Another Zbaszyn Kid Detained

The Zuckerman description of the German spy scare east of Warsaw may be valid for Poland as a whole during the invasion; although we, certainly I, was unaware of it. The people at the landing of the little San ferry as I got off may have been looking out for potential spies, and suspecting any stranger who was not a regular passenger. Even though I was not aware of a special anxiety, I could understand that someone who speaks German rather than Polish could be worth examining. So I went along to one of the nearby houses of the village. I got a slice of bread with lard on it, which I had never had before, and I may not even have known what it is. It was delicious at least in my state of nourishment, so I gladly agreed when asked if I wanted another. That it may be suspect to Poles who know that Jewish religious law forbids pork didn't occur to me. As I recall, all were quite relaxed, and it may already have been settled with the aid of the gymnasium student who also had learned some French that I'll come along to the nearby town, Radomysl (nad Sanem); which was done on his bicycle. On the way, when this Polish Army officer came riding by on a horse, the student yelled something to him; just a sentence or two, but the officer made a grand stop of his horse with its forelegs raised, making him present a profile Like Napoleon's in the well known Ingres painting. Without a word, he pulled his gun and started aiming at me; at which my companion quickly turned the bike around, so he would have to shoot him first and said something. The officer rode off, and we got to the Radomysl townhall.

I assume it was the town council plus an interpreter to German that assembled. It turned out that we were pretty near to Ulanow, where my mother had been born and lived until age 4 or 5, when my grandparents moved with their kids to Cologne; and only a little further from Rudnik, where her mother had been born and now lived since being allowed to leave Zbaszyn after her expulsion from Germany. I was told that an army unit going that way would take me and check there whether I was telling the truth about my family; if so, to release me and to shoot me if not.

I believe there were three privates and a corporal in charge, with one horse pulling their wagon. The corporal tried to communicate a little in a friendly sort of way.The others disregarded me. We passed through little towns of which I had heard the names in Zbaszyn; where we had lived in a house along with quite a few families from Cologne, who had interacted there because they had originated in the same area. Specifically that included Rozwadow and Nisko (The latter is on the map, but partly obscured by my cyan line, here broken to indicate parts not covered on foot). In one of these two, an air raid started as we pulled up at the market square (Rynek). The soldiers went for cover, but I was given to understand that I stay on the wagon within view or they'll shoot. At Ulanow, I was left at the town entrance sign while they confirmed that my mother had been born there, and the date I had said she had.

I was now free to continue to my parents in Dynow, but I believe I was given to understand that the German army has already taken it, that they themselves were going back. When I indicated I wanted to go to Lublin (where the kibbutz had gone), I was offered a ride on the wagon as far as they went in that direction. At an intersection with a sign pointing to Rudnik 7 km, I had a last chance to go to my grandmother and have a decent meal that day, but I stayed on the wagon, albeit for only another few km. Let me add that in the detention stage, the corporal had divided the (unimpressive) food ration into equal parts for all soldiers, then gave me half of his.