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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by a London CSV volunteer on behalf of Maksymilian Jarosz and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Early morning on the 17th of February 1941 we were woken up by loud shouting and
knocking at our front door. I looked through the window and saw our house surrounded by the Gestapo with the machine guns pointed in the direction of our windows and door.
Two SS-men came in. I still could hear their voices calling my brothers names: ”Aleksander Jarosz, Stanislaw Jarosz, Jan…., Waclaw… Czeslaw….”

Janek and Wacek came home the night before and as they were on a “Wanted List” someone possibly a Volks-Deutsche informed the Gestapo.

The SS-men ordered Janek, Wacek and my father to go to their quarters.

I was left alone because although I was 16 years old at that time I didn’t look my age. I run to the window and saw my brothers and my father being pushed and kicked. The Gestapo wanted to know the whereabouts of hidden fire arms and ammunition.

After short interrogation my father was told to go back home. He refused. He wanted his sons to come with him even if it meant a certain death for him for refusal to obey the Gestapo orders. Some Nazi “took pity” on him and threw him out.

My brothers were tortured, taken to the Gestapo headquarters in The Castle in Lublin
(infamous for it’s cruelty beyond the wildest imagination) and from there they were transported with other political prisoners to the concentration camp in Auschwitz.

According to the eye witness my brother Janek was so badly beaten that he was unable to walk He was carried on a stretcher from the truck straight to the crematorium. He had beautiful voice and used to sing in a church choir. Aware that this was his last journey, he waved Wacek goodbye and sang a song to his beloved Mother.

Wacek survived a few more months but one day during the morning counting of prisoners as a punishment for the uprisings against Germans in the Lublin area every tenth prisoner was executed. He was tenth. He cried uncontrollably standing against
“The Wall of Death”, he wanted to live so much, he was only twenty one years old.

There was no mercy in Hess’s heart. He was setting an example for his young son, who like him became accomplished shooter and murderer in the camp.

On the 22nd of May 1941 my Mother received a short note from Auschwitz which said
…”Jan Jarosz died of a heart failure”…

A month later the second letter arrived…”Waclaw Jarosz died of a heart failure”…. My world collapsed.

Chapter two: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/a5827025
Chapter four: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/a5827188

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