper and deeper with luck into the darkness. The forest is ending and the fields through which the rail tracks run are now visible. It has now become a little brighter for our eyes. We listen to every noise - we are convinced that the enemy is here – we are getting closer to him. The last orders are being given out and everyone is moving forwards. The first that are walking at the front are those that are laying mines and when they receive a particular signal they light the fuses. They disappear quickly into the darkness and a dead silence sets in again around me. I clasp my loaded rifle to myself (to my body). I hold my breath, I wait, minutes go by and suddenly a shot and a dark blue rocket lights up the horizon! Straight after this I see small fires (sparks) like on a fuse and again a series of explosions first, second, third, fourth, the train lines are jumping (flying) in the air. Fire, steel and earth flies in the air. The piece of work (the job) is finished.
When we again arrived to the agreed upon departure area we heard shooting from German rifles and rockets appeared in the sky – it was too late for the Germans. What we needed to achieve we achieved.
The next day I was chosen with my 13 men to go to the Baranawicz-Slanoim road to see where the Germans were. Two men with rifles from the village joined us and we left to achieve our goal.
In a thick small forest we left our things that we carried and moved forward. We are walking faster through the last piece of the field only a few hundred meters to the narrow thick forest which swallows us up and then in front of us appears a grey-like line of the road. Yes this is it, the road. We form a long line and walk with our rifles at the ready, we walk slowly forward. We have reached our destination. Some from our party (some of our people) walk onto the highway and look in both directions (?GARANAI and Slanr) look for the enemy. On this highway I used to often be, the road is very familiar to me. And now? And now I come here like a person who was forcibly removed, banished, and cursed for whom home is the big wild forest and swamps. I am going to take revenge for my mother, sister and also my brother. Who knows if he is still alive, he is in the red army, revenge for many many of my friends who had to leave and loose their lives, and for whom and for what? Revenge for my peopled who were killed. Revenge. Suddenly everyone became electrified from a yell “a car is coming”. I ready my rifle and push my body into the tree and I concentrate my gaze into the direction of the enemy. There she (it) is! She flies with a hurried speed. A hurricane of fire was opened up by our people – with automatic guns and rifles. My small German rifle bangs, I don’t see any Germans, but I notice only their grey soldier’s hats and stick out from the car and I shoot towards them. This lightning episode lasted seconds.
The motor was damaged and the car had stopped far in front. We are running forward with shouts of hurrah. When we ran up to the car it was empty. The Germans in the last minute managed to jump out and run into the thick forest. We managed to take German documents and letters addressed to a “Oberst-Lieutenant” and after a while we heard the noise of a tank that is coming to assist. It is already late, the car is burning and we are again in the forest. “A love letter to his wife, the war will end, everything will be alright. Heil Hitler!”
21/2/44
The situation is quite tense. The Germans are in Akuninnie, Sutszka, Pleszki, Siefka, Rausakav and other villages. They also arrived in greater numbers in Slanim. We haven’t lost our mood and we are getting ready to mark the 23rd of February the day on which the red army was created. Yesterday we were told that the enemy is coming into the forest. Straight away we were in full readiness to meet them, but coming up to the edge of the forest we did not stumble on to them. They set fire to the houses that stood away from the village and withdrew. We remained for a short period looking at the burning houses and at the village where the enemy was - and we returned back to the forest.
22/2/44 We are being encircled more and more! There isn’t anywhere to travel for food supplies. We are continuing to blow up trains like we did before and we are getting ready for the festival. During the month the boys have flown up fifteen trains. In one of the catastrophes we sent five hundred Germans to the next life. (killed 500 Germans) Twice the Germans who guard the railway lines noticed the mines but this was very expensive for them (cost them dearly) because we pulled on the string and five sides flew into the air.
Now in February there is a frost, we don’t make a big thing of it and if we will have to we will run in the snow and in the frost. I feel even in this difficult situation much much better than when in the best times in the ghetto because I have bullets and I have a gun and the forest is my home. The forest had swallowed me up. There is no talk about giving up. We will fight and hit the enemy until the last bullet.
26/2/1944
A thin small layer of snow had covered ice frozen earth. The trees stand quietly and between them are our dugouts camouflaged with pine tree cones and snow flakes. It is cold in the street. A small fire shines through from the hut and the black smoke through the big chimney rises to the sky. It is cold on the street. The fat Russian is sitting in the middle of the forest holding an accordion he plays a polka and the audience is dancing. It is joyous! Night – in several hours our entire detachment will storm the village Charawki which was recently occupied by the fascists. Night – and in two hours time our entire platoon will storm the village of HOROWKAI which had been recently occupied by the fascist. The other two partisan detachment5s that are in the forest will storm the two neighbouring villages SUTEKAI and Fleshkai. We are joyous and we are lively – take advantage whilst you are young. Who knows if tomorrow you will lie in a desolate dark village, buried and dogs licking your blood!
Yes, not just one of us was left on the battlefield! Not just one! In front of my eyes I see Marcel Figler a Frenchman whom we took as a prisoner. After a battle with the Germans he stands there cleaning his French rifle together with other partisans and is singing ‘Zhak Andre’ and sends me a smile. The next day he wasn’t there. Together with a lot of others of our friends he remained in the fields of SOSNOW.
This happened some months ago. Now we are going again into an open battle. The order is not to spare anyone. The German, policeman, the Kosak none of them should stay alive. Everything has to go with the fire. The street is dark, it is night, snow falls, the music plays and the partisans are dancing. You can smell death in the air.
28/2/44. Six coffins are lying in front of the officers’ room. In one of them lies Janas Gilachai Who would have thought that in two hours time this energetic, hardworking Jewish hero will be dead. He went through so much (he suffered so much) losing his entire family, his mother, father, brother, sister, he has during last year’s summer escaped from the burning Slonin ghetto into the forest and here he also lived through so much! So much! German raids, dangers from the partisans, hunger and poverty. Lately he was an adjutant and often together with me we drove around the poor partisan villages to help the sick. I remember the typical Russian folk songs that he used to sing when the wagon with great noise rode through the partisan roads. He had a smiling face when the horse sneezed. He was never angry. He had never said a bad word about anyone. His trade was working with tin. He was always proud of his profession. “My father worked with tin, my grandfather worked with tin and I also work with tin, nothing else” he used to say. This was his proudest title “Janas the tin worker”. He helped the weak during the big round up in ‘Szefiadki’ and brought them to the forest. When he was sent, he went. When he was asked to do something he did it! He did not indulge in any tricks, had an open Jewish heart and a clean soul.
