ANDRZEJ JEMCZYK

1. Personal data:

Gunner Andrzej Jemczyk, 24 years old, farmer, marital status: unmarried; field mail no. 161.

2. Dates and circumstances of arrest:

On 6 November 1940, I was arrested in Jarosław district and deported beyond Pechora River to a labor camp from there.

3. Name of the camp, prison, forced labor site:

Pechora lager, 13th unit, 9th settlement, forced earthworks.

4. Description of the camp, prison, etc. (terrain, buildings, living conditions, hygiene):

There were few Poles in the settlement. Living conditions were extremely poor, such that a portion of bread would freeze over.

5. Composition of POWs, prisoners (nationality, offense category, moral and intellectual standing, mutual relations, etc.):

Mostly the intelligentsia among Poles. Mutual relations with Russians were terrible.

6. Life in the camp etc. (daily routine, working conditions, quotas, salary, food rations, clothing, social and cultural life):

Work started at 6 a.m. [and lasted] until 6 p.m. Had a prisoner not filled the quota, he would have sat [illegible] as a punishment. Working conditions were very hard. The salary was as low as 140 kopecks a month. When it comes to clothing, some people would get it, but only udarniks.

7. NKVD’s attitude towards Poles (methods of interrogation, torturing, punishments, communist propaganda, information about Poland, etc.):

I was a prisoner who had committed no crime, but still I was kicked and beaten (with iron rods) without any reasons provided. The method of interrogation was to coerce [a confession] to something one hadn’t done by threats of various punishments or even death. Interrogations were only taking place at night.

8. Medical care, hospitals, mortality (list names of the deceased):

Deaths known to me: Błażejowski (an attorney from Lwów) died in the prison (Chersoń).

10. When were you released and how did you manage to get into the army?

I was released on 14 September 1941 from Pechora. Then I came to Totskoye with a special transport for the military on 22 September 1941.

Official stamp, 17 March 1943