JERZY LIS

1. Personal details (name, surname, rank, age, occupation and marital status):

Cannoneer Jerzy Lis, born in 1923, secondary school student, bachelor.

2. Date and circumstances of arrest:

On 13 April 1940 at 2:00 a.m., two NKVD men, one soldier and one civilian railwayman came into my home; they conducted a search and took me to the train.

3. Name of the camp (prison, place of forced labor):

Novobratsk village, Akmola Oblast.

4. Description of the camp, prison:

The village was located on a steppe in Kazakhstan. Housing conditions were very poor— there were often more than 12 people of different age and gender living in one small room. We tried our best to keep order and cleanliness.

5. Composition of prisoners-of-war, prisoners and deportees:

The deportees to this village were mostly Poles, who accounted for 80%. The rest were peasants from the countryside who often cited their nationality as Polish, sometimes Belarusian. The level of intelligence was quite high, with a significant percentage of people being from the intelligentsia. Relations between deportees were good, helping each other as much as possible.

6. Life in the camp, prison:

Immediately after arriving at the destination, we were sent to the field. However, after some time the women withdrew due to the hard work and terrible living conditions. In one such shed 30 people slept (the building measured 80 m2), poor food, clothes were neither provided nor could be bought. The women survived by selling things.

7. Conduct of the NKVD towards the Poles:

The NKVD authorities behaved towards us with extreme suspicion and hostility. Interrogations were carried out very often, with almost the same questions being constantly asked. They tried to convince us at every step about the validity of communism and its principles, and anti-religious propaganda was strongly promoted. They attempted to undermine Poland, recent incidents being presented in the light of false documents. ‘You will never return to Poland, because it will no longer exist.’

8. Medical assistance, hospitals, mortality rate:

Medical assistance was very poor, lack of medical supplies. However, our people used the hospital facilities when necessary. Mortality was not very high, from 27 April 1940 to 1 February 1942 four people died in the village, including two children. The names of the deceased: Zofia Cacaj, Piwień and some children under the age of three: Erhardt H. Praczyczyński.

9. Was there any communication with homeland and family? If so, how was it?

I kept up regular correspondence with my family back home. With my father, who was in prison, only until February 1940.

10. When were you released and how did you join the army?

I was released on 1 September 1941. I came to the army through an oblast representative, which cooperated with the Soviet authorities. Before that, I had written an application for admission to the army as a volunteer for the Polish Military Mission.