It was very dark when we left our forests to reach our goal. We stopped for a short time in the village Sierkai to warm up and in the full darkness we reached the garrison. This is the direction of the left wing, which is the direction of the left. We will go in the centre said our brigade commander indicating the directions for the leaders. Our comrades commenced to move forward and quickly vanished in the darkness of the night. I stayed between the forest and the village. And here we needed to help the wounded and receive the dead. It didn’t take long before we heard a shot, a second one, then a mighty yell hurrah and then a hurricane of fire developed in the village. Suddenly I see dark blue rockets flying from both corners of the village in the direction of Slonim and Sosnavka. Those in position requested help but it was too late. The village was surrounded, occupied and the region is being liquidated. More and more of the houses are being drawn in to the clutches of the fire. The yelling of the partisans is mixed with the voice of the Kosaks. On the bright lit fields herds of horses that managed to escape the hellish fire are flying around. The shooting is still going on (Rokossowskis rattlegun). The first wounded fighter is coming in. His left shoulder had been shot through. I bandaged the shoulder and am going back to battle. He moans screeching his teeth. I just managed to get to commence work when other wounded are being brought in; wounded hands, legs, faces and stomachs. The bullet makes a hole right through. Now arrives a wounded with his face shot through and through.
Yet again is being brought in a wounded, one who is the best reconnaissance scout (Aloszinka) with his intestines on his side. They bring in Janos who is seriously wounded. I just managed to recognize him. His face was dead pale, his eyes were turned up. “Doctor, save me doctor, I want to live” he said then he fell asleep forever. It started to dawn when the caravan with our dead and wounded escorted by the tired partisans left the area. The village was still burning. Thick black clouds from the smoke were floating over the sky. From time to time a bullet flew over but Vanka (the Russian) did not interrupt his music. When we arrived to the nearest village the peasants greeted us with bread and salt. We were all extremely tired, but there was no time to stop because our home is the forest and the enemy is after us.
29/2/44. We took two male kosaks and one female Kosak alive as prisoners. We tied their hands and brought them to our camp. They were in a bad condition. We did not play around with them much. The old Kosak was shot dead. The young one was beaten and stabbed with thin sticks till he ended up in the grave and with the female Kosak we stuck an explosive in her bottom and blew her up.
Today I operated on one of our wounded. I took him in. His left hand is higher than the elbow.
In Dzezinki’s brigade and in Rokosowski’s brigade there are many more wounded than in our brigade. On some of them we will need to operate on. I saw their prisoners. Three young female Tatars and one Kosak. All from the Caucases countries. They were asking that they be allowed to live because there are innocent. They stabbed all of them.
1/3/44 Today we received news that the Germans have driven out from the three burned villages twenty vehicles with the dead (83 dead). The majority of them were burned. We were told that many of the ‘black ones’ fled from the surrounding villages.
2/3/44 Around 2pm in the day time strong artillery shelling got us up onto our feet. It was directed against us. This was a German maneuver to determine our strength - and take half of the forest. Unnoticed they managed to get close to our (73) camp, and suddenly our lookout noticed a tank slowly moving towards him. A strong firefight (shooting) started. When I jumped out of my dugout I noticed male and female partisans running in the direction of the neighbourhood of Kananas (?). Suddenly I hear a strong voice yelling ‘enemy enemy’. I turned and noticed how my wounded person whose hand I took off only the day before yesterday is lying on the wagon and his eight guards were not with him. I just managed to grab the reins to move the sick person when the Germans have already entered the camp. Grabbing my horse by the reins I rode away from the enemy. When we ended up deep in mud and a small creek separated us from the camp we stopped and rested. My Jews were very surprised when I rode in as the last one. They were very worried about my life and were surprised when I made them aware that the wounded is also OK. Arantshik in his panic threw away his …
10/3/1944 Today came the news that Rawicki and Abraham two brothers as well as Mendle Galinski perished behind the river Stszar. They were surrounded by the police from Lesnaie and were killed. All three bold comrades were in their twenties and more than once showed their bravery. After they had escaped from Lesnaie they managed to burn down the big Lesnaie lumber-mill (saw mill) causing the enemy big damage.
Together with the Rawickis we travelled to Baibiashke and crawled quite close to Haranawicz. The last time, we caught Asaltis known enemy of Israel (Jews) in only a shirt and long johns (underpants) with a rifle behind him we took him to our camp. The night was terribly dark. The two Rawicki brothers showed a lot of bravery in the entire episode. Mendl has no one in this world, his sister and brother were shot dead. The two brothers have lost a mother and sister during the massacres. The Soviets have sent their father to Kazakstan. He is now in Palestine. They suffered terribly and in the end they suffered a terrible death.
I met my Baranowicz comrades. My joy was great but it was quickly extinguished when I found out about the terrible deaths of many many friends and acquaintances. Taft, Kubus, and Mlinek. Beker and his wife Bela told me how they escaped last year the town in which they suffered and who from our comrades were killed (fell) in the forest. Leah Beguza and her husband are still alive. Michal Mukasire alive, the president of the ghetto and others are gone (not alive) as well as many who were massacred, many hundred of thousands lie already lying (buried) in the ground as if they have never existed..
I have asked many questions fearing to hear the answer because he was for everyone – dead.
My relative Aron Zubelewski has been for a long period in the forest. I remember the greetings (regards) that a peasant passed on to the Manior in the pharmacy. Now I find out that they perished in an ambush in the forest. Only their oldest son survived. Being in the Hutine I have for the first time heard the sound of heavy artillery coming from the direction of the front. Many fantastic versions of the situation at the front are going around. In the month of May we will be redeemed.
