Lidia Markiewicz-Ziental 'Lidka' a paramedic with 'Giewont' company of 'Zoska' battalion. She fought in the Wola, Old Town, Czerniakow, and Mokotow districts.

Translation: Seweryn and Marta Makosa.

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On August 30th, ‘Andrzej Pol’1 arrived at the hospital at Dluga 7 and brought tragic news about 32 soldiers from the ‘Giewont’2, ‘Maciek’ and ‘Rudy’ companies were swamped by a bombed house at Zakroczynska 7. The Third Company of Lieutenant ‘Giewont’ practically ceased to exist; its destruction had arrived. We were left alone, without the commander, closest friends, nurses, and couriers. ‘Giewont’, our beloved commander, whom we esteemed for taking care of us and our wounded, was lying under the rubble, and we couldn’t help him.

On August 31st, after an unsuccessful attempt to break through from Old Town to City Centre the night before, the order arrived at the hospital at Dluga Street for the lightly wounded to go to the sewer manhole at Hipoteczna Street. The seriously wounded, including a group of Germans, remained in the hospital. We had to force ourselves to City Centre through the sewers. The mood among us was tragic. There was no company; the heavily wounded stayed in the hospital. Their fate was probably determined, so we went to the sewers. Before we reached Hipoteczna Street they direct us toward the Polish Bank. After 2-3 hours of rest, a different order arrived – to go to the manhole at Krasinski Square3 near Sapiezynska Street. We gathered in groups and started moving toward the square, stopping every several meters and hiding in gateways and burnt buildings so as not to become a target for the German pilots who would fire at even a single person. Civilians, with unconcealed despair, watched the retreating squads of soldiers. They asked us whether this was the end of the fight. We did not know what to answer. We comforted them by saying that we were only evacuating the wounded soldiers, but we knew that was not the truth. There was the atmosphere of a dying city. Stacks of iron, pavement blocks, and furniture and many craters all over the place.

After several hours we reached the manhole at Krasinski Square. They assembled us in a long line that seemed without end. My closest were near me: ‘Lusia’4 – nurse, ‘Kajtus’5, ‘Zenek’6, ‘Konrad II’7. We stayed close together, shaking from both exhaustion and hunger. Civilians who wanted to move with us to City Centre were pushing from all directions. People shouted, and others quietly prayed, asking God for mercy.

We receive orders to transport only the lightly wounded, that is, those who could move on their own. The heavily wounded, our brothers in arms, remained at Old Town. It was very seldom that the heavily injured were carried over. Many of the injured, who had to go in the next group or not at all because of their injuries, remained at our hospital on Dluga Street. From our company in the hospital these wounded stayed: ‘Michal’8 – Commander of a platoon II; ‘Mietek’9 – his second in command; and ‘Lot’10, ‘Stefan’11, ‘Maryna’12, ‘Zan’13, Krysia’14, ‘Renata’15 and also ‘Konrad’16 – Commander of a platoon and ‘Howerli’17 who lost his hand during a bombardment of the hospital at Miodowa Street.

Close by the manhole, German planes fired at us again. Captain ‘Barry’18 from the gendarmerie maintained order and searched the pockets of entering people in a very brutal and brusque manner, also swearing to speed up the process of entering. His behavior was met with great indignation from those entering the sewer. I was afraid to descend. The black, dark abyss horrified me. ‘Kajtus’ pushed me into the manhole by force, saving my life in this way. We descended into the the sewer in such a way that the heavly wounded walked between the healthier.. We went so far as to remove slings from our wounded and force them to pretend to be healthy. ‘Orsza’19 led the group of ‘Zoska’, and ‘Andrzej Pol’ protected them at the end. As an exception and because of 'Andrze Pol' position, 'Berry's' gendarmerie allowed him to carry one grenade. In our group walked ‘Maks’20, ‘Witold’21, ‘Konrad II’, ‘Lusia’, me and behind me, ‘Kajtus’, who encouraged us all the time.

