Individual results

Interviewee: Mr Petro Diuk
Interviewer: Stacey Bains

Track 1
Born 20 Dec 1924 in Western Ukraine. Under Polish Republic due to League of Nations. Polish language in school. Not allowing autonomy. Suppressed language and orthodox church. Alienated. Fourth of five children. Large house. Two rooms. Gran lived with them.

Track 2
Started school at 8 years old, a year late as ill. Four classes in primary school. Introduced a fifth class. During sixth class Bolsheviks came in and re-introduced classes up to eighth class. Interval, then returned to school. Poles suppressive but allowed some organisation to flourish. Ukrainians in parliament. Not allowing autonomy, so friction. Sent cavalry to pacify them. Beat people and destroyed co-operatives. Remembers regiments. Came to his house. Seemed OK. Some Ukrainian conscripts.

Track 3
Patriots already victims before Bolsheviks. Felt enemy of Poland would be friends of Ukraine, they were not. Germany gave Russians the Western Ukraine. Russians immediately began to remove nationalists. Twenty-five young men in his village arrested. Never heard of again. Older brother had family. Sensed trouble and went west. Bolsheviks rounded up twenty-seven families from his village in May 1940. Taken in trucks to Kazakhstan. His father, mother, younger sister, sister-in-law and nephews were taken. Brother and him not staying in house, so left behind.

Track 4
Russia at war with Germany a month later, so lost touch. Didn't know what had happened until 1959. Mother and father died in 1942. Nephews died. Sister married. Brother still lives there. Sister-in-law moved back. Bought back old house. At 16 years old, alone. Auntie, uncle and friends hid him until German occupation. At first more friendly. When claimed independence stamped out. Arrested leaders. Bolsheviks reoccupied Ukraine. Returned home. Possessions removed. New family had lived there.

Track 5
Placed there by Bolsheviks. Tried to regain possessions. Collective farms started. Went back to school. Secondary education, seventh class. Five miles away. Walked. Regained some animals. Brother worked. Organised resistance. Finished school. Wanted to teach. Courses full. Tried being a craftsman. Didn't like it. Brother insisted on education. Enrolled in Commercial School. Fifty miles away. Fortnightly travel by train. Four friends. Took own provisions. Farm looked after by girl escaping floods.

Track 6
Still there in 1944. 1943, finished school. Ukrainians in precarious position. Germany occupied all Ukraine until retreat. 1942, ruthless with population. 1943, front in middle of Ukraine. Wanted grain. Took people to Germany to work and fight. Formed Ukrainian insurgent army. Small groups formed into big army in 1942. Under General.

Track 7
Organised. Eighty thousand men. Civilian network for supplies. Precarious position. Defeating Germany would bring back Russians. Against Germany and Russian partisans in North. Trained Kadets as NCO's. Volunteered as Kadet. Five hundred in school. Trained in Carparthian Mountains. Feb- Jun 1944. Discharged in May as had hernia. Russians pushed Germans near his territory. Engaged population. Dug trenches. Conscripted youngsters.

Track 8
Village under Germans. Not friendly but could move quite freely. In retreat got stricter. Didn't want to leave young. Formed Ukrainian national division. Drafted into German regiments. End of war became part of national army. 1944, Germany allowed formation of Ukrainian army. Saw some of Russian liberation army. Put on eastern front.

Track 9
1945, put in Austria to hold up Russians. End of the war in Austria. Ordered to go west. Russians tried to keep them there. Went to allies. Kept in camp in Italy. 1947, transported to Glasgow. Went to Sheffield transit camp. Suffolk Victoria Camp 85. In labour office as learnt English in Camp. Commercial course. Interpreter office. Sep 1948, discharge. Surrendered Enemy Personnel.