10/1V/44 The scouts are playing a gramophone on the field which absorbs the spring sun rays. An accordion is playing ; the public is taking an active part in a horse race, and next to me lies dead Captain Alekejewich (Anatoli). During the night I spoke to him and he assured me that he feels good (well) and now he is laying stiff and cold.
Several days ago arrived into our forest one of many who will carry out a special task on the order from the White Russian front. After being wounded twice and having to live through many traumas always being at the front, his heart couldn’t stand up to this stress. This tall blood deep and cultured twenty four year old in the short four days earned great sympathy from those around him. When the war began he started as a young lieutenant. Lately he became captain and in two years he became a highly decorated officer. His death had a strong impact on me because this is the first death that happened for me in the forest from this illness. Many have been ill with typhus but the only one that died happened to be the brave young man.
It was a glorious spring day. The forest is bathed with sunshine. The people livened up. The Russian from Siberia plays his accordion and the heroic captain Aleksandrejew is waiting for his grave, he is dead.
23/4//44 When Dusia came in today to my “reception” (reception room) her eyes were red from crying. When I calmed her down a little she told me that the blacks have killed her four year old son who was being cared for in the village this (her distress) is a result of worry and grief.
Dusia is a Soviet lieutenant’s wife. When the war broke out she found herself with many military wives in an evacuation – train. The train was heavily bombarded and among the not many survivors was Dusia and her small child. She lived through difficult days. She found herself a place in a village and she lived like a peasant passing information to the partisans from the surrounding villages. It became unsafe for her in the village and she left it going to the forest. The child she left with a peasant. She has been with us more than a year. She went through good but also tragic moments in her forest-life but never forgotten her little son. Quite often she would travel to see how he is doing. Quite often she used to brag about him with pride, and now arrived the mournful news that the Blacks arrived into the village and massacred an innocent child and badly beat up the peasant. Dusia is mourning! She cried over her little boy who was liquidated in a murderous way by criminal degenerates. The dearest to her that she had she had lost: now her husband the tank soldier is her only son.
30/4/44 Tomorrow is the first of May. A certain tension is felt in our camp – as if we will be ambushed! Our reconnaissance inform us that the Blacks are getting ready to come into the forest, after being dressed in German uniforms which gave them a great desire for battle with us. Others are saying that they are seeking help from the regular army stating that their strength is too small to come into the forest to battle. Day in and day out come news that the white Russians are on mass fleeing from the army but in the process carrying out acts of sabotage.
A short time ago, 60 men, Kozaks, with Captain Brash liquidated their German leaders and with their entire rich arsenal came (joined) to the partisans (Tachozwa).
She went through good but also tragic moments in her forest-life but has never forgotten her little son. Quite often she would travel to see how he is doing. Quite often she used to brag about him with pride, and now arrived the mournful news that the Blacks arrived into the village and massacred an innocent child and badly beat up the peasant. Dusia is mourning! She cried over her little boy who was liquidated in a murderous way by criminal degenerates. The dearest to her that she had she had lost: now her husband the tank soldier is her only son.
30/4/44 tomorrow is the first of May. A certain tension is felt in our camp – as if we will be ambushed! Our reconnaissance inform us that the Blacks are getting ready to come into the forest, after being dressed in German uniforms which gave them a great desire for battle with us. Others are saying that they are seeking help from the regular army stating that their strength is too small to come into the forest to battle. Day in and day out come news that the white Russians are on mass fleeing from the army but in the process carrying out acts of sabotage.
A short time ago, 60 men, kozaks, with captain Brash liquidated their German leaders and with their entire rich arsenal came (joined) to the partisans (Tachozwa). A good piece of work was done by the White Russians from Rudz who were mobilised to the regular military service and attached to a particular military unit. They were carrying out actions under the noses of the German military. They made contact with the partisans and after killing their officer they came across to us. Lately the White Russians are not given any weapons because they were not trusted.
Last year for a period of time I was in the Rutin forest next to the airport. I recall this fact, and older German walking drunk had gotten lost and walked into our patrol standing at the border. When one of our patrol people yelled at him pointing at him his rifle, he right away lifted his hands up giving himself up even though a month ago earlier we also caught four Germans alive and brought them in their own cars into the Bule camp. The old German was also brought into the camp. He was a very good guest for us. Sitting around the fire we found out where he originated from and what he was doing here. To the question as to whether the Germans know if we have air contact with Moscow he gave a positive response. We asked him is he wanted us to send him there (to Moscow) he replied no, saying that he has a wife and children in Germany and that he is too old to go to the front, and secondly he asked us if we could show him the way home and for this he would give us two packets of cigarettes. In the meantime one of our men began to play the accordion and the German began to gesture with his hands as if he was conducting. Everyone began to clap their hands and the German smiled from happiness. In the meantime a Yiddish lady sat down next to him and he put his hands around her. He was taken for questioning. This did not take long. There was nothing to ask him. He was a typical German who always claimed that with us everything is nice and good but he would rather go home. We surely let him go home!!!
I recall the Sattis with his eight young gentile boys whom we caught spying (Glowsowicz) and whom we liquidated. We unmasked them in the following way. An unfamiliar Tis suddenly appeared in a partisan village selling combs. When we took him for more stronger questioning he told us why he was sent and who sent him.
It emerged that the Sattis had been in contact with the police from Zirev to whom he would pass on important information and to this end he enlisted 12 to 14 year old gentile boys who would crawl around in the surrounding villages and observe the partisans. For this work they would receive liquor. In this way we caught them and liquidated them.
Several days ago three prisoners who they say escaped from Baranowicz prison were shot dead. What their crimes were I don’t know. They came too late to join the partisans.
