For years, we drove to the squire grandma of Leokadia in Kujawy, where my household settled after being exiled from the Kres. Christmas was as joyful as God is born, but always filled with sorrow. This sadness was seen in the eyes of my parent and grandmother, who was inactive waiting for her only boy to return from the war, that she would stand at the door... as she erstwhile stood. I think that hope was full. My mother's green eyes hid the terrible war sufferings of hunger, cold, hopelessness, homelessness and fear. It was these days that affirmative emotions mixed with negative emotions, showing how complicated human experiences are. There was quite a few joy in those days due to the fact that the household was together, but the memories always came out of hidden end sorrows. We, the descendants of the Poles of the end line, have the tragedy recorded in the genes.
On December 24, 1943, God did not descend to Zasmyk. The Christmas bread of peace and heaven was not broken. The angel did not open the wings of hope for the peace and brilliance of secret holidays, he did not send back to the land of childhood to feel a miracle filled with bliss. There was not a single spark in the quiet unchangeable from which the flame of any hope of tormented people could begin. They were written to die at the hands of Ukrainian hatchets. Endorsements that no longer be and who have their graves will sit with us at the Christmas table as unannounced, but most awaited guests. The unburied will sit down, too, but they don't have the peace yet. I'm a strong person, and I know I'm gonna cry, but on this day, I can do it with impunity...
MY MOM'S REMEMBER:
“Christmas was coming, and my household was preparing to meet them in proportion to the time and circumstances in which it found itself after the Germans took out the livestock. There was poverty, many people were homeless and mentally devastated after losing their loved ones. There was a depression, but in specified realities we had to service something for a conventional dinner.
Grandma got a bag of flour from Czech Rummy, so she made a cake on bread acid, and Pragrandma in immense pots cooked dried fruit for soup with noodles. More strangers attended this Christmas supper than members of our very large Family. They sat on the pine dress, any sang carols, and others cried. They felt no harm, at least for Christmas, although older people saw signs alternatively of stars in the sky. Young people did not attach much importance to these visits. The night was quiet, like a German carol. This silence was interrupted by the noises associated with a shift in defender stations around the camp. The shepherd for safety reasons was delayed for morning hours on the first Christmas day. The singing of the carol in the church gave this service a remarkable charm, and prayers in specified circumstantial conditions were refused with the top zeal. This undoubtedly gave assurance and strengthened religion in survival. At 1 point, the sounds of a violent, defunct shooting occurred. The bullets seemed to reflect from the sheet on the roof of the church. The shooting paralyzed those praying, the first men to run out of the church, among them my grandfather.
It was the banders on Christmas Eve that grouped their forces and attacked abruptly colonies belonging to the Zasmyk defence system: Radomle, Janówka and Stanisławówka. This time they approached from the least anticipated north-west side. tiny self-defense troops were stationed in the raided colonies. The aim of the advanced attack was to destruct the base in the Zamices and adjacent defensive points.
The raided colonies from Zasmik separated a tiny forest and a meadow. Through the snowy fields, people ran with all their might to find shelter in Zasmiki. The Ukrainians were in positions suitable for each other, and in Radoml they were already killing and smoking. There was a tragedy in the morning. People were attacked with rage, an highly dangerous situation developed. The self-defense squad stationed in Zasmika immediately moved towards the shooting. Shots continued to fall behind the escapeers, and the guerrillas had already died under the first houses of Janówka. Attacked by surprise, the inhabitants of the colony did not have time to dress, many women and children rushed to Zasmyk barefoot, shocked to flee just as far as... After leaving the church, parent and her loved ones ran home, but any fear pursued them toward the Lithian forest, to its east part. erstwhile they fled that direction, they left behind the sounds of fighting.
After the first violent shooting, no 1 was able to control the panic in the Castles. There were various reports of an highly dangerous storm, about the coming ax forces, and the vast smokes that clouded the sky caused extraordinary despair. It virtually anchored, people blindly rushed to the east side of the village and into the forest. There was a tumult on the road, rolling over the wagons with the bags if individual drove into the field. They were scattered in the bushes, and no 1 asked any more questions, and in utmost fear each 1 pursued into the forest, seeking refuge and rescue. Those who lived on the side of the Rokitnica had more time, put horses in wagons or sleds and took more things. quite a few people rode cars with large ladders.
The last 1 out of the home was Prababcia, she had time to collect the sheets from the bed, tie her into the bags and throw her into the garden; she later said she was afraid of the fire, and she had children in mind, for what would they sleep under? The last 1 left the church was priest Żukowski in a coat placed on his shoulders, carrying a cup with the Most Holy Sacrament. Passing through the meadow, he turned towards the arrows and drew the sign of the cross of St. Aunt Kardaszov was on the run with the priest, carrying her small undressed daughter Alicia under her coat, but she only had time to dress the elder Christopher Robin.
