On 24 November 1947 in Radom, the District Commission for the Investigation of GermanCrimes with its seat in Radom, this in the person of a member of the Commission, lawyerZygmunt Glogier, interviewed the person mentioned hereunder as a witness, without takingan oath. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, thewitness testified as follows:
Name and surname | Władysław Blinstrub |
Age | 55 |
Parents’ names | Hipolit and Wanda née Groszkowska |
Place of Residence | Firlej |
Occupation | clerk |
Criminal record | none |
Relationship to the parties | none |
I lived in Firlej throughout the period of occupation and all executions took place literally right in front of my eyes.
The first time I noticed them bring a dead person was on 3 April 1940. He was buried in the sands in Firlej. The dead body was brought from the direction of Radom by individuals wearing German uniforms. On 4 April 1940, at 4.00 in the morning, I was woken up by someone banging on my window. I got up and opened the door. I saw about ten soldiers with zigzags on their collars, who demanded shovels. When they got them, they went over a hill. At 10.00 I saw a returning military unit of around 40 men, carrying shovels in their arms.
At around 12.00 a huge bus pulled over by the school in Firlej and 40 men came out, with helmets, green uniforms, and rifles. Some of them stayed in Firley, standing guard and not allowing to leave, others set off for piaski. 30 minutes after the bus arrived, four huge black trucks showed up, escorted by motorcyclists in helmets and green uniforms, coming from Radom towards piaski in Firlej. Watching the vehicles, we noticed that some people were discharged from them and led deeper into the premises. Having discharged the group, the trucks went off towards Radom. After a while we heard the firing of rifle volleys.
On that day, vehicles loaded with people arrived in Firlej from the Radom side without a break from 12.00 to 6.00 p.m. My son counted them – the number was 240. That was the first execution. We learned later that they were the arrested people from near Chlewiska.
From that day on there wasn’t a week without a larger or smaller group being brought from the direction of Radom to be executed. They brought individuals, pairs, or dozens and more. I remember that after the arrest at Tytoniowa in Radom, a group of several dozen people was brought and executed in Firlej. Then more than a dozen arrested people from LHD [Luftschutz- und Hilfsdienst] were shot there. At this time, they would be brought by the Gestapo and gendarmerie. I would estimate the number of those executed to be around 14,000.
The executions ceased just before the Bolsheviks entered. I know that the Germans would cremate the bodies of those whom they had murdered.
I know that by the end of 1943, a large number of people were brought to Obozisko. They were led into a huge ditch and killed with grenades. Then the bodies were brought to Firlej. Supposedly, the Gestapo did that.
I know that all the people hanged in Radom were also brought to and buried in Firlej.
I hereabove testified.
The report was read out.