1/5/44 Today is the big holiday (festive day) an order was read out that Ergeni Glinski the attractive Vierka’s partner was shot. The order that was read out mentioned all his deeds that led to his death. Hew raped a woman, he shot someone to death, burned down a barn and recently he beat up an anti fascist committee leader. He was young and very brae young man, he was wounded four times. He derailed many trains. He was shot dead. Vierka’s sadness was relative. 2/5/44 Vieraka walks around the field and cries. Her beautiful, deep, childish eyes are clouded; the beautiful face covered with deep seriousness and in the quiet movements of her body lies sadness and mourning. She sat with me for a long time in my dugout and in an openhearted manner she related her life with Zenka. She told me everything and frequently lowered her attractive head. Lifting her white handkerchief to her eyes and pausing, but I understood everything, even more than she thought I did. She had suffered a lot in the short period they have been together. Her suffering became greater when she found out that Zenka has a wife and two children in Russia – in Novasibirks. She wanted to leave him but she was afraid of him because of his threatening nature he was ready to stab to death anyone he saw with her. But perhaps this would not have stopped Vierka because her second motive was later to live with the seducer – this was a concern for all the people in the forest. Vierka knows very well that a young woman cannot exist safely on her own in partisan surroundings. Absolutely not! Even more when it for me so charming and nice like our young Komsomol – saboteur girl from far away Leningrad. Had she discarded Zenka she would not have been able to escape. And she was very frightened of this. She did not want to get a bad name from her acquaintances : Nadia, Ola and others. And she decided to lower her head in shame and pain as she did up till now, because she understood the forest and knew its laws. But now comes the moment when Vera has to withstand her last embarrassment. This time she is covered in grief. The brave Zenka was shot dead by his own friends and his body is not laying where it is supposed to be laying in a partisan burial grave in the depth of the forest but instead he lies like a dog in the empty, desolate field. A deep sadness covers Vierka’s face. She is mourning. Yes! But even more she regrets that the one with whom she went through (experienced) many wonderful moments in the forest life but also terrible moments which included roundups and ambushes and German ambushes, and his life ended so tragically. In the last battle two months ago he was seriously wounded but due to a chance happening (with a watch in his pocket) he survived. It’s a pity says Vierka, it’s a pity – if he fell in Barawiki his body for sure would not have been from the last -= if would have been among the graves of our brave partisans and his memory would have been for ever in our hearts, and now? I don’t know at all where his bones are resting and I don’t want to know! I feel embarrassed. I see Zenka sitting on a tall black horse who majestically raises his head high and is in full gallop through the forest and only the trees pass quickly in front of the eyes.
He beats the horse without mercy – the same way he used to beat (fight) the peasants in the village when they stood up to him. Zenka took part in many battles, in many train derailments and also slaughtered not just one man.
I recall approximately one and half years ago, winter 1942/43 when a policeman was brought into the forest alive. The wildest instincts in man played out. Everyone was beating, hitting everyone was killing but overall Zenkas knife ruled. He used his knife with the agility of an animal. A stab in the side, a stab in the stomach, a stab in the chest and again in the side. In the heart God-forbid he would never stab because the victim can die immediately and his great pleasure derived from the stabbing would quickly disappear. He would not permit a quick death. The victim suffered for many hours, heavily losing blood. I saw the same Zenka three months later in April when he killed four young Germans. Individually he laid them down on the ground face down and stabbed them. He stabbed deeply to the extent that the length of the dagger permitted. The Germans with tears in their eyes were asking that they be allowed to live, but Zenka did not understand them and did not want to understand them. The last time I saw him at work was in the Hutin Forests. That time an older German wandered into the forest with the same dagger. Zenka poked out both his eyes, cut off his tongue, cut pieces of flesh off him and did not leave his body till he was dead. Possessing so much sadism in him Zenka made a good impression on those who did know him closely. On his fresh young face often appeared a delicate smile when he talked to you, his manners were that of a person from a big city, and having a middle level education it was not difficult for him to attract sympathy from those around him. In addition, by nature he was not absolutely had. When Vierka was sick he took a great interest in her. He would often come to ask her what she needs and for her he was ready to travel to the city on his own, but when he gets out of his frame he is capable of shooting in the forehead the same Vierka whom he loves very much.
3/5/44 Stories about Zenka’s death are being told. When the order that he would be executed for his many killings was read to him he absolutely did not ask for clemency. He stood himself in front of a tree and with open eyes looked at the commissar with whom he had been together for a year and a half and who carried out the execution order. His last words were “I am dying for the Birth land”
5/5/44
One policeman was killed on the spot, the second one was taken alive as prisoner (Kuba) the others ran away. We don’t have great trust in Kuba and we believe that he will betray us. We are waiting for an ambush!
6/5/44 Riding my wagon I went to look for Kostia. Kostia is a 15 year old Jewish boy who frequents the villages and not looking like a Jew he more or less manages. Lately the “Moustash” who drinks vodka, gave him a job as a shepherd, dressed him in a pair of open slippers, torn clothing and herding his animals. I found out that this small boy not once asked to join the Jewish group but the members rejected him being afraid to take responsibility for him. Yesterday I especially travelled to see that boy. A wonderful scene had unfolded in front of me. On the Endless fields which were left neglected from the day of the outbreak of the war, there was buzzing of activity. Many harnessed horses were pulling in a line in one or other direction. Tens of men, women and the elderly armed with rifles worked ploughing. Many others were sawing, but everything done with a rifle on the chest. Amongst those working were the leaders of this ‘family’ camp who were given 10 hectares of land to plough and saw. A wonderful scene opened up in front of my eyes – this was in the deep German hinterland! Between Slanim, Ivadewich and Biten. It is simply difficult to believe – one of the most unbelievable but realistic facts, facts which occur in our day to day life. Tens, hundreds of hectares of land are being plough, worked on, farmed by the partisan on territories which for the past three years had been ruled by the Germans.
In a number of the villages our commanders are present as representatives of the Soviet government and regulate the life of the inhabitants according to our directives.
Every night we hear here in the forest mighty explosions on the train line – Moscow-Brest, resulting from derailed trains, and nobody is capable of hindering us in this work. Everyday arrive carts full of products obtained from operations carried out the night before, near the German garrison. This when in the City fat could not be found, we still have for use hundreds of kilograms of pork which we have buried. These are all facts which illustrate the difficulties the Germans had in demoralising us for the future battle.
