Bronisława Szumla
Class 5
Łańcuchów, 8 June 1946
My wartime experiences
The Germans not only beat and shot at soldiers, but also killed, tortured and tormented innocent, defenseless people. So many perished at their wicked hands!! So many orphans, widows, and mothers grieving the loss of their children were left.
I too became an orphan. On 27 March 1944, the Germans killed my dad and my only brother. We weren’t expecting anything bad to happen. In the evening, dad and brother were quietly peeling potatoes for the factory. Mom came from the barn with the news that the Germans were taking our neighbor’s cows. We grew anxious. They came to us and took our two cows.
My brother went out after a while to see what was going on. A moment later dad went out to get my brother, saying that he would lock the gate and come back with Włodzimierz. My mom and I waited for them in great fear. We waited all night. The next day we saw their dead bodies. Before they had died, they must have suffered a lot because they had bruises. Dad’s arm was broken and my brother’s eye was knocked out. Strangers cried at this sight. My mom, sister and I will not forget [it] to the end of our lives.