European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Demobilisation; civil life starts

Eventually the day came that I was to be demobilized.

I received 5000 dinars; that was a lot of money at the time.

When I left the office of Sekulic, he took hold of my epaulettes, tore them off and stomped on them.

These two stars, I had two on each shoulder because I was a second lieutenant, I still have them today.

That’s how I was demobilized, in the end of november.

I got home and immediately I became a secretary for the Liberation Front (LF).

The LF was set up then without districts. There were just the LF’s, they had the power.

There was this man who was the president of it and he was also a Partisan.

I was doing woodwork for my father and this policeman comes into the workshop and asks if I’m so-and-so.

I said that I’m Srcnik. He tells me to go with him. I ask where?

He says you’re coming. So we went out into the road.

Another policeman is ushering the LF president.

I asked what was going on, what did we do? Continue! You’re not permitted to speak! So we went on…

Anyway, so we came to this bridge and he said that we’re going to that house. Why? Don’t ask, let’s just go.

So we get to that house and a car drives up; it was a German Volkswagen and there were two people inside.

I don’t remember whether they were dressed as civilians or not. One of the two entered, while the other stayed outside in the car.

He gave the cue to the two policemen that we should go inside. An examination followed.

I won’t go into what was found. That’s how this civilian life began.