I did not have to look for Kostia long! On the green field next to a small river the Jewish little “gentile” was herding his animals with other shepherds. His three-quarter short trousers were badly torn. His blouse was pinned and creased exposing a dirty body. On his feet a pair of peasants slippers. He had delicate face features. I did not speak with him long. He was ready to do anything so as to leave his current society (next to him stood a deaf mute shepherd, a cretin, from whose mouth constantly spit was flowing out) The next day Jewish comrades had arrived and they took him away.
14/5/44 We lived through a lot during this short period of time. Monday the 8/5 I travelled to Pasterin to see a sick person. (I and Bolek Alshinka) Although we were informed that the Germans were there we did not believe this and travelled from the forest directly into the village. But thanks to a woman who warned us that Hungarians were in the village we became
I met my Baranowicz comrades. My joy was great but it was quickly extinguished when I found out about the terrible deaths of many many friends and acquaintances. Taft, Kubus, and Mlinek. Beker and his wife Bela told me how they escaped last year the town in which they suffered and who from our comrades were killed (fell) in the forest. Leah Beguza and her husband are still alive. Michal Mukasire alive, the president of the ghetto and others are gone (not alive) as well as many who were massacred, many hundred of thousands lie already lying (buried) in the ground as if they have never existed..
I have asked many questions fearing to hear the answer because he was for everyone – dead.
My relative Aron Zubelewski has been for a long period in the forest. I remember the greetings (regards) that a peasant passed on to the Manior in the pharmacy. Now I find out that they perished in an ambush in the forest. Only their oldest son survived. Being in the Hutine I have for the first time heard the sound of heavy artillery coming from the direction of the front. Many fantastic versions of the situation at the front are going around. In the month of May we will be redeemed.
10/1V/44 The scouts are playing a gramophone on the field which absorbs the spring sun rays. An accordion is playing ; the public is taking an active part in a horse race, and next to me lies dead Captain Alekejewich (Anatoli). During the night I spoke to him and he assured me that he feels good (well) and now he is laying stiff and cold.
Several days ago arrived into our forest one of many who will carry out a special task on the order from the White Russian front. After being wounded twice and having to live through many traumas always being at the front, his heart couldn’t stand up to this stress. This tall blood deep and cultured twenty four year old in the short four days earned great sympathy from those around him. When the war began he started as a young lieutenant. Lately he became captain and in two years he became a highly decorated officer. His death had a strong impact on me because this is the first death that happened for me in the forest from this illness. Many have been ill with typhus but the only one that died happened to be the brave young man.
It was a glorious spring day. The forest is bathed with sunshine. The people livened up. The Russian from Siberia plays his accordion and the heroic captain Aleksandrejew is waiting for his grave, he is dead.
23/4//44 When Dusia came in today to my “reception” (reception room) her eyes were red from crying. When I calmed her down a little she told me that the blacks have killed her four year old son who was being cared for in the village this (her distress) is a result of worry and grief.
Dusia is a Soviet lieutenant’s wife. When the war broke out she found herself with many military wives in an evacuation – train. The train was heavily bombarded and among the not many survivors was Dusia and her small child. She lived through difficult days. She found herself a place in a village and she lived like a peasant passing information to the partisans from the surrounding villages. It became unsafe for her in the village and she left it going to the forest. The child she left with a peasant. She has been with us more than a year. She went through good but also tragic moments in her forest-life but never forgotten her little son. Quite often she would travel to see how he is doing. Quite often she used to brag about him with pride, and now arrived the mournful news that the Blacks arrived into the village and massacred an innocent child and badly beat up the peasant. Dusia is mourning! She cried over her little boy who was liquidated in a murderous way by criminal degenerates. The dearest to her that she had she had lost: now her husband the tank soldier is her only son.
30/4/44 tomorrow is the first of May. A certain tension is felt in our camp – as if we will be ambushed! Our reconnaissance inform us that the Blacks are getting ready to come into the forest, after being dressed in German uniforms which gave them a great desire for battle with us. Others are saying that they are seeking help from the regular army stating that their strength is too small to come into the forest to battle. Day in and day out come news that the white Russians are on mass fleeing from the army but in the process carrying out acts of sabotage.
A short time ago, 60 men, Kozaks, with Captain Brash liquidated their German leaders and with their entire rich arsenal came (joined) to the partisans (Tachozwa).
She went through good but also tragic moments in her forest-life but has never forgotten her little son. Quite often she would travel to see how he is doing. Quite often she used to brag about him with pride, and now arrived the mournful news that the Blacks arrived into the village and massacred an innocent child and badly beat up the peasant. Dusia is mourning! She cried over her little boy who was liquidated in a murderous way by criminal degenerates. The dearest to her that she had she had lost: now her husband the tank soldier is her only son.
30/4/44 tomorrow is the first of May. A certain tension is felt in our camp – as if we will be ambushed! Our reconnaissance inform us that the Blacks are getting ready to come into the forest, after being dressed in German uniforms which gave them a great desire for battle with us. Others are saying that they are seeking help from the regular army stating that their strength is too small to come into the forest to battle. Day in and day out come news that the white Russians are on mass fleeing from the army but in the process carrying out acts of sabotage.
A short time ago, 60 men, kozaks, with captain Brash liquidated their German leaders and with their entire rich arsenal came (joined) to the partisans (Tachozwa). A good piece of work was done by the White Russians from Rudz who were mobilised to the regular military service and attached to a particular military unit. They were carrying out actions under the noses of the German military. They made contact with the partisans and after killing their officer they came across to us. Lately the White Russians are not given any weapons because they were not trusted.
