MICHAŁ MOCZEK

1. Prisoner of war

2. [Personal details:]

Sergeant Michał Moczek, born in 1899, civilian occupation: terrazzo tiler, married, two children.

3. [Date and circumstances of arrest:]

On 17 September 1939, at 5 AM, I was taken prisoner while lying wounded in a hospital in Zaleszczyki [Zalishchyky]. [I was] injured on 7 September at 2.30 PM in the battle with Germany near Rabczyce. Until 22 September, I lay in a hospital guarded by Soviet soldiers. Then the Soviets took a lot of the Polish soldiers, an entire transport of wagons, and me with them, wounds still open and unhealed; they transported us deep into Russia, to Kamianets- Podilskyi, and five days later to Równe [Rivne] for forced road construction works.

The prisoner-of-war camp was in Żytyń [Weliki Schitin], where I stayed until 19 April 1940. Then I was deported to the camp in Sosenki, where I stayed until 10 August 1940, later deported to Babin, where I was until 27 December 1940, and finally to Skniłów [Sknilov], and I was there until the outbreak of war, that is until 22 June 1941; I worked at the construction of the airport.

As the Germans were advancing, they drove [us] to Winnica [Vinnytsia], where they loaded me onto the train as a sick person. I was brought to a camp in Starobilsk and I was released there; on 20 August 1941, I was drafted into the Polish army (6th Division) in Totskoye.

5. [Description of the camp, prison:]

The conditions were very harsh in the prisoner-of-war camp in Żytyń: infested with lice, there were 60 people in a small room, one lying on top of another as it was impossible to fit otherwise, no air, we had a bucket to relieve our natural needs; we weren’t let out to the latrine [trench used as toilet]. As for food: [nothing] except a piece of bread and a watery soup twice a day.

6. [Identity of the prisoners, prisoners of war, exiles:]

In this camp, there were up to 2,000 prisoners of war aged 18 to 55. Up to 400 people were sick. Nationality – mostly Poles, there were also Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Jews. Among the prisoners of war there were about 50 people of a higher intellectual level. In moral terms, the camp was coping well. Relations between the prisoners were correct and friendly. I was not judged by the Soviet authorities.

7. [Life in the camp, prison:]

In the prisoner-of-war camp, where I stayed from 27 December 1940 to 17 March 1941, in Klewań [Klevan] near Równe by the NKVD authorities, I was forced to forest work [illegible] the quota per person was to cut from trunks [illegible] 8 cubic meters of wood. This quota was difficult to attain. Work from night to night. We lived in tents covered with snow, the frost reached 30 degrees; very meager food, 400 grams of bread and watery soup twice; a lot of the prisoners had frozen their legs and hands. There was no taking into account whether one was sick or healthy – you were still driven to work. Social life among the prisoners was good, they kept each other’s spirits up. Prisoners didn’t get any clothes; everyone went to work in the clothes they had. For those who fell ill and had frozen legs or arms were given kufayky [wadded coats].

8. [Attitude of the NKVD authorities towards Poles:]

The NKVD authorities were very hostile towards the Poles. I was interrogated multiple times by the NKVD authorities; they forced out testimonies of where I fought in 1920 and 1939, and what Polish military units they were. During searches, if there were any decorations or merits found, they’d throw them on the ground; they insulted the soldiers as much as they could. Communist propaganda was led by NKVD officers with great animation, they laughed at Poland, Polish officers and priests. They would say that there is no God, they blasphemed against Him.

9. [Describe the kind of communication you had with your family and country, if there was any?]

There was no medicine in the hospitals and poor nutrition. The fact that the doctors were Polish prisoners of war contributed greatly to the rescue of soldiers. In the hospital in Równe there were many deaths of POWs, but I had no way of getting to know their names and where they came from, because I was isolated.

10. [Describe the kind of communication you had with your family and country, if there was any?]

I had communication with my family; throughout the entire period of captivity, I received two letters from my family.

At about 4 PM on 23 June 1941, during German air raids on Lwów, the NKVD officers and boitsy [low ranking soldiers] shot dozens of Polish officers who were sheltering themselves from the falling bombs.

During the walk under escort on the route following route: Lwów – Zborów [Zboriv] – Tarnopol – Podwołoczyska [Pidvolochysk], if one of the prisoners fell from weakness, NKVD officers and fighters were shot and showered with bayonets; they did not leave any alive. On 26 June 1941, in Zborów, I saw in a camp that was built of boards by the Soviets, how there were several corpses of Polish soldiers with their heads and hands off.

Data for points 4 [name of camp, prison, place of forced labor] and 11 [when were you released and how did you make it to the army?] are provided in point 3.

Temporary station, 13 March 1943