Corporal Bronisław Siwy, born on 9 February 1900, farmer, married.
I was called to war on 3 September 1939, to the 5th Supply Battalion in Sokółka. I was taken captive by the Soviets on 19 September 1939, along with others. They took us to Volozhin, where they locked us up in military barracks – 170 people in total. We were in Volozhin for nearly two days and the only food we got was four biscuits each.
On 21 September 1939, they took us to Olechnowicze station, from where we were transported by train to Kozelsk, where we suffered from cold and hunger.
After a week, they took us to Krivoy Rog, where we were forced to work.
On 23 April 1940, I was transported to the north, to the 24th Kolonne [colony] on the Ukhta River, [illegible] Oblast, where we stayed for two weeks in an open field with no roof over our heads and had to build wooden huts to protect ourselves from the rain.
When I became ill with scurvy, I had nothing to treat it with.
In May, they took me over to the 13th Kolonne, where for a week I lived with other prisoners in a field. The Russian zaklyuchennyy [prisoners] left the barracks, and after that we were taken to a lesopunkt [forest work unit] where I suffered from scurvy for two months; so until August 1940, [I had] very poor nutrition and no medical aid.
People were falling terribly ill. They died one by one.
In September 1940, I was taken to the 9th Kolonne with other prisoners, where they forced us to work in the forest. Me and other prisoners had to carry thick, heavy logs and pile them up in stacks.
Bitter frosts, ragged clothes… it was unbearable. When on Christmas of 1940, we asked to be given a day off work, the head officer of the Kolonne got all the soldiers in the Kolonne to come to the barracks [and] force people back to work.
In July, I was taken from the 9th Kolonne to Vyazniki prisoner camp, where for some time I suffered from night blindness. On 27 August 1941, I was transported from Vyazniki to Tatishchevo, where I joined the Polish army.
Although the Russians held me captive, left me exhausted, and weakened me so I could barely walk, I managed to endure and [illegible] I came back to the Polish army.