Last year for a period of time I was in the Rutin forest next to the airport. I recall this fact, and older German walking drunk had gotten lost and walked into our patrol standing at the border. When one of our patrol people yelled at him pointing at him his rifle, he right away lifted his hands up giving himself up even though a month ago earlier we also caught four Germans alive and brought them in their own cars into the Bule camp. The old German was also brought into the camp. He was a very good guest for us. Sitting around the fire we found out where he originated from and what he was doing here. To the question as to whether the Germans know if we have air contact with Moscow he gave a positive response. We asked him is he wanted us to send him there (to Moscow) he replied no, saying that he has a wife and children in Germany and that he is too old to go to the front, and secondly he asked us if we could show him the way home and for this he would give us two packets of cigarettes. In the meantime one of our men began to play the accordion and the German began to gesture with his hands as if he was conducting. Everyone began to clap their hands and the German smiled from happiness. In the meantime a Yiddish lady sat down next to him and he put his hands around her. He was taken for questioning. This did not take long. There was nothing to ask him. He was a typical German who always claimed that with us everything is nice and good but he would rather go home. We surely let him go home!!!
I recall the Sattis with his eight young gentile boys whom we caught spying (Glowsowicz) and whom we liquidated. We unmasked them in the following way. An unfamiliar Tis suddenly appeared in a partisan village selling combs. When we took him for more stronger questioning he told us why he was sent and who sent him.
It emerged that the Sattis had been in contact with the police from Zirev to whom he would pass on important information and to this end he enlisted 12 to 14 year old gentile boys who would crawl around in the surrounding villages and observe the partisans. For this work they would receive liquor. In this way we caught them and liquidated them.
Several days ago three prisoners who they say escaped from Baranowicz prison were shot dead. What their crimes were I don’t know. They came too late to join the partisans.
1/5/44 Today is the big holiday (festive day) an order was read out that Ergeni Glinski the attractive Vierka’s partner was shot. The order that was read out mentioned all his deeds that led to his death. Hew raped a woman, he shot someone to death, burned down a barn and recently he beat up an anti fascist committee leader. He was young and very brae young man, he was wounded four times. He derailed many trains. He was shot dead. Vierka’s sadness was relative. 2/5/44 Vieraka walks around the field and cries. Her beautiful, deep, childish eyes are clouded; the beautiful face covered with deep seriousness and in the quiet movements of her body lies sadness and mourning. She sat with me for a long time in my dugout and in an openhearted manner she related her life with Zenka. She told me everything and frequently lowered her attractive head. Lifting her white handkerchief to her eyes and pausing, but I understood everything, even more than she thought I did. She had suffered a lot in the short period they have been together. Her suffering became greater when she found out that Zenka has a wife and two children in Russia – in Novasibirks. She wanted to leave him but she was afraid of him because of his threatening nature he was ready to stab to death anyone he saw with her. But perhaps this would not have stopped Vierka because her second motive was later to live with the seducer – this was a concern for all the people in the forest. Vierka knows very well that a young woman cannot exist safely on her own in partisan surroundings. Absolutely not! Even more when it for me so charming and nice like our young Komsomol – saboteur girl from far away Leningrad. Had she discarded Zenka she would not have been able to escape. And she was very frightened of this. She did not want to get a bad name from her acquaintances : Nadia, Ola and others. And she decided to lower her head in shame and pain as she did up till now, because she understood the forest and knew its laws. But now comes the moment when Vera has to withstand her last embarrassment. This time she is covered in grief. The brave Zenka was shot dead by his own friends and his body is not laying where it is supposed to be laying in a partisan burial grave in the depth of the forest but instead he lies like a dog in the empty, desolate field. A deep sadness covers Vierka’s face. She is mourning. Yes! But even more she regrets that the one with whom she went through (experienced) many wonderful moments in the forest life but also terrible moments which included roundups and ambushes and German ambushes, and his life ended so tragically. In the last battle two months ago he was seriously wounded but due to a chance happening (with a watch in his pocket) he survived. It’s a pity says Vierka, it’s a pity – if he fell in Barawiki his body for sure would not have been from the last -= if would have been among the graves of our brave partisans and his memory would have been for ever in our hearts, and now? I don’t know at all where his bones are resting and I don’t want to know! I feel embarrassed. I see Zenka sitting on a tall black horse who majestically raises his head high and is in full gallop through the forest and only the trees pass quickly in front of the eyes.
He beats the horse without mercy – the same way he used to beat (fight) the peasants in the village when they stood up to him. Zenka took part in many battles, in many train derailments and also slaughtered not just one man.
I recall approximately one and half years ago, winter 1942/43 when a policeman was brought into the forest alive. The wildest instincts in man played out. Everyone was beating, hitting everyone was killing but overall Zenkas knife ruled. He used his knife with the agility of an animal. A stab in the side, a stab in the stomach, a stab in the chest and again in the side. In the heart God-forbid he would never stab because the victim can die immediately and his great pleasure derived from the stabbing would quickly disappear. He would not permit a quick death. The victim suffered for many hours, heavily losing blood. I saw the same Zenka three months later in April when he killed four young Germans. Individually he laid them down on the ground face down and stabbed them. He stabbed deeply to the extent that the length of the dagger permitted. The Germans with tears in their eyes were asking that they be allowed to live, but Zenka did not understand them and did not want to understand them. The last time I saw him at work was in the Hutin Forests. That time an older German wandered into the forest with the same dagger. Zenka poked out both his eyes, cut off his tongue, cut pieces of flesh off him and did not leave his body till he was dead. Possessing so much sadism in him Zenka made a good impression on those who did know him closely. On his fresh young face often appeared a delicate smile when he talked to you, his manners were that of a person from a big city, and having a middle level education it was not difficult for him to attract sympathy from those around him. In addition, by nature he was not absolutely had. When Vierka was sick he took a great interest in her. He would often come to ask her what she needs and for her he was ready to travel to the city on his own, but when he gets out of his frame he is capable of shooting in the forehead the same Vierka whom he loves very much.
3/5/44 Stories about Zenka’s death are being told. When the order that he would be executed for his many killings was read to him he absolutely did not ask for clemency. He stood himself in front of a tree and with open eyes looked at the commissar with whom he had been together for a year and a half and who carried out the execution order. His last words were “I am dying for the Birth land”
5/5/44
One policeman was killed on the spot, the second one was taken alive as prisoner (Kuba) the others ran away. We don’t have great trust in Kuba and we believe that he will betray us. We are waiting for an ambush!
