Wacława Chłopek
Class 6
The most memorable moment of the occupation
One day during the German occupation, when Daddy came back from work and was about to wash up, we heard shouting in the street. Not knowing what had happened, he went out into the street. Then a bunch of gendarmes ran up to Daddy, and one of them hit him with a rifle butt and, shouting in German, told him to go to the wall, face the wall and put his hands up in the air, and all the gendarmes pointed their rifle barrels at Daddy. We were all overwhelmed with despair because we thought they were going to kill him. We and Mummy started to shout and ask for mercy. Again the order was given for Daddy to walk beside the cars. They brought in a few more men. The Germans shouted at everyone gathered that they were criminals. At that time, fortunately, a car with Germans arrived and one of them was wounded. Then we understood that there had been an attack on this German and they were taking our dads because they were suspects. The wounded German approached the assembled Poles, looking at each one carefully, and announced to the senior gendarmes that the bandits who had attacked him were not here. They began to check everyone’s documents. Afterwards, they ordered us to go home. At that point, we burst into tears, but from joy. We thanked the Lord that the bandits had not killed the German, because we would not have seen Daddy again.