Description
Object description
Polish civilian in Warsaw and Płońsk, Poland, 9/1939-1/1944; member of National Armed Forces (NSZ), Home Army (Armia Krajowa) in Warsaw, Poland, 1/1944-9/1944; prisoner of war in Germany, 1944-1945.
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Płock and Warsaw, GB, 1924-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in Warsaw, Poland, 9/1939: reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 1/9/1939; atmosphere in Warsaw, 3/9/1939; gas attack scare; move of family out of Warsaw; return to Warsaw after Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland; damage to family home. Aspects of period as civilian living in Płońsk, Poland, 10/1939-1/1944: reasons for move to Płońsk; incorporation of area into German General Government; grow of Polish Resistance groups and joining Wawer Group; arrest by Germans, 11/1943; arrest of mother for buying black market meat. Recollections of operations as member of National Armed Forces (NSZ), Home Army (Armia Krajowa) in Warsaw, Poland, 1/1944-8/1944: escape to Warsaw under false identity; reasons for joining National Armed Forces (NSZ) organisation, 1/1944; question of political allegiances and attitude towards Jews serving with organisation.
REEL 2 Continues: desire to take an active role against the German forces; name and role of his unit as bodyguard for headquarters; problems of acting as bodyguard; raiding German run companies to raise resources for organisation; story of raid on Town Hall pawnshop in Theatre Square; type of weapons organisation wanted to obtain; organisation rules about capturing arms from German forces; technique for disarming Germans; development of techniques by experience rather than training; attack on two Germans Army soldiers, 30/7/1944.
REEL 3 Continues: outcome of operation to obtain arms from German Army troops, 30/7/1944. Recollections of operations with National Armed Forces (NSZ), Home Army (Armia Krajowa) during Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw, Poland, 8/1944-9/1944: reasons for his groups opposition to Warsaw Uprising; start of Warsaw Uprising, 1/8/1944; first contact with Home Army (Armia Krajowa) representative, 1/8/1944; use of pseudonym 'Mazur'; arms his group held; crucial nature of the first few hours of the uprising; importance of armbands; arms he received, 1/8/1944; National Armed Forces (NSZ) analysis of strategy of uprising; lack of anti-tank weapons and ammunition.
REEL 4 Continues: comments on the Warsaw Uprising and Warsaw Ghetto Rising in 1943; question of political situation in Warsaw, 1944; question of the timing of Warsaw Urising; scale of Polish losses in Second World War; story of transporting machine gun and five pistols into Wola District of Warsaw.
REEL 5 Continues: use of fire engine to transport weapons through German check point; plan to storm post-office on Napoleon Square with friend Jerzy Rutkowski; attempts to smash hole in wall around post office; capture of first floor of post office; under fire from Polish Home Army firing from Prudential Building; surrender of Germans in post office; attempt to obtain German Army rifle; his first meeting with Dr Ochocki, 2/8/1944; women who thanked the Madonna for Warsaw's liberation, 2/8/1944; move to Wola District, 4/8/1944; death of fellow insurgent attacking Germans positions in ruins of Warsaw Ghetto; German offensive to link-up with their forces in Praga District.
REEL 6 Continues: shortage of ammunition amongst insurgents; location of headquarters; German forces use of Polish human shield; problems of determining location in ruins; fighting in Wronie Street area; attempt to provoke German forces' fire in front of barricade; wounding by grenade; use of cellars for movement; power supply available to Home Army (Armia Krajowa); X-ray facilities in Home Army (Armia Krajowa) hospital; operation he had to remove grenade fragments; return to company headquarters; destruction of building housing hospital; duties at company headquarters.
REEL 7 Continues: quenching thirst with half-fermented wine; mission to Old Town. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf, Germany, 10/1944-1/1945: removal to Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf; donation of cigarettes from British prisoners of war to Polish Home Army prisoners od war; evacuation of prisoners of war from Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf, 1/1945; impressions of Benghazi Cooker used by British prisoners of war; ineffectiveness of British prisoners of war Union Jack signs to ward of Soviet Air Force aircraft. Aspects of prisoner of war march into Germany and Austria, 1/1945-4/1945: argument with German guard leading column eastward; background to leaving column; further evacuations westwards; importance of Swiss Red Cross parcels; march past Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria; disarming German Army and Royal Hungarian Army guards; accepting surrender of German Army senior officer; making his way to Paris, France. Aspects of period as civilian in Poland, 10/1939-1/1944: German Army soldiers who sold arms to Home Army (Armia Krajowa); German officials who took bribes.
REEL 8 Continues: story of smuggling underground newspaper to Płońsk; problems of obtaining train ticket to Warsaw at Nasielsk; aid he received from Gestapo to board train at Nasielsk; handling challenge from rail guard.
