Ahh, green men are always the same under fire, aren't they? Sounds reminiscent of scenes from early on during the Warsaw Rising in 1944.
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Chapter 3
‘I am hungry, Pawel and my hand still hurts.’
‘We will have to wait till it gets dark, Kaz, then we can go out and scavenge for some food.’
After they had left the barricade, Kazimierz and Pawel had first fled to a nearby park and when they saw that the rest of the resistance also broke, they took refuge in a cellar of a disbanded, partly burned down house. They saw that some of their comrades who surrendered were shot down, while others were taken away, probably to one of the many temporary prisons that had been set up by the military.
That was now one week ago, but now and then you could still hear shots, when a former resistance fighter was caught. Pawel and Kazimierz only went out during the night and until now they had been able to avoid being caught by one of the many patrols that were still roaming the streets.
‘We need to get out of Gniezno, Kaz, to somewhere, where it is safe for us.’
‘You mean to ‘Free Poland’ ?’
‘No, the border there will be closely watched and the authorities there will most likely hand us over to the Germans. You know that they are only ‘free’ in name there.’
‘We can go to my mother’s house ?’
‘How’s your mother going to hide to us in your small apartment ? The police or the soldiers will soon find us there. No, we need to get out of this town.’
‘Hmm, we could go to my aunt.’
‘Your aunt ? I never knew you had an aunt ?’
‘We don’t have much contact, she is married to a German, he is a sailor or something. They live in Hamburg.’
‘A sailor, you say ! He could help us get out of the country. Would they help us, you think ?’
‘Well my