The Partisan From Vilna: A Gripping WW2 Historical Novel Based on an Incredible True Story by Miri Merin Freilich

Author:Miri Merin Freilich [Freilich, Miri Merin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Through the Sewers into the Forest

On the day the inhabitants of the ghetto were taken to Rosa Square, most of the members of the Underground had already managed to escape to Narocz Forest. Actually, the Underground had ceased to exist. We’d lost Itzik Weisman and Yosef who’d been killed in the forest. David, Mirka and I were among several dozen Underground fighters who were still in the ghetto and waiting to leave. We knew this was the last opportunity to escape to the forests and Sonia was entrusted with the task of meeting the partisan representative in the city to let him know we were preparing to leave. The only way out of the ghetto was through the sewers, now that the groups of workers who had worked in the labor camps outside the ghetto were no longer going to work, it was impossible to leave with them.

Escaping through the sewers was problematic because it was impossible to transfer rifles and pistols through them in case they got wet and could no longer be used. So, it was imperative to find another way to get the weapons out of the ghetto hiding places and into the forest. We had to get them to the partisan base because the partisans wouldn’t accept fighters without weapons. Mirka suggested transferring the weapons to the cemetery and David accepted her suggestion. The weapons were taken out of the ghetto in carts carrying coffins. These weren’t checked at the exit of the ghetto because of the stench emanating from them. Thus, we managed to get the weapons from their hiding places to the cemetery. The carts were pulled by two members of the Underground.

The plan was to escape from the ghetto through the sewers and get to the cemetery where we were supposed to collect the hidden weapons. David entrusted Zlate, Sonia and I with the task of finding a way to lead the members from the cemetery to the forest.

Sonia left to meet the partisan representative in Vilna to let them know about our impending arrival in Narocz. When she returned, she told us that the Lithuanian Partisan Headquarters had ordered us to go to the Rudniki Forest near Vilna where a new partisan camp had recently been set up. This order greatly disappointed us as many of our Underground friends had already reached Narocz Forest and we’d hoped to meet them there. But we had no other choice but to put aside our disappointment and obey the command. The advantage of this command was the relative closeness of the new base, “only” forty kilometers from Vilna. We tried to take comfort in the fact that if we managed to escape from the ghetto, Mirka and I would not be parted but together at the base.

The way to the base in Rudniki Forest may have been relatively shorter, but none of us knew how to get there. We had to plan the exit: plan the route, the march, draw maps, and find trustworthy guides.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.