Track 10
Ukrainians had clause would not fight against allies only Russians. Wanted independence. Seventy camps. After three years work placement. Had to report change of employment to police. 1950-51 allowed to resettle. Went to camp in Norfolk. Nearly civilian. Hospital there needed treatment. Langham [Bishops, Norfolk] in 1948. Building huts for military personal and anti aircraft guns. Interpreter. Oct 1949 camp closed. Most moved to Bedworth Brick works. Had friend in Coventry. Taken to work in Germany. I n concentration camp.

Track 11
Went to France. Didn't want to go to Ukraine. Joined Polish army corps. In Italy and England discharged. Visited him in camp. Lived in house with family. Lived with him in Lythalls Lane. Stayed until married in 1953. Worked with Coventry Corporation. Friend worked at Jaguar, Holbrook Lane. 1951, started work there. 1953, transferred to Browns Lane. 1988, he retired. Thirty-eight years service. A year early. Asked for volunteers.

Track 12
Engaged in social work among Ukrainians. Two daughters. One in Washington. Degree/PHD in Ukrainian history. Daughter works in London. In Langham formed branch of Association of Ukrainians. 1946, association formed in Edinburgh. Secretary in Langham branch. Moved so branch ended. Coventry already had flourishing community. Branch established in 1948. Mixed choir. 1949, started youth organisation. Not many children. A lot of young people.

Track 13
By 1950 elected chairman. Only a year here. Doesn't know why. Joined choir immediately. Helped as interpreter. Many in Brooklands Hostel, Coundon. United branches from hostels. Many hostels. Did secretarial job as secretary working shifts. Said he would be secretary and elect new chairman. Worked with English organisations. Became chairman again in 1987. Was in various houses. Helped by church to purchase building on Foleshill Road, near General Wolfe. Demolished now.

Track 14
Priest home and chapel. Formed Youth Association. Former service men formed branch. Joined many organisations. Women's organisation. Close link to church. Used St Elizabeth, St George's and St Mary's churches. Catholic and orthodox churches. Worked together. St Marks church. 1957, some young children.

Track 15
Born in Coventry, abroad or in camps. Started Ukrainian school. 1961, bought building on Leicester Causeway. Made extension and club. Bought five houses near it. Rented to Ukrainians and students. Bought wooden hut on Broad Street. Used as Ukrainian Catholic Church. Expanded it. Social work intense here. Trying to maintain education of children. Many Ukrainians married Italians.

Track 16
Some girls from Yugoslavia/Bosnia and Poland. Poland ethnic cleansing long ago. Four hundred pupils gone through school by 1997.

Track 17
Thirty children still using school. Furthering teaching about Ukraine. Education and work directed towards independence of Ukraine. Demonstrations against Russians. Travelled to London. Hunger strikes at Russian Embassy. Independence in 1991. Youth Association large part. Bought building in Derbyshire. Annual gathering. Competition dancing/music. Club. Hall. Former soldiers assoc bought farm in Surrey. Used for Ukrainian invalids during war.

Track 18
Wanted to keep them here so bought home. Used as old peoples home. Been to Ukraine five times since independence. Renewed contact. Carry on work. Educate children in language and literature. Assist churches. Numbers getting lower. People don't come to join their families. Temporary if do come. Illegal or asylum seekers. Most of community born here.

Track 19
A lot of Ukrainians in London. Don't come as mass like after war. Forced to stay here as couldn't go back. Members of family don't want to come here now independence. Want to earn money. Crisis in Ukraine. Political suppression forgotten by new generations. Some say better off then. Was stable then. No jobs. Ties cut off. Relied on other parts of Russian Empire. Government same as before. Scared of Romanian situation in Ukraine. Made concessions. Now complacent.

Track 20
Call themselves Social Democrats, not Communists. Communist party still quite popular. Talk of Ukraine as part of Russia still. No clear difference between countries. Think Russia has resources. If economic improvement no one would leave. Want to return to families. Have everything here, but soul there. Feel outsiders. This community has grown here. Don't want to go to Ukraine. But have special feelings for it. Ukrainian population decreasing.