We were seized by the cold, darkness, and silence that reigned in the sewer. It seemed as though we had found ourselves in some tombs. The shots died down, and we don’t hear the roar of the planes’ only muffled sounds of stronger explosions reached us. We formed a line and by holding the one in front of us by the belt, we started forward in complete silence. We tried to go as quietly as we could, but it was not possible. One could hear the regular splash of liquid. The water also rose higher and higher. On the way we passed a barricade made of some rubbish and logs. We passed through it with difficulty, losing ourselves. After a while we were immersed even deeper into the filth of the sewer, and then the column suddenly stopped. Someone at the front said: “Stop – does anybody know the way – is there any guide here? Pass it along.”

It appeared that during the passing through the barricade, the front of the column had detached from the rest. We waited, worn out, audibly considering our difficult situation. We could not return, and we could not exit either because there were Germans above us. One could not even sit down in the sticky, stinky grease. We leaned against the slippery walls of the sewer, which seized us with cold and disgust, as we looked for the best position to rest a bit.

There was no guide. Panic began to overwhelm us, and seconds become an eternity. After a while, ‘Swist’22 saved us. He decided to lead the column, not knowing the way at all. He only counted on his quick wits, which inspired a good mood in all of us. Staszek is huge, almost two meters tall. Because it’s was not allowed to turn on the light, ‘Swist’ determined the direction by touching the walls of the sewer. He sensed the areas wiped clean of silt by couriers and soldiers who had used this way before. At the forks of the sewer, he lit a candle for a short moment. The flame created strange impressions. Every moment we stumbled upon abandoned backpacks, blankets, and water bottles. People would get rid of their most needed things just to get out of the sewer as fast as possible.

The road seemed without end., We were completely not aware of where we were and how long we would have to walk. ‘Konrad II’, who lost his shoes during the bombing of the hospital at Miodowa Street, was barefoot. He had his feet wrapped in bandages that had already untied, so he dragged them behind him. He could pinching in his feet, and every step caused him intense pain. After leaving the sewer, it appeared that the pinches were simple tailor’s pins which had been pinching/hurting his feet.

We had to rest more often. ‘Swist’ ordered short periods of rest, and then we continued. We helped each other as best as we could. ‘Kajtus’ pulled out sugar cubes, and we tried to eat them as long as we could. We had nothing else to eat. We were both very hungry and thirsty.

In front of us was a light of an open manhole. The signal passed from one to another to order us to stop and keep absolute silence. In a moment the warning arrived: “There are Germans up there.” We had to pass singly under the manhole. Taking jumps, and everyone as fast as possible, we passed through this dangerous space. This movement caused increased splashing of the water and more noise. Someone fell, but he quickly got up and ran further. All of his face was covered with sticky grease. Everyone was immensely nervous. Had the Germans been above us, not too many would have been able to pass. We breathe much relief when this open manhole was behind us. Someone explained the situation: The manhole was near Karowa Street in the area occupied by the Germans. They had not immediately reach this place because our soldiers from Staszic Square were shooting at it.

Soon ‘Swist’ lost his sense of direction, so he looked out through the next manhole. Suddenly there were shots, and ‘Swist’ slumped heavily into the water. Luckily the Germans did not hurt him. They only shot him through the arm of his camouflage jacket. Regaining his balance he said that we were near the church of Panny Wizytki. We approached the part of the sewer that so low that we could hardly pass through bending forward a great deal. It was difficult, particularly for the injured. They were at the limit of their endurance. Admittedly, the road in front of us was short, but we passed it very slowly. The column stopped, and in spite of it all, we sat down in the sewer, lay in the sewage, and stretched our tired legs. We did not know why we had to wait so long. We begin to lose hope of ever leaving the sewer. We stopped thinking, and some fell asleep. We rested about an hour and half this way. Exchanging watches, someone kept guard. Finally, very slowly and dragging our feet, we set of once more stopping and moving again as before.

We reached our destination at last. The brightness of daylight blinded us. After five hours we left the sewer, helping the injured to climb out. Our exit was delayed by a strong fire directed at the manhole at Warecka Street and by the difficulty moving out the injured who couldn’t leave on their own.

