Class V
Łączna, 12 November 1946
What the mass graves tell us
During the occupation, the Germans terribly persecuted the Polish youth. Chased by the enemy’s army, they sought shelter in the dense forests. The Germans called them partisans and made every effort to seek them out in the forests.
The village of Kaczka in the district of Kielce is surrounded by a forest on all sides. The partisans stayed there frequently as they felt safe there. But someone betrayed their hideout and the gendarmes organized a sweep. They were helped by planes. Attacked, the partisans decided to defend themselves. Shooting broke out. 125 gendarmes died. The partisans managed to withdraw, leaving 12 killed and one woman.
The Germans did not allow them to have a Christian burial; instead, they dug a large hole into which they threw all the bodies. They leveled the ground so as to make it impossible to find where they had been interred. Nevertheless, we all knew where the young heroes – who had given their lives for their homeland – were buried. Following the liberation, their bodies were exhumed and the families were finally able to find their loved ones. Those who placed the bodies in caskets before taking them to the local cemetery were accompanied by terrible cries and groans.