Track 21
Don't want to reproduce because of Chernobyl. Think about own survival. Families split up. Wouldn't go back as have nothing to go back to. Family sent to Kazakhstan. Land has been put into collective farm. People transferred from Poland and live on his land. Wouldn't claim its his.

Track 22
Kazaks and Kalmoogs asking for their land back off his relatives in Kazakhstan. Moved back to Ukraine although born in Kazakhstan in 1950. Wasn't allowed back as said his parents were enemies of the state. They were only 14 years old when moved there. Has to live there for five years before he can be citizen in own state. In Ukraine can't claim land back. Can in Poland and Kazakhstan.

Track 23
Only giving land to those who worked in collective farms. Thought it wouldn't be long before he returned. Thought there would be another war against Russia. Now daughter in London. Wife buried in St Paul's. Where would he start if he went back?. Takes money in $'s as have need for it. Doomed to spend life here. British citizen. Regards it as his country. Given him a living for fifty years. Grumbles like other pensioners about Gordon Brown. Has been able to develop whatever he wants here. Worked for British factory. Tried to defend Ukraine. Written to UN

Track 24
Own house. Daughters had best schooling. Barrs Hill Grammar School. Went to Oxford University. Work and have own houses. Driving since 1964. Travelled a lot of miles. On Ukrainian national executive. Well known in Ukrainian community. Written in press. Same life as English people. Allegiance to Britain, but also tried to help the country he was born in. Don't oppose each other.

Track 25
Seen as mysterious by British. Displaced persons drafted to work in England. Westward Who scheme. European voluntary workers scheme. Girls worked in Courtaulds. Men in pits, stone quarries, brickwork's and farms. Girls in domestic/hospital service. Thirty thousand Ukrainians. Arrived en masse from Italy. One of first transported to England. Ship called 'India Victory'. Troop ship. Fifteen hundred on ship. 9 May, from Florence, through Gibraltar. Biscay Bay stormy. Landed 16 May, in Glasgow. Wearing British uniform with no insignia. Knew they were from Ukraine. Knew they fought on Germans side.

Track 26
Never fought allies. Fighting for independence. Not enemies. Relationship in Italy with British was cordial. Russians demanding their return. Propaganda they fought allies. British knew. Could say Russians and Americans against allies. Russia supplied Germany with grain. Remembers hearing propaganda about Russia's alliance with Germany. British curious. Knew about Poles, as been here since 1940. Many Ukrainian draftees in Polish army.

Track 27
Ukrainian division demonised by Russia. Found out they were friendly to West. Only opposed Bolsheviks. Warned them about Soviet plans. Invited to village halls, dances. Hard to tell what British think. Stiff upper lip. Quiet, silent with pipe. Changed a lot. Remembers life since 6 years old. Lived on farm. House stood alone. Away from street. Narrow road.

Track 28
Outbuildings separated by orchards. Twelve trees. Used to run into orchard when blossoming. Pig sty, corn room, stable. Manure in middle. Now keep it away. Three acres. Big orchard and forest. Father bought some of it. Grew things. Grazed cows. Various trees. Altered now. 1931 remembers pacification regiments. Thrashing corn by hand in winter.

Track 29
Came out to watch it. Mesmerised. Wasn't dressed properly. Became very ill. Survived. Learnt Ukrainian from magazines. Already learnt by time started school. Official language, Polish. Taken to school by older pupil. Middle of village. Pass through brook. Springtime high from snow. Made Skis. Cold. Houses insulated by straw. Food bought in from cellar. People slept in store. Bunk beds. In summer used both rooms and store for sleeping. Winter slept in one side to save fuel.

Track 30
Played with younger sister. Christmas put straw on floor. Wheat sheaf in corner. Lit candles. Twelve dishes on table. Carol singers came in. Summer played on street. Played Kitch Ka. Try to beat stick. Best toys wooden doll of jumping jack. No electric or telephones. Paraffin lamps. Church with parents. 7-8 looked after geese on meadow. Swam in self-made pool. Fruit and flowers. Very aromatic. Never smelt anything like it since. Beetles at night.

