Janina Gwarek
Class 6b
Public Elementary School no. 1
Skarżysko-Kamienna
My most memorable moment from the occupation
The day dawned bright and sunny. It seemed that nothing bad would happen. The sun, as usual, began its daily journey across a sunny and clear sky. The streets were still quiet. Then, out of nowhere, a unit of military police appeared on the streets of the suburbs of Skarżysko. There was an uproar, and in the midst of this human uproar, among the volley of rifles, one word was clearly heard, which made everyone shudder: “Round-up!” That one word excited everyone who heard it…
The spurs and nails of the police’s boots clattered in the corridor. They contentedly entered the apartments and took the victims away, looking indifferently at the lamenting mothers, wives, and children. Among the swarm of victims was also my brother, a child separated from his mother. With a heavy heart, we thought that we would soon be separated and it was not known whether we would ever be able to reconnect.
Before noon, all caught people were led to freight cars. The German soldiers sealed [the wagons] and closed the openings as if they were [transporting] animals. The indifferent soldiers, laughing, drove the mother or wife away from the wagons with bayonets. The locomotive whistle blew and the train began to move. This whistle made me shudder, and a terrible pain seized my heart, as I felt that I would never see my little brother again.