Description
Object description
Polish civilian student in Poland, 1939-1940; deportee from Poland to Soviet Union, 4/1940-12/1941; private served with 10th Infantry Div, Polish Armed Forces in Soviet Union, 1/1942-4/1942
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Lwów and Tarnopol, Poland, 1922-1939: family; education. Recollections of period as student in Poland, 1939-1940: reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 1/9/1939; exodus of Poles into Romania, 9/1939; degree of military training he had received as student; decision to escape to Romania, 16/9/1939; how Soviet Army invaded Poland prior to his setting off for Romania, 17/9/1939; orders for his police officer father to escape to Romania, 17/9/1939; sight of skirmish between Polish Army infantry and Soviet Army tanks; amusing story of how his dog would not take food from Soviet Army troops; aid given by Polish civilians to Polish prisoners of war, 9/1939.
REEL 2 Continues: return of his father; changes in education introduced by Soviet authorities, 10/1939; arrest and release of his father; second arrest of his father, 3/1940. Recollections of deportation from Poland to Soviet Union, 1940-1942: arrival of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) to deport family, 13/4/1940; demonstration of deportees for water to drink on train; singing of patriotic songs on leaving Poland; stop for rations at Kharkov; toilet available on train; presence of judge's wife on train.
REEL 3 Continues: arrival in Novosibirsk, 1/5/1940; diversion of train southwards through Semipalatinsk; detraining after three week journey in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, 3/5/1940; first encounter with Kazahks, 3/5/1940; lorry journey onto steppe, 5/1940; accommodation in farm barn and sources of fuel; start of work on state farm; learning to plough the steppe; reaction of Russian worker to his account of life in Poland.
REEL 4 Continues: transfer of Polish workers from state farm to collective farm, summer 1940; friendship with Russian diary maids; bee keeping activities; construction of strategic road on Chinese frontier; accusations of sabotage when Polish labourers failed to achieve normal working quota for digging trenches; quality of road builders diet; question of how normal working quota system resulted in wasted labour; failure of work carried out by Poles; impossibility of reaching haymaking quota; ways of cheating normal working quota; trials of living conditions on farm; occupation of houses of those sent to gulag prison camps; payment in wheat for work.
REEL 5 Continues: overworking of oxen on collective farms; methods oxen and farm horses had of resisting farmworkers; arrival of first snows, 10/1940; problems collecting winter fuel in snow; food supply during winter; special effort made by Polish women for Christmas, 25/12/1940; collapse of work-horse from overwork, spring 1941; discovery that his horse had be starved because of corruption of boss; interruption in supply of parcels and mail from Poland.
REEL 6 Continues: how he was cheated of his wages, 5/1941; living on boiled nettles for three weeks, 5/1941; court appearance over being cheated of wages, 5/1941; first news of German invasion of Soviet Union, 22/6/1941; obtaining brick making work at Bolshaya Ballkon, 7/1941-8/1941; decision to join Polish Armed Forces in the East forming in Soviet Union, 8/1941; attempts to find out what happened to his father, 8/1941; work on grain harvest, 9/1941; presence of deported Volga Germans in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
REEL 7 Continues: relationship with Kazahk colleague, autumn, 1941; first snow falls, winter 1941-1942; stealing grain for family, late 1941; delivery of cattle to Tartar collective farm; life on Tartar collective farm; effects of wind known as 'Buran'; survival during the 'Buran'; hopes for traditional Polish Christmas Eve during journey across snowy steppe, 24/12/1941.
REEL 8 Continues: narrow escape from wolves, 24/12/1941; arrival back at Kazahk collective farm, 24/12/1941; participation in Tartar feast on their collective farm, 12/1941; contrast between Tartars and Kazahks; quality of Christmas fayre, 12/1941; threshing work carried out on collective farm; description of sauna system on collective farm.
REEL 9 Continues: change in attitude of Soviet officials after German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941. Recollections of period as private with 10th Polish Infantry Div, Polish Armed Forces in the East in Soviet Union and Iran, 1/1942-4/1942: medical examination for enlistment in Polish Armed Forces in the East, 1/1942; desperation to be declared A1 for military service; taking leave of families on collective farm; train journey southwards; arrival at Alma-Ata; delousing at Alma-Ata.
REEL 10 Continues: arrival at depot for 10th Polish Infantry Div at Lugovoy; allocation to heavy machine gun company at Lugovoy; reaction to issue of British uniforms; reaction to news that unit was to leave Soviet Union, 3/1942; death rate amongst Polish troops at Lugovoy, 3/1942; singing of Polish national anthem on train leaving Lugovoy; processing of Polish troops at Krasnovodsk on Caspian Sea, Soviet Union; voyage across Caspian Sea to Iran; reaction to arrival in Iran and plentiful food supply; arrival in camp at Pahlevi, Iran; use of first pay to buy food, 4/1942.
REEL 11 Continues: foods he purchased in Pahlevi, Iran, 4/1942; celebration of Easter by Poles in Pahlevi, Iran, 4/1942; recovery of physical strength; fate of his family members left behind in Soviet Union.