Track 31
Always some trouble. Brother arrested. Policeman came to home. False accusation. Police from town. Stricter under Germans and Russians. Fourteen joined society. Assigned older boy. Made deputy. Had to instruct other boys. Learnt to be obedient. Brothers very active. Choir, Brass band. Two churches, attended alternate weeks. Organised games. Football, netball. Played soldiers. Enjoyable. Singing dancing. Festive days. By 1938 Carpartian Ukraine declared own independence. Supported them.

Track 32
Pacification. Brother hurt. Told them what had happened. Father warned them to be careful. Worse to come. Grew up helped on farm. Brother married. Started building house next to them. Didn't finish because of war. Ukraine divided. Fell under Soviet rule. Still at school. KGB put pressure on youngster. Older brother left country. After other brother. Didn't sleep in house. Came round in the night. Had messages from brother. Tried to get rid of them. Put gun to his head. Asked him what he was doing. If they found messages he would have died.

Track 33
Checked trousers. Thought that was it. Miracle didn't find it. Looking for photographs. Checked house for houses. Took some books. While mother showing them outside got rid of messages. Didn't sleep in the house again. Hard times. Spies everywhere. Young people drafted into Lenin youth. Went to school. Helped on farm as brothers couldn't. Sister-in-law helped. Told to plant sugar beet.

Track 34
Had to give it to state. Sister helped with homework. Good memory got him through. Suspicious of him. Arrested twenty-five young men. Family taken away. Still went carol singing and social activities. Not the same. Could do things with permission. Began to worry. Country ruined. Russians burnt everything when retreating. Germans wanted corn/food. Hid it but they found it. Broke mills. Angered him. Didn't know what to do. Somehow survived. People complaining now about nothing compared to that.

Track 35
Being bombed not as bad. Constantly watched. Young people tortured to death. Nobody consulted them. Do now. Lucky moments. Good parents. Mother strong. Father caught malaria in Austrian army. Headaches.

Track 36
Slept in stable attic. Made double straw wall to hide him. Came at about 4 am. in morning. Heard noise. Heard someone coming in stable. Thought they had bought his mother in to get him. Only came in for horses. Heard cart leave and cries. Realised they were taking them away. That night wanted to sleep in house. Ploughing field that day with sister-in-law. May near end of school. Exams. Bought wood for fire. Brother hiding at neighbours. Mother prepared food for him.

Track 37
Put it in pail as if to get water. Chatted. Nobody suspected. Might take people away. Nephew restless.
Shouted at and cried. Comforted him. Always remembers this. He fell asleep. Thought he'd sleep in house to help her. Something told him not to. Took old shoes and jacket. Left clothes in house. Knew they had gone but didn't know where. Waited in case still in house. Taking things. Went quiet. Thinking.

Track 38
Made hole to see sun. Knew it was evening. Somebody shouted him. Answered automatically. Friend sent by brother. Told him its safe. Went to brother. Very sad. People hiding with him had their families taken away. Man joined them. Married a year. Wife on list he wasn't as lived in different place. Taken to station. Went to join her.

Track 39
Wouldn't let him as not on list. Had to wait to see what happened to them.

Interviewee: Mr Petro Diuk
Interviewer: Stacey Bains
Date: 13th December 2000

Names spelt phonetically

Track 1
Went around the house. Unsure who was there. Joined those hiding with brother. Thinking. Somebody began to tell jokes. Tried to forget. Went to aunts. Went into home. Began to repair shoes to pass time. Learnt from neighbour and brother.

Track 2
Slept in attic. Hopeless to think of any changes. War unexpected. Thought he might be shot like many others. Dependent on brother. KGB began to move in villages. Knew he was still in village. Said they would be lenient if he came out. Headmaster forged exam certificates. A lot of activity in June. Planes flying over. Thought they were in alliance. War began. Drafted people into Red Army. Too young.

