European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Tadeusz’s first serious action
Tadeusz’s first serious action
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The head was this socialist poet, Mr ‘Hagen’ was his pseudonym.
The head was this socialist poet, Mr ‘Hagen’ was his pseudonym.
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We called him ‘Robert’.
We called him ‘Robert’.
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I guess he was the commander of the group. So he praised me a lot and asked if I wanted to go for a real sabotage job.
I guess he was the commander of the group.
So he praised me a lot and asked if I wanted to go for a real sabotage job. -
I, naturally, said yes.
I, naturally, said yes.
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‘Then please wait for further orders.
‘Then please wait for further orders.
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And when time comes and the weather is dark enough, then we’ll do a job under the Poniatowski bridge.’
And when time comes and the weather is dark enough, then we’ll do a job under the Poniatowski bridge.’
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Later I asked my brother Jerzy what kind of action it was supposed to be.
Later I asked my brother Jerzy what kind of action it was supposed to be.
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He replied, that the Germans kept police cars and other military trucks under the bridge.
He replied, that the Germans kept police cars and other military trucks under the bridge.
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And we were supposed to set them on fire.
And we were supposed to set them on fire.
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My brother says: ‘Listen, we’ve got this unpleasant situation, I have this present for you.
My brother says: ‘Listen, we’ve got this unpleasant situation, I have this present for you.
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In case they catch you and beat the hell out of you, or they massacre you too much so you can’t stand it anymore,
In case they catch you and beat the hell out of you, or they massacre you too much so you can’t stand it anymore,
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then here is this vial, a small glass bottle…’ – it looked like an injection vial – ‘…just bite it.’
then here is this vial, a small glass bottle…’ – it looked like an injection vial – ‘…just bite it.’
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I tell him: ‘Don’t be silly, I’ll get cuts.’
I tell him: ‘Don’t be silly, I’ll get cuts.’
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And he: ‘It won’t matter to you anyway, as soon as you bite it you die.’ It was cyanide.
And he: ‘It won’t matter to you anyway, as soon as you bite it you die.’ It was cyanide.
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My task, as they later told me, was to walk along the pavement in the same way
My task, as they later told me, was to walk along the pavement in the same way
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as the watch guard did guarding those trucks.
as the watch guard did guarding those trucks.
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He was quite visible wearing a white coat.
He was quite visible wearing a white coat.
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It was October, but the Germans cared about their soldiers, they dressed them well.
It was October, but the Germans cared about their soldiers, they dressed them well.
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And this guard would mostly walk from Dobra street in the direction of the city, then to the right and back.
And this guard would mostly walk from Dobra street in the direction of the city, then to the right and back.