extracts
On the very next day gangs of Ukrainians from the local village started their ravaging. Abusive and threatening, they came in large groups searching for whatever they could lay their hands on. They would slam father against the wall, put a revolver to his head and, in their own language, spit out obscene names, directed at my father, mother, us children, Poles and Poland. This reign of terror lasted about two weeks. We were afraid for our lives, because there were abundant stories of Poles being murdered all around us. To escape the worst by night, we hid in fields, ditches or gardens; but, by hindsight, it's clear that at that time they were still afraid to resort to out-and-out murder so, except for threats and claims, they did nothing to us. For us the next very important event was father's arrest and trial by the Ukrainian committee of the local village. During this trial the official prosecutor reproached father with many things, while the rest of the village community sat in silence, not one of them showing sufficient courage to speak in his defence. Only at the eleventh hour, just as the sentence was to be pronounced, did one Ukrainian get on his feet and offer his defending opinion. This won over the judges and father was released to come home.
Time of Fear
BOLESLAW STEPNIEWSKI
Osada Pruski, District Zdolbunow