GErman Sign
This sign shows that when German invaded, they completely took over Poland. The sign translates to "playground Only For German Children," The Germans moved into to Poland and even reserved certain spots for themselves and their familes.
I was terrified and what is more the sight and smell of corpses filled me
with such revulsion that I lost all appetite. In general, men controlled their
fears better than the women who often became hysterical. The exception was my
mother who behaved calmly and explained that I have to eat, because otherwise I
will feel even worse. Father and Przem betrayed no fear. As for other boys, the
younger ones cried and the older often fell into extremes of behavior, either
bravura or panic.
-Tomir H. Balut
“ There were no crowds shouting Heil Hitler . . . people were scared of the future ”
~Albert Speer on Berlin after the attack on Poland
In the News
The news of war spread around the world. "Britain and France declare war upon
Hitler" becomes the headline in the The Calgary Herald on September 3rd 1939.
This shows the news of war was spreading around the world. The start of World
War II has offically been declared and would last for 6 years.
Left- The New York Times also has news of war.
"It is of the utmost importance that the people of this country, with the best
information in the world, think things through."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt said during a radio brodcast during the Invasion
Hitler" becomes the headline in the The Calgary Herald on September 3rd 1939.
This shows the news of war was spreading around the world. The start of World
War II has offically been declared and would last for 6 years.
Left- The New York Times also has news of war.
"It is of the utmost importance that the people of this country, with the best
information in the world, think things through."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt said during a radio brodcast during the Invasion
September 1939 was a nightmarish experience. I was barely 12 years old but in
the first month of the war I saw more corpses, of people and horses, than in the
remaining six years. The bodies, blown apart, were a horrible sight. They were
swollen and exuded an awful stench since there was no time to bury them and the
weather was hot. To this day I am hunted by memory of human corpses hanging from
telegraph wires after an explosion, bodies being crushed under the wheels of wagons, some solder’s
head in helmet rolling down the street, and so on. People and horses died in
front of my eyes. We were frequently exposed to the danger of bombardment from
the air or by artillery, and from machine gun fire from the air and ground.
Sometimes I would hear the whistle of a single bullet of a rifle, coming from
who knows where.
It all started so seemingly “innocently”. On the first of September (and the
rest of the month) the weather was beautiful. Somewhere in a distance we could
hear airplanes and single bursts of bombs. Anti-aircraft artillery was heard
coming from one of the suburbs of Bydgoszcz; this creating a feeling of security
and the bursting shells left pretty puffs in the sky. We were moved by the radio
speech given by the president of Poland and heard some coded messages, which
usually began with words “attention, attention the following…”. Personnel of the
military affairs office of the railway were instructed to leave with their
families for Chelm, to east of Lublin.
-Tomir H. Balut