The silence and calm of City Centre bewildered us. There were panes in the windows, and people passing on the street looked strangely, clean and neatly dressed. These people looked at us intensely and with astonishment. After heavy battles at Wola and Old Town, we were no longer accustomed to such a calm and silence. The writings on the barricades made us laugh: “Be careful – they are shooting – lean down.” The world where we found ourselves was so different that it seemed unreal.23

Awfully tired, exhausted, and wet, we cowered out of cold and hunger. It appeared that in the hospital at Wspolna 27 there were no places for our wounded. Finally a charming nurse arrived and led us to Hoza 13. We received unlimited water and one more experience... electric light. We also received clean underwear. After drinking hot natural coffee, I fell into a long sleep.

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1. Wiktor Szelinski – ‘Andrzej Pol’, Second Lieutenant, decorated with Cross of Valour.
[ medals ]

2. Wladyslaw Cieplak – ‘Giewont’, Lieutenant, decorated with Virtuti Militari, and twice with Cross of Valour.

3. Main evacuation manhole from Old Town, with the entrance through a partially protected trench. On September 2nd, after the fall of Old Town, the Germans flooded this manhole with gasoline which they then lit. Many insurgents died. The manhole also collapsed making further evacuation through the sewers practically impossible.

4. Alicja Golod-Golebiowska – ‘Lusia’. Cross of Valour. Died from the Goliath [remotely-controlled vehicle-mine] explosion on September 16th on Okrag 2.

5. Stanislaw Romanowski – ‘Kajtus’, Corporal, Cross of Valour.

6. Jerzy Trepka – ‘Zenek’ Cross of Valour. Survived.

7. Stanislaw Trepka – ‘Konrad II’, Platoon Leader. Arrested by UB [Urzad Bezpieczenstwa, Communist Secret Police] in 1949, he spent many years in prison.

8. Michal Glinka – ‘Michal’, Second Lieutenant, Cross of Valour. Survived.

9. Mieczyslaw Treutler – ‘Mietek’, Cross of Valour. Then saved. Arrested by the Germans on October 26, 1944, missing, presumed dead.

10. Andrzej Olupczynski. Died September 2nd during the bombardment of the hospital at Dluga 7.

11. Stefan Brzozy – ‘Stefan’, Cross of Valour. Died September 1st in the hospital at Dluga 7.

12. Maria Kowalska – ‘Maryna’, Cross of Valour. Died August 31st in the hospital at Dluga 7.

13. Lech Januszkiewicz – ‘Zan’. Survived.

14. Krystyna Nizynska – ‘Krysia’, nurse. Went out through the sewer with the next group of injured. Taken prisoner of war at Czerniakow, was executed at Wola on September 26.

15. Anna Rewska – ‘Renata’, twice Cross of Valour. Survived.

16. Jozef Nowocien – ‘Konrad’, Second Lieutenant, Cross of Valour. Survived. Arrested by the UB [Communist Secret Police] in January 1949, spent many years in Communist prison.

17. Stanislaw Kozicki – ‘Howerla’, Second Lieutenant. Virtuti Militari, Cross of Valour. Died August 22nd at the Polonia Stadium, during attempt to break siege of the Old Town district.

18. Wlodzimierz Kozakiewicz – ‘Barry’, Captain. Chief of Gendarmerie of the group ‘North’. Accused by many for not allowing wounded to enter the sewers, his brutality and abuses, however, praised later for bravery in battle by Colonel ‘Wachnowski’ and Second Lieutenant Zawodny – ‘Mis’.

19. Stanislaw Broniewski – ‘Orsza’. Commander of Szare Szeregi [Gray Ranks, Polish Scouting] from May 1943.

20. Ryszard Chacinski – ‘Maks’, Cross of Valour. Died from Goliath explosion September 16th at Okrag 2.

21. Jan Ernst – ‘Witold’. Cross of Valour.

22. Stanislaw Sieradzki – ‘Swist’, Sergeant, Cross of Valour. Arrested by UB [Communist Secret Police] in January of 1949, imprisoned for 8 years by Communists.