European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Lipejs tasks, provision of food supplies

First I was allocated to the couriers, the news unit for a while.

Later I was with the sabotage units. We blew up bridges and telephone masts.

Afterwards I was in a battalion with 300 men.

That was slightly different.

When a few men came,

because of the food there were no problems.

Once 200/300 people are together it was problematic with the food.

Some was given to us by the people, some was bought, and some was taken -

well, the way every military, unfortunately, does it.

But we only took from those against us, against the partisans.

Otherwise it was voluntarily and paid.

After the war they handed in and exchanged their vouchers for livestock.

We were glad the war was over and we had survived.

Motivation; problems of the partisans

With the partisans life was slightly different.

Nowadays you say:

“Not everybody had the opportunity to join them.”

Many would have had an opportunity but didn’t risk it.

I was not fit to work for the front any more.