Class 5
Primary school in Nakory
The retreat of the Germans from our village
In July 1944, the German forces approached our village as they retreated from the advancing Polish and Russian soldiers. We often received news that was alternately sad and joyful. On the way, the Germans robbed and burned villages and towns which sent up a glow for whole days and nights. The occupiers reached the village of HoĊubla, marking their trail with murder and inferno. I trembled at the sight of the terrible perpetrators, but I concealed a great hope in my heart because I knew that their vainglory and pride would no longer defile the lands of our fathers and murder Polish people.
Sitting in a shelter, I heard the constant booming of guns, the roaring of planes and the thunder of bombs. We spent the most dangerous moments in the trenches, but rain poured down later and we had to move to the house. Towards the end, to our great terror, an enemy vehicle drove into our yard and stopped. The Germans took an artillery gun from it and aimed it in the direction of the advancing Russians. I was sure that they would stay there and shoot at their enemies and destroy our village at the same time. It happened differently. The commander having looked around gave an order to the soldiers and they withdrew from our yard. Not long after the Polish-Russian army came and we welcomed them with joy.