Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Henry Dorfman - August 11 & 25, 1989

Let me uh, before we go further in this, let me ask you a few more questions. You--we were talking last time uh, about where you were hiding just before the Russians came.

Uh-huh.

Um, a couple things, you said there were partisans in the area...

Uh-huh.

Did, did you work together with the partisans at all?

Yes we did. Like I say--I told you the partisans were Russian-Jewish officers.

This was not Armia--Armia Krajowa? Not the AK?

Russian, Russian Jews--officers.

Um-huh.

When the Germans attacked Russia, they took prisoners.

And these were escaped prisoners?

And they took those prisoners and brought 'em to our area because they were by the--on the Vistula they were building uh, what do you call? Bunkers to defend themselves.

Um-huh.

At that time, they, they were always preparing to have bunkers. You know like, like, like the Maginot Line. You know that's what they did uh, so they brought a lot of Russian prisoners. Between those Russian prisoners, there was a lot of Jews and those Ukrainians, those bastards, they ask, "Who's a Jew?" And the Germans ask, nobody said nothing but they, they pinpointed who were Jews. A lot of 'em--those officers, if they had names what, what, what the Germans had on the list, they killed 'em right away. And a lot of 'em--they shot them right away and a lot of them which, they weren't sure, they put them over there in barracks, you know and they were going to work. Those escaped around because the f...there was a forest, a big forest you, know, those escaped--they escaped into that forest and we used to go in with my father. Actually, you know used to go in a lot of times we used to run into the forest if we heard something is going on in the area--the Gestapo or the--or the uh, they looking uh, you know around in those houses in and going around they hear some partisans are hidden here, whatever you know. They were makin' uh, checks and so far so we used to go and we met those--and we met--my father met him and then--then he--which--I don't know if it was mistake or not but listen, he got acquainted with him and he told him where we are. So they used to come sometimes, once a month once in two weeks to come, to come to take bathes--showers, you know, sh...there were no showers but, but you know, we had over there a pond, what is it, they come to wash up. So far and we were in touch with them, you know. Listen, we didn't go out and look for any uh, the only thing we did, they were in contact, they had, they had some equipment eh, they were in touch--which they didn't tell us who they are in touch with or whatever. And they--and we knew what was going on. How uh, Mr. Roosevelt uh, President Roosevelt was rejecting uh, boats and the Jews coming in and, and, and how England and America did not really wanna help anything uh, to, um.

To rescue Jews?

To rescue Jews.