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Book: The Remnant - Stories of the Jewish Resistance in WWII by Othniel J. Seiden
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Authors: Othniel J. Seiden
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them, but in time they stopped. They'd come to find it entertaining to watch the starving men fight each other to get at the food. Often one would kill another for a small morsel. It was one of the few times anyone in the camp showed signs of life.
It was along this section of fence that Yorgi thought he might find a few comrades still interested in and capable of escape. He also knew he would probably have to join that scramble for food to maintain his strength.
There were no buildings in the compound. Men slept, relieved themselves, lived and died wherever they happened to be at the time. There were a few trees, but their bark had been picked off as high as men could climb-picked off to be eaten. Starvation was everywhere. Here and there Yorgi saw men chewing leather belts and shoes. Men picked lice from their own bodies and popped them into their mouths. If a mouse or rat or squirrel or rabbit happened into Darnitsa, it would be captured instantly and eaten raw-bones, entrails, skin, all-but not before it had caused a near riot. It was so entertaining that often the Germans would catch them and throw them in. Even stray cats and small dogs had been thrown in, but now there were few of them left because the starvation in the city had made them a delicacy there, also. It was commonplace for those who died during the night to be discovered in the mornings with areas eaten out of them by starving humans.
Disease was rampant, especially dysentery. The smell of urine and excrement was everywhere. A rubbish heap was near the German military kitchen where they threw their garbage into the compound. Here, also, there were always a large number of prisoners rummaging through the refuse, picking out anything edible. Onion and potato peels, apple cores orange rind-delicacies all-could be found. "Slop to the pigs!" the Germans laughed.
Yorgi continued his walk. At the back of the compound, an area was fenced off and under guard. Inside the wires were building materials. The Germans planned to build barracks in which to keep some of the healthier prisoners. They would be worked while they still had some strength left. But the work programs would come too late for Yorgi. If he stayed in Darnitsa he would be dead long before the program began.
He continued around until he was back in the approximate area from where he'd started. After dark he made another round of the camp to see what the nighttime security was like. Also, at that time he'd knew he'd find a pair of shoes.
He lay down and went to sleep.
----
Yorgi slept longer than he'd intended. When he awakened, a quarter moon hung high in the sky, but a layer of clouds diminished its light. Without sitting up, Yorgi carefully looked about, scanning the camp while his eyes got used to the darkness. There was no movement, only a few moans and snores could be heard.
Several searchlights intermittently swept the entire compound, but they covered it sloppily. Yorgi correctly assumed that the night guards were as bored, probably more bored with their work as were those on the daytime shifts. In addition, they had sleep to fight, a more difficult fight than they'd expect from these prisoners.
Quietly, he got to his feet and started around the compound. As a sweep of a floodlight approached him, he'd lie down and feign sleep until it passed, then get up and go on. An important difference between the day and the night was that now each watchtower was manned by armed Germans. Each had a light and swept the area between the two lines of barbed wire.
Slowly, carefully, he continued on until he reached the area of the building materials. Not many prisoners were sleeping in that area. Three German guards were stationed inside the wire around the supplies. Yorgi lay down so he could study the area a little longer in safety. One of the lights swept over him without pause and went on. Now Yorgi focused his attention on the lights from the towers sweeping between the two lines of barbed wire
It was along this section of fence that Yorgi thought he might find a few comrades still interested in and capable of escape. He also knew he would probably have to join that scramble for food to maintain his strength.
There were no buildings in the compound. Men slept, relieved themselves, lived and died wherever they happened to be at the time. There were a few trees, but their bark had been picked off as high as men could climb-picked off to be eaten. Starvation was everywhere. Here and there Yorgi saw men chewing leather belts and shoes. Men picked lice from their own bodies and popped them into their mouths. If a mouse or rat or squirrel or rabbit happened into Darnitsa, it would be captured instantly and eaten raw-bones, entrails, skin, all-but not before it had caused a near riot. It was so entertaining that often the Germans would catch them and throw them in. Even stray cats and small dogs had been thrown in, but now there were few of them left because the starvation in the city had made them a delicacy there, also. It was commonplace for those who died during the night to be discovered in the mornings with areas eaten out of them by starving humans.
Disease was rampant, especially dysentery. The smell of urine and excrement was everywhere. A rubbish heap was near the German military kitchen where they threw their garbage into the compound. Here, also, there were always a large number of prisoners rummaging through the refuse, picking out anything edible. Onion and potato peels, apple cores orange rind-delicacies all-could be found. "Slop to the pigs!" the Germans laughed.
Yorgi continued his walk. At the back of the compound, an area was fenced off and under guard. Inside the wires were building materials. The Germans planned to build barracks in which to keep some of the healthier prisoners. They would be worked while they still had some strength left. But the work programs would come too late for Yorgi. If he stayed in Darnitsa he would be dead long before the program began.
He continued around until he was back in the approximate area from where he'd started. After dark he made another round of the camp to see what the nighttime security was like. Also, at that time he'd knew he'd find a pair of shoes.
He lay down and went to sleep.
----
Yorgi slept longer than he'd intended. When he awakened, a quarter moon hung high in the sky, but a layer of clouds diminished its light. Without sitting up, Yorgi carefully looked about, scanning the camp while his eyes got used to the darkness. There was no movement, only a few moans and snores could be heard.
Several searchlights intermittently swept the entire compound, but they covered it sloppily. Yorgi correctly assumed that the night guards were as bored, probably more bored with their work as were those on the daytime shifts. In addition, they had sleep to fight, a more difficult fight than they'd expect from these prisoners.
Quietly, he got to his feet and started around the compound. As a sweep of a floodlight approached him, he'd lie down and feign sleep until it passed, then get up and go on. An important difference between the day and the night was that now each watchtower was manned by armed Germans. Each had a light and swept the area between the two lines of barbed wire.
Slowly, carefully, he continued on until he reached the area of the building materials. Not many prisoners were sleeping in that area. Three German guards were stationed inside the wire around the supplies. Yorgi lay down so he could study the area a little longer in safety. One of the lights swept over him without pause and went on. Now Yorgi focused his attention on the lights from the towers sweeping between the two lines of barbed wire
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