6/5/44 Riding my wagon I went to look for Kostia. Kostia is a 15 year old Jewish boy who frequents the villages and not looking like a Jew he more or less manages. Lately the “Moustash” who drinks vodka, gave him a job as a shepherd, dressed him in a pair of open slippers, torn clothing and herding his animals. I found out that this small boy not once asked to join the Jewish group but the members rejected him being afraid to take responsibility for him. Yesterday I especially travelled to see that boy. A wonderful scene had unfolded in front of me. On the Endless fields which were left neglected from the day of the outbreak of the war, there was buzzing of activity. Many harnessed horses were pulling in a line in one or other direction. Tens of men, women and the elderly armed with rifles worked ploughing. Many others were sawing, but everything done with a rifle on the chest. Amongst those working were the leaders of this ‘family’ camp who were given 10 hectares of land to plough and saw. A wonderful scene opened up in front of my eyes – this was in the deep German hinterland! Between Slanim, Ivadewich and Biten. It is simply difficult to believe – one of the most unbelievable but realistic facts, facts which occur in our day to day life. Tens, hundreds of hectares of land are being plough, worked on, farmed by the partisan on territories which for the past three years had been ruled by the Germans.
In a number of the villages our commanders are present as representatives of the Soviet government and regulate the life of the inhabitants according to our directives.
Every night we hear here in the forest mighty explosions on the train line – Moscow-Brest, resulting from derailed trains, and nobody is capable of hindering us in this work. Everyday arrive carts full of products obtained from operations carried out the night before, near the German garrison. This when in the City fat could not be found, we still have for use hundreds of kilograms of pork which we have buried. These are all facts which illustrate the difficulties the Germans had in demoralising us for the future battle.
I did not have to look for Kostia long! On the green field next to a small river the Jewish little “gentile” was herding his animals with other shepherds. His three-quarter short trousers were badly torn. His blouse was pinned and creased exposing a dirty body. On his feet a pair of peasants slippers. He had delicate face features. I did not speak with him long. He was ready to do anything so as to leave his current society (next to him stood a deaf mute shepherd, a cretin, from whose mouth constantly spit was flowing out) The next day Jewish comrades had arrived and they took him away.
14/5/44 We lived through a lot during this short period of time. Monday the 8/5 I travelled to Pasterin to see a sick person. (I and Bolek Alshinka) Although we were informed that the Germans were there we did not believe this and travelled from the forest directly into the village. But thanks to a woman who warned us that Hungarians were in the village we became
We were spared from death. We immediately turned the horses around, ended up in the mud and having good riding horses we quickly took off. In the meantime it began to rain which paralysed our further work and we spent several hours in a small hut belonging to a polish peasant. Here we found out about a concentration of Hungarians and Germans in Aimadewicz and they have with them dogs and they want to go into the forest. Suddenly we hear heavy shotting from machine guns and rifles in the direction of Charastsze. The situation was terrible and we decided to slowly travel back to the camp. We quickly jumped onto our horses and arriving into the Pasterin forest we me our scouts who informed us of the order from our Commander that we should travel straight to the camp because a comb-out (ambush) is going to begin and the detachment is moving out. When we arrived into the camp no one was there. The dugouts were empty; the headquarters was open and the field was empty.
Following the prints on the ground we reached the camp of the Sienkiewicz forest. In the same knight we crossed a river (and with great suffering I managed to get my horse across) and sneaking through the villages and fields we arrived at dawn in Chreshtshonawitsh (the Moskow of Huten Forest) (Mlinek, Baila.Dr Smalinski, from Bahunowicz). In the Hutin forest we decided to engage in a short battle the day after tomorrow and then when the brigades in the Hutin decided to withdraw to the Pinsk muds (bogs) we went back to the Waltshdens. After travelling 60 kilometres one way we had to walk another ten kilometres on foot. The worst was trying to crawl out of the muds (bogs). Our feet were sinking in the mud. Not once was I forced to get on my knees and had to with the help of my hands pull out from the deep mud my torn boots. Wearing a fur coat, carrying my rifle and pulling a sledge with medicines it was difficult to perspire.
Returning to the forest we found out that the two members of the Brisk-antifascist committee Maiski and Valodzia were killed by the Germans. Apart of these also fell Saszka (Vasil Vasilewicz Narfalger) the captain of the paratroopers. Our camp was burnt down and everything was taken away. From Karasztsh they took around 70 animals. From the 13th of May we are living in a new camp.
We are getting ready at any moment for the second front. The German papers are indicating great nervousness. I think that if the second front will collapse we will have the end of the war by the end of the month June.
21/5/44 Where we jumped the Hungarians “Bolek Zales” was killed. Three o’clock at night the Germans surrounded Pasterin and whilst attempting to escape Bolek was shot above the knee and he died from loss of blood. A short time later other comrades jumped the same Germans who were setting a trap. Heavy shooting started and during this engagement a partisan jumping over the fence landed on the shoulder of a German.
As a result I have one dead, one seriously wounded and the third became completely useless (Hebrew letters). Bolek, the son of a peasant had been in the forest for over two years. He showed himself to be one of the bravest and best partisans. His cold bloodedness which he showed in the most difficult moments were admirable. Now he is lying dead. His always red, happy and healthy face is like his entire body decomposing. Next to his body are standing his father bent down, his mother and his two little brothers.
Two years ago the Germans burnt down their hut and chased them into the forest. Having lost everything and also having lost three children in their burning hut they just managed to evade their own death. Now they are standing next to Bolek and are looking at him for the last time. They are standing quietly as this was not the first time they had seen death in front of their eyes. He is being placed in a coffin. The father comes up and kisses the dead son, then the mother, then the brothers and then the last was the youngest of her six children. Barefoot and in torn clothes he stands on his toes kisses the body and runs away. The coffin is closed and nailed with two nails and is covered with two wreaths made from ordinary flowers from the field. It is carried to where the graves are of his brother partisans and is buried there. Another one of our best is gone!
22/5/44 The wounded Drozdow Valodzia died yesterday evening. One bullet into his belly damaged his stomach . two other bullets shattered his hands.