Track 3
Taken by others in hiding to train in arms. Didn't know what will happen. Wanted to prepare resistance. Russians burnt villages when retreating. Self defence. Youngest one. Daytime in attic. Night-time eat. Red Army came to house. Luckily went away. 5-6 days into war people edgy. People in hiding came out and established local rule. Russians retreating. Fighting between organisation and Russians. July, German army arrived. Only saw Red Army prisoners. Quiet.

Track 4
Troops on main roads. Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists proclaimed independence in Jun 1941. Put down. Local rule. Germans demanded certain amounts of grain. German police searched for grain. Destroyed mills. By 1942 very little food. Many went to Germany to work. Returned home. Began to reclaim possessions. Reclaimed barn from railway station and rebuilt it. Decided to continue with education. School eight kilometers away. Seventh class.

Track 5
Jobs before school. School at 8am. Neighbour put out cows while away. Back at 1pm. Housework and school work. Underground organisation gaining strength. Germans as oppressive as Russians. Germans more precise. Oct 1943 looking for police murderer. Saw them coming and fled to woods. Heard shooting. Three men dead in middle of village. Helped in underground movement. Finished school. Wanted higher education. Always wanted to be a teacher.

Track 6
Teaching oversubscribed. Went to commercial school. Entrance exam. Enrolled in local trade school in case didn't get in. 15 miles away. Train. 1942-43. Travelled home every fortnight to get provisions. Stayed with friends in empty houses. No electricity. Secretly got some until caught. Terrible things happening. Germans wanted young to work on railways. Students had exemption certificate. 1943, chance to join underground army as cadet. Established in 1942.

Track 7
Autumn 1943, joined cadets. Training in Carpartian Mountains in winter, 1944. Needed hernia operation so released. Jewish doctor. Some professional Jews joined the army. Five hundred trained with him. 1943-44, army covered most of western Ukraine. 80,000 men. Civilian network to supply them.

Track 8
Allies did not support movement. First fought Germans, then Russians. 1944, Germans pushed out. Critical situation. Unit formed with consent of Germans. Joined if needed arms or medical treatment. Thought there might be chance of agreement on independence. Ukrainian division developed. Became national army. Clause, they only fought Russians not allies. Joined in 1944. Had hernia operation. Went through Germany into Slovakia and Austria. 1944, a lot of Tito's partisans supported by allies. In Austria at end of war.

Track 9
Had volunteered to be parachuted behind enemy lines. Awaiting training. War finished. Saw British come into Austria. Three days passed them on way to duties. Tito's partisans came in and took them over. Didn't resist as war over. Took their valuables. Put in monastery. British negotiated with them. Supplied vehicles and went back to Felchenmark. Already POW's gathering. Ukrainian and Germans. People from his village.

Track 10
Moved from Udina to Balaria, on Adriatic Coast. Jul- Dec 1945. Wherever could pitch tent. Some slept under sky. A lot of German camps. Nine thousand Ukrainians. Soviet repatriation commissions. British allowed them to agitate. Hostility to them. Each one interviewed. Took all belongings in case wanted to go. Not many went.

Track 11
Some could have been planted. His neighbour volunteered. Recently married. Got back twenty years later. Sent to Kazakhstan where his family had been sent. Wife joined him. Given his farm in Ukraine. Asked his permission to build house. Transferred to prepared camps in Rimmini. Large tents.

Track 12
Eighteen months. Mild winter. Snow bent tents. Quite free. Activities encouraged by British. Training. Finish education. Joined commercial school. Began to learn English. Already learnt German. T heatre, Priesthood, agriculture. Not allowed out. Germans in separate camps. Black market between camps. Crawl under wire. One Ukrainian shot.