In these dramatic moments, 1 of the guerrillas, a resident of Zasmik Antoni Warduliński, with the fitness of the erstwhile owlan assessed the situation and in a second cast a saddle, got a young horse and ran off in the direction of the Buyer in order to call for help. There's no telephone call yet. This partisan, thanks to whom the survivor of Zasmiki, was besides lucky, the flags shot after him in Lithyn, which they had already mastered, thus cutting him off his way from the base in Buczczów. The tracks were besides surrounded from the south, attacked from 3 sides. The main attack was assumed from the direction of the Zadibsk forest. Wardulinski as a runner drove on a horse in a lying position, regardless of the shootings behind him. The way of 12-13 km travelled within a twelve minutes. The horse he was riding fell.
Many of the inhabitants of the raided colonies attended the shepherdage, so they were at least dressed decently for this time of year. But they were apprehensive about the destiny of their families, leaving everything in a region of fire and arrows, hence a poignant lament. Many desperate people, regardless of the whistling bullets, returned to their homes, including our cousins, Czechowski with his daughter Danuta and Grodzki – a fugitive who periodically lived in the Czech Republic in Janówka. There was a wife at home with 2 small children.
That night, among another things, our cousin Stasio Grochowski served as a watchman. He came home at dawn, didn't sleep long erstwhile the first shots were fired. He ran to the station. Janówka was already surrounded, the fight continued, he was wounded. The Ukrainians caught him up with bayonets, he had 8 stab wounds, guts on top, and footprints with boots. In this condition, with many others, he was brought to the Pragrandma's home in the evening.
Self-defense facilities in neighboring colonies, subordinate to the distribution center in Zasmyki, had a circumstantial task. In this case, halt the attackers and wait for reinforcements, so they desperately defended themselves.
Meanwhile, the household stopped at the edge of the forest, and it was reported that there might inactive be a flag ambush. The troubled people, desperate, waited for any sign of a change. They were on their own direction and sense. These were disturbing and freezing moments of waiting. Fear of death drove them here into the forest, but death besides waited in the forest. The spectrum of bullying was the scariest. They never knew whether it was the end of their way or only 1 of the stages, due to the fact that the incomprehensible destiny drove them from place to place just due to the fact that they were POLAKami. And this time, my household was waiting for salvation.
In Janówka, Radomlu and Stanisławówka, farms burned with livestock. He was on a German plane, shelling the area. He flew with a bang over tired people and skipped to the Lubitian airport.
To aid the soldiers defending themselves in the colonies came with the aid of an outpost from Zielona and Wybuczów. The Company of Lt. “Kani” on the way from Kupyczów was shelled by the settlers at Lityń. In this situation, the next branch, “Luny”, was set out from the Merchant. The Lithuanian Ukrainians have retreated. Reinforced Polish forces hit the flag front, the lap was broken. The Ukrainian attack collapsed, there was a chaotic retreat in all directions.
The sound of the shooting went distant and the moods immediately changed. There were violent changes in feelings, from fear, fear, uncertainty to relief, and this thought... we will live. Joyful people came out of the woods, ran to their homes, or returned on wagons and sleds. The people at the base of the Castles survived. The refugees from the raided colonies were distraught, immediately the temper of mourning prevailed. The colonies located close Zasmyk were burned, there were respective houses left in Janówka, with our cousin Czechowski saved 1 horse, the animal ran long with a burnt ridge. Radomle was burned, in 1 home only Poles defended themselves due to the fact that they had guns. In another homes, body parts were cut off, burned alive. That's how Kowalski died. Burnt skeletons of Poles were mined under the ruins, who did not want to escape or did not make it in time.
Killed and murdered residents of close colonies were taken to Zasmyk from the battlefield. The corpse was laid in the snow under the chapel or carried into the homes. The action lasted until late hours, ended with the arrival of the day. In the darkness that night, there was a loud cry of women, mothers and girls whose loved ones died. Shocking was the painting, torn with severed body parts, punctured victims. There were quite a few them and they were delivering another one. The drama of the situation was not yet over due to the fact that the first day of Christmas was not over, the closest ones stayed far away, fought, so questions were raised as to whether they would return. It seemed the day would never end.
The victims of this attack among civilians were 48 people, including children. In addition, respective soldiers were killed, many were injured, respective were taken to the organizing infirmary in Kupniczów, most were placed in the rooms of the school. The sanitary service had its hands full and for a long time.
When they returned from the forest, people endured the coverings, Pragrandma gave the sheets; Mom helped cut them, utilized them to cover the blood. Many were in shock, any required immediate surgery, interior injuries, later complications frequently resulting in death.”
The home of Pragrandci Weronika became a shelter during the war. A shelter and aid were found here by quite a few people who escaped the flag axe. grandma was like an angel, her heart and her home were a haven for all who were in need.