22/5/44 Kazik Wlodzinski who left us two months ago had been killed. The Blacks (inference to the Belorussian police) have encircled him when he was at home and although he managed to jump out and run, a bullet caught him. In the process his mother was wounded. The mother with his two small sisters was taken away and the third sister escaped. He derailed 12 trains. He was one of the bravest partisans in our
Detachment.
We have with us in the forest a group from “Kapusta’s Sojedzinienia (Kapusta’s Unity) and among them is a Jewish doctor Dr. David Kagan from Vitebsk. I talked with him a lot about our situation in the forest. I found out that in the Lifaiczanska Wilderness there are around 500 Jews.
23/5/44 A peasant from Dubaitawa was brought in who was found to be a spy. For over a year he was giving information about the partisans to our enemies in Kasawa, about the number of men and arms. Many partisans were killed because of this dog. We did not play around with him much. Every one took part in his beatings and killing him. A few stabs with the dagger ended the worthless life of this spy.
25/5/44 Today we received propaganda material
Diary page 44
as well as newspaper pages from the brigade headquarters. Among them was the Polish General Zeligawski’s call to Poles which he passed on to the Polish government in London on the 30/111 and a copy to the Soviet party which they received several days ago. He appealed to his Polish brothers to assist the heroic red army in their fight with the ‘Satan’ the Germans (says the old General) who want to totally rub us off this earth. We mustn’t forget that we are Slavs and therefore we must help and fight along with other Slovak nations against our common enemy – the Germans. You should know that the red army is fighting not just only for the freedom of the Russian people but also for our freedom and the freedom of the entire world.
The London Radio news bulletin stated that the English Eighth Army under the leadership of General Alexander liberated the cities of Kassino, Kastelmadriar and villages. I think that this was in conjunction with the opening of the second front.
Today we found out that in Russia two divisions were created named ÐOMBROWSKI’ and ‘TRAUGUT’’ which should be on the 13/111 join up with the Polish army.
Our front became quiet. Many of us talk about winter in the forest, and we are guarding our pelts. The majority of the Jews have been in the forest for two years and it is difficult to imagine that the war will end. I received a letter from Dr SMOLINSKI. He had asked me to come to him. Tomorrow I will travel to the ‘Hutine’ to meet with him. I am taking with me a report from our nurse for the first quarter of 1944 and also for the month of May.
28/5/1944 I was in the “Hotline” for only one day. I met with Dr. Smolinski and with Belloa Mlinek and then travelled back. Topf made on me a terrible impression. His feet had demarcation lines and his black gangrenous toes have dried. He looked terrible. When I went to him he recognised me and crying he said to me “dad save me I am suffering terribly” I just stood there and didn’t know what to answer him. I don’t know whether he will live.
I met a Polish paratrooper who a few weeks ago was dropped from Moscow with a very important task. When I was moving around among the various groups with my chief (leader) looking for fresh literature from Moscow I cam in possession after a short discussion the ‘Dolina Polka’.
7/6/44 The Germans put up a strong resistance. The English and Americans are moving forward. Also in Italy serious military actions are evolving. Our front is quiet. Small battles are occurring near ‘Yassa’ (Romania). Our comrades in the past few days have carried out a nice piece of work. They set out with short weapons, shot dead the guards at the bridge as well as two policemen (the third one they let go). They came back to the forest with a machine gun and two rifles. Yesterday I was with ROKOSOWSKI’S brigade. I was called to perform an operation. There I found out that the German KOSFER was killed in an ambush in MAIRENIN.
I had the opportunity to make acquaintenance with a second German whose name was Otto. An elderly German of short stature wearing glasses. His wife and his 17 year old son were killed in a bombing raid and because of his distress he ran away from SLANIM into the forest to the partisans. 70% of Berlin is damaged and the opinion is that Germany is in a fatal state. The situation of residents is in doubt.
10/6/44 It was lunch time when the entire brigade was placed on a full combat footing and left the camp. Tonight we are bombing the village Kazinan which is located not less than 300 meters from Biten. This is a terrible place and it is very rarely that a partisan will venture in. But now we are going confidently forward because we know that the police who are around 100 in number with the Germans will not dare oppose us. In the evening we arrived at the fifth pole where we had our last rest. The horses we let to graze on the small prairie and we assigned several people as guards, and all of us moved forward on foot. It was already dark when we arrived to PLANTYYARA which lies one kilometre from Biten. The Planty yard we liquidated last year. After we had taken everything that was useful to us, we set the yard alight.
Quietly we are moving forward toward our goal. It seems further this time, but now we can see through the darkness the contours of the huts, we quietly surround the village and one comrade after the other is moving forward. When I and our leader walked onto the village street we heard from about 20 meters a shaky scream from the guard “who goes there”. I automatically grabbed my rifle. When the appropriate previously agreed upon reply was given the guard told us that everything was in order, there are no police here and we can proceed to our destination. Valodzia and I walked into a house and we quickly lit a fire and quietly stayed.
An elderly couple with children, how many I didn’t notice were trembling from fear, the little ones were crying. What we wanted we took. We worked quickly. A torn pair of leather boots, old clothing, peasant’s long johns, a towel, a jacket, a packet of saccharine (this is good!) But suddenly I notice a pair of small child’s trousers with small child’s kippot which were adorned; they are surely Jews from the Ghetto. We left the house. We entered another house. Again the same scenario, the children are crying, the women are wringing their hands and everyone is shaking from fear “you bandits take everything but let us live” it is possible to read this from their pale faces. In the meantime Valadzia tied the peasant’s horses to the wagon, loaded the wagon up with the things we took and we left the house. The village street is in darkness. The partisans are moving around in a rush (with packets under their arms) – one is carrying a pair of boots, the other a pair of coats. Overall reigns a silence in the night interrupted by fast, energetic male steps. Suddenly I hear a deafening shot from a pistol. A pig was shot. I keep on walking further. But then I hear a second and third shot, a noise of a wagon that is coming to pick up the goods.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Dr. Leon Berk