Track 13
Packed into trains and taken to Venice. Taken on ship to Glasgow. Taken to Sheffield and other camps. In Coventry since 1949. Taught in Ukrainian Saturday school for eighteen years. Promote Ukrainian culture. Married in 1953. Two daughters. Granddaughter already speaking some Ukrainian. During war was hardship but life went on as normal. Had own possessions. Collective farms had begun.

Track 14
Until 1939 half of land still belonged to Lord, half belonged to villagers. Collective farming already there. Lord fled. Germans occupied before collective farming complete. Hardship but managed. Killed animals to produce own leather. Made own flour. Survived. Cultural life developed. Germans did not delve too deeply. Could go to church etc providing behaved and gave them grain. Acquiescence between Germans and local officials.

Track 15
Promoted schools. German policy no need to go beyond secondary school. Slavic race seen as inferior. Didn't have time to implement it. Food was priority. Village had to supply young men to work in Germany. Selected by elders. Had to supply grain. Given whisky if did. Ok, if no rebellion. As war went on not many people left to go to Germany. People resilient.

Track 16
Education important. Hard. Had to upkeep farm. Girl escaping floods wanted job. Looked after house. Brother away with organisation a lot. Treated as sister. Prepared provisions for him. Brother, neighbours and family helped. German retreat then big upheaval. Young nationalists knew they would be shot/sent to Siberia. Two hundred left his village. Brother didn't go, shot in 1947, by KGB. 1949 , three men discovered, and shot themselves.

Track 17
Life like normal on surface. Developed nationalist feelings because of surroundings. Six when pacification regiments came to village. Trying to turn Ukrainians into Poles. Had to change birth certificate if wanted position of power. Felt something wrong. Saw brothers taking part. Brother arrested. Somebody smashed windows.

Track 18
Could be politically motivated. Not proven. Many arrested and kept for long time in jail and hard punishment camp. Met priest who was sent there. Hatred toward regime had effect on young. Defaced schoolbooks showing Polish leaders. Spread. Older generations had organisation. Fought in WWI, and first declaration of independence.

Track 19
Ukrainians helped to defend Poland, but Poland concluded treaty with Soviets and ceded some of Ukraine to them. Ukrainian military organisation formed. 1923, League of Nations decide Western Ukraine to be governed by Poland. Supposed to have autonomy. Young looked to old to continue struggle for independence. Inspired by older fighters. Wanted independence. Networks of young being organised.

Track 20
Poles suppressed Ukrainian culture. Animosity till present day. Different views. Persecuted for having flag/insignia. Now it's everywhere. Some people trying to re-establish ties with Russia. Written memoirs. 1941, active in cell. Youngest. Had no choice as parents gone. Not given arms.

Track 21
Would be shot if caught. Protected by older ones, but not always possible. Sixteen to seventeen involved in younger group. One leader, two members. Five cells in a village. Overseen. Full membership when 21 years if age. Responsible for communication. House communication centre. One phone in village. Messages sent on foot. Small pieces of paper. Directed messages.

Track 22
Later responsible for training. Five villages. Organisational duties. Never became member of older group. UNATSWA younger group. Assisted older group. Not allowed into battle. Training. Ukrainian National Division. Taken to Wiehl (capital), then Kirchbaum, in Germany. Training grounds. One thousand. Given Uniform. Train to Hiedenlager. Training camps. Given to Norwegian division called 'Viking'.

Track 23
Different outlook to Germans. Taken to hospital for hernia operation. Prepared for operation. Didn't happen due to attack on Hitler. Jul 1944. Never had operation. Taken back, but unit moved on. With man from village. Found some NCO's. Made arrangements to rejoin unit.

Track 24
Front pushing back. A lot of troops came in. Many Russians. Russian Liberation Army. Didn't want to mix with them. Consent to leave. Sat on logs on train. Frankfurt. Unit in village. Transported back to Frankfurt for operation. Hospital 101. Aug 1944. Became infected. There till Oct. Needed places. Sent to Recuperation Company. Unit wasn't there.

