MAKSYMILIAN BIER

Maksymilian Bier, born in 1892 in Kraków, Platoon Sergeant of the Reserve, married.

On 1 September 1939 I was mobilized and assigned to the 5th Supply Battalion.

On 18 September, while in Podhajce, I was captured by the Soviet army and taken to the camp in Kamianets-Podilskyi, from where after five days we were sent to the camp in Żytyń; while detained there, we would be forced to work (road construction). We remained in the camp until January 1941, when we were transferred to Proskuriv. We were detained there until the outbreak of the German-Soviet war, working on the construction of the airport, whereafter the Soviets drove us on foot – for 19 days – to Zhytomyr, where we were loaded onto wagons and transported to Starobilsk, to yet another camp. During this time we worked at the airport. This finally came to an end on 4 September 1941, when I enlisted in the Polish Army.

In the camps we prisoners weren’t treated too well. We weren’t given any clothes. There were no educational facilities. The hygienic conditions were passable, as was the medical care. I did not receive any remuneration for my work.

8 March 1943