Zygmunt Adamus
Class 5
Public Primary School in Maziarze [Stare]
District of Iłża
My most memorable moment from the of occupation
On 11 January 1945, the Germans invaded our village and took a few men. The German soldiers from our village, who were in quarters, went to another village at dawn in order to take more men. They encircled our settlement [when] it was still dark. I was sleeping in bed, when a neighbor came to us and warned my dad. Quickly, I put on the clothes, that I wore during the working day, and ran out to the doorway. In the neighbor’s house German voices could be heard, on the road there was a group of peasants and next to them the Nazis. I waited for what was going to happen in our house. Dad went out somewhere and only uncle stayed. When [the Germans] entered [our house], they checked uncle’s documents and took him with them. I didn’t see my dad in that troop. I stood by the window and looked at the street. It was lively and teeming on the street. Then I helped mum with packing food for uncle. In the yard I cleared snow from the paths, gave clover to the rabbits. I remember it all as if it were yesterday. But I don’t know why I still think about that day. When the peasants were going to the city, women and children were crying and wailing. Dad survived, because he had hidden well. It was on Thursday. Early in the morning on Friday the army left our village. They stopped in the forest. It was calm in our village on Friday and on Saturday, only from time to time the Germans were driving around the village. On Sunday the sounds of cannons could be heard from morning till noon. The next day in the evening the army came to our village again. Everyone was scared. They laid out the telephone cable. Throughout the whole evening, cars were driving on the road. In the evening, when I went out, I heard machine gun shots. During the whole night dad and the neighbor watched over us, and even over those families in which there were no fathers. I couldn’t sleep, I was anxious. In the morning, when I woke up, I went to the tailor’s to get some material for clothes. All of us packed up [later] because of the displacement. At noon the Red Army occupied our village. The planes were circling. The Russians walked and walked endlessly. Then they were leading the German captives. Clouds of smoke could be seen from the direction of Iłża. Later everyone was joyful, as if they had been released from prison. Crashes could be heard farther and farther away. We have been set free from the horrible nightmare.