Letter addressed to comrade in arms
Title
Letter addressed to comrade in arms
Description
Iga explaining to John that she is moving camps for the third time and describing her feelings towards her captors the state of her health and her desire to visit England.
Creator
Date
1944
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Three hand written sheets
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
ESaundersSorkiewiczMSaundersJWG44XX16-010001
Transcription
–16–44 [circled 1]
My dear John, my camrade [sic] in arms! I cant imagine it is true we have to leave to morrow [sic]. When I came to this camp, I was sure we will stay here until the war is over. During the 6 weeks we change our camp for the 3rd time. All these movings are very tire some [sic] for us we are exausted [sic] after each travel in such conditions. I am curious how long our health will last? Each time they assure us, we will go to a better camp. We are always disappointed. Now I don’t believe the change would be for better. I am prepared for the worst. It is impossible the Germans can give us good conditions I don’t trust them. I had an opportunity of [indecipherable word] them well during this long period of 5 years. I learnt to hate them with all my soul, as it is possilde [sic]. It is the only nation who makes dreatful [sic] murders of different lunds [sic] and who inspires a great repulsion. If I remained here longer, I should describe you some details what our nation was obliged to endure, a picture of all our misfortunes. However there are no words to express all the awful work ,, of the most cirilisated [sic]” nation. If one day all this cruelty of the wild German Scouts would pass to the Polish story, it will be very difficult to believe all these dreadful events took really place in Poland. Now it is not a favbrable [sic] moment for it, but I suppose I shall be able ind [sic] future (after having acquired some English Unowledge [sic]) to say you all this. I should like so much to now English, the most
[page break]
[circled 2]
difficult thing will be with the pronunciation [sic]. But if one wants, one can learn. From time to time I try to say some words to you – when I speak badly, correct me, well? I feel today better after leaving the bed. The fresh air made me well. To remain in bed in such conditions is very unpleasant. I don’t like it, before the war. I very rearely [sic] was ill. I enjoyed an excellent health. But during the war even the strongest people become weak. Until this moment I felt very well – you have seeing me on Sunday running and playing the ball. The next day I was surprised with my illness. I never suffered because of the heart, it is the result of our conditions. At any price I try to conserve my health for I should like to travel after the war. All the evenings I spend with my friend chatting. We form our projects of the future. The rememberance [sic] of the travels to the foreign countries is certainly the most agreable [sic]. I travelled before the war and it was for me the greatest pleasure. The war distuebed [sic] me in travelling, I was obliged to stay in Varsaw [sic] during 5 years. After 5 years it began a prisoner’s life, a very monotonons [sic] and dull one. The first days I received some letters from your felhows [sic] I did not answer finding it will take too much time so I should not have time for learning One evening I received your note – I can’t say why I’ve answered fort [sic] it. At any rate I shall always
[page break]
[circled 3]
remember you, I think being in travels I certainly will pay you a visit it is my dream. Excuse me John I thanked you so late for your nice present – it made ma a great joy and will ever be a lovely souvenir for me. I’m sorry I have nothing to offer you. John, if you have an English newspaper be so kind as to send me it – it will me make the study easier. And now I have a great pray to you – can you send me sane [sic] address of the Red Cross. I have nobody whom I should send the cart for the parcels to. I have neither home, nor family. If you know such addresses, I would be very thankful to receive them.
I close my letter. Many very very affectionate words of sympathy yours camrade [sic] in arms
Iga
best wishes from my best friend Christine
My dear John, my camrade [sic] in arms! I cant imagine it is true we have to leave to morrow [sic]. When I came to this camp, I was sure we will stay here until the war is over. During the 6 weeks we change our camp for the 3rd time. All these movings are very tire some [sic] for us we are exausted [sic] after each travel in such conditions. I am curious how long our health will last? Each time they assure us, we will go to a better camp. We are always disappointed. Now I don’t believe the change would be for better. I am prepared for the worst. It is impossible the Germans can give us good conditions I don’t trust them. I had an opportunity of [indecipherable word] them well during this long period of 5 years. I learnt to hate them with all my soul, as it is possilde [sic]. It is the only nation who makes dreatful [sic] murders of different lunds [sic] and who inspires a great repulsion. If I remained here longer, I should describe you some details what our nation was obliged to endure, a picture of all our misfortunes. However there are no words to express all the awful work ,, of the most cirilisated [sic]” nation. If one day all this cruelty of the wild German Scouts would pass to the Polish story, it will be very difficult to believe all these dreadful events took really place in Poland. Now it is not a favbrable [sic] moment for it, but I suppose I shall be able ind [sic] future (after having acquired some English Unowledge [sic]) to say you all this. I should like so much to now English, the most
[page break]
[circled 2]
difficult thing will be with the pronunciation [sic]. But if one wants, one can learn. From time to time I try to say some words to you – when I speak badly, correct me, well? I feel today better after leaving the bed. The fresh air made me well. To remain in bed in such conditions is very unpleasant. I don’t like it, before the war. I very rearely [sic] was ill. I enjoyed an excellent health. But during the war even the strongest people become weak. Until this moment I felt very well – you have seeing me on Sunday running and playing the ball. The next day I was surprised with my illness. I never suffered because of the heart, it is the result of our conditions. At any price I try to conserve my health for I should like to travel after the war. All the evenings I spend with my friend chatting. We form our projects of the future. The rememberance [sic] of the travels to the foreign countries is certainly the most agreable [sic]. I travelled before the war and it was for me the greatest pleasure. The war distuebed [sic] me in travelling, I was obliged to stay in Varsaw [sic] during 5 years. After 5 years it began a prisoner’s life, a very monotonons [sic] and dull one. The first days I received some letters from your felhows [sic] I did not answer finding it will take too much time so I should not have time for learning One evening I received your note – I can’t say why I’ve answered fort [sic] it. At any rate I shall always
[page break]
[circled 3]
remember you, I think being in travels I certainly will pay you a visit it is my dream. Excuse me John I thanked you so late for your nice present – it made ma a great joy and will ever be a lovely souvenir for me. I’m sorry I have nothing to offer you. John, if you have an English newspaper be so kind as to send me it – it will me make the study easier. And now I have a great pray to you – can you send me sane [sic] address of the Red Cross. I have nobody whom I should send the cart for the parcels to. I have neither home, nor family. If you know such addresses, I would be very thankful to receive them.
I close my letter. Many very very affectionate words of sympathy yours camrade [sic] in arms
Iga
best wishes from my best friend Christine
Collection
Citation
Jadwiga Sorkiewicz, “Letter addressed to comrade in arms,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed October 6, 2026, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/44230.