Track 25
Was sent to Neuhammer. Most towns in ruins. Couldn't get to rail station. Amazing rail functioning. Unit had left for Czechoslovakia. Registered with Vlasov's army. Couldn't do anything else. Registered as separate nationality. Told him to wait until enough numbers for Ukrainian division. Reluctant to be in Russian army. Three days later spotted by member of his army. Had insignia on sleeve. Many Russians and Kazaks and Kalmoogs. Sent him to office.

Track 26
Given provisions and sent to Slovakia. Recuperating Unit and Regiment HQ. Nov - Jan. Snow. Moved on foot to Austria. Walked at night slept during day. Looking for volunteers to be parachuted over enemy lines. Volunteered with friend. Waiting to go. Normal duties till end of war. Joined German division as no other choice. Could stay under Russian occupation. Could flee as refugee. Work in Germany.

Track 27
Thought at the end of war Germany might allow a Ukrainian state. Western allies wouldn't allow Russians to win. Ukrainian division could be base for independent army. Russians would never allow independence. Wanted to survive. Could be killed anywhere. Hoped to survive.

Track 28
Then see what happens. End of war hard to expect anything. Didn't think it would finish the way it did. With western allies would be safe for a while. Russians demanded they should be sent back for punishment. Survive day by day. Might go to South America. America, Canada and Australia not taking immigrants. Going to England was thought out of the question. Didn't take immigrants. Argentina or Brazil. Saw friction between East and West. Could have another war.

Track 29
Unit could be used to help the allies against Russia. Nervous time. Thought west would give them up. Try to survive time and get to somewhere else. Cold War change. West saw the light. Rumours of going to England in spring 1947. Red Cross taking people to Argentina. Some Ukrainians from Polish Army in England. Didn't think that many would go. Ukrainians in Canadian forces trying to negotiate.

Track 30
Informed they were going. Didn't believe it until ship turned toward Gibraltar not the USSR. Life was not luxurious but good compared to what they went through. Not that restricted here. Put on civilian footing and given £20. Vouchers in camps. Bought suit, coat, boots and cap or gloves. Started looking for job. Given temporary job. In Langham camp, Norfolk. Stifkey and Weybourne army base.

Track 31
In huts. There until Oct 1949. Fed from common kitchen. Paid 30 shillings for it. 30 shillings to live. Saved. Most bought bicycle. £14/9/6. Could pay in instalments. Worked 8-5. Taken by lorries. Saturday, half- day. Many went to cinema in Holt. Norwich 26 miles away. Joined local football teams. Met girls. Visited camps. Wives already here. Satisfactory. Formed own branch. Played football. All right. English people not that better off. Shortages.

Track 32
Rations for meat and bread. 3 ½ p for loaf. Bearable. Happiest time was as a child. Carefree. Felt fairly safe. Family. Survived a lot. Satisfied not too happy in west. Didn't know what had happened to his family. Thank god he survived. Found out sister in Kazakhstan rejoiced. Found out brother shot in 1958. Marriage and family joyful. Grandchild. Intermixed. Wife died, didn't see children get married. Satisfaction not happiness.

Track 33
Grateful still here at 76 years old. Extremely lucky. Hard life but always looked on bright side. Encouraged others. Lucky escaped KGB. Lucky during war not wounded. Even in Tito's hands. Car crash in 1992. Hit by lorry. Never felt a thing. Not many illnesses. Used to have headaches in 1954-55. Due to his sight. Improved. Headaches as youngster have diminished recently.

Track 34
Mostly luck. Knowledge did help. Knowing English language helped get job. Helps others as translates. Commercial school helped train young people. Knowledge brings you to certain level. Feel comfortable. Seen unthinkable changes. As youngster looked at moon. Thought it was fighting brothers. Impossible to think man would land on moon. Didn't think you would be able to contact people around world from house. Mobile phones. Computers. Shopping. Can't imagine what will happen next.

Track 35
Nobody thought there would be such progress.

Coventry Lives Oral History Project, date of birth: 10/12/1924