1. Personal details (name, surname, rank, age, occupation and marital status):
Cannoneer Majer Leiner, 26 years old, baker’s assistant.
2. Date and circumstances of arrest:
Arrested by the Soviet authorities on 25 November 1939 at the German-Soviet border while attempting to cross.
Until 31 August 1939, I was active in the 67 Mounted Artillery Division in Stanisławów. On 1 September, the 67 Mounted Artillery Division left Stanisławów and was transferred to Tarnobrzeg. From there, we withdrew to Zamość and in the battle of Tarnobrzeg I was taken prisoner by the Germans, from where I escaped and crossed the border as [I wrote] above.
3. Name of the camp, prison or place of forced labor:
From 25 November 1939 until 28 March 1940, I was a prison in Sambor, from where I was sent to Voroshilovgrad, where I underwent interrogation. From there I was sent to Starobelsk, where I was sentenced to 5 years’ hard labor and was sent to a prison in Kharkov. On 2 September 1940, I was sent to a gulag in Komi ASSR.
4. Description of the camp, prison:
Forests, swamps. Buildings: barracks. Housing conditions bad.
5. The composition of prisoners, prisoners of war, deportees:
Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Uzbeks, Kazakhs. For theft, or crossing the border. Average intelligence. Bad relations between the Poles and the above-mentioned.
6. Life in the camp, prison:
Construction of roads in forests. Bad working conditions. 100% quota. Payment for work in the form of food and accommodation.
7. Conduct of the NKVD towards the Poles:
Bad, telling the Poles that they would no longer see Poland, etc.
8. Medical assistance, hospitals, mortality rate:
Good medical assistance. High mortality.
9. Was there any communication with homeland and family? If so, how was it?
One time I received a telegram from my brother in Poland.
10. When were you released and how did you join the army?
Released on 20 September 1941 in Chibyu [Ukhta] (Komi ASRR). On 4 April 1842, I joined the Polish Army and I was assigned to the 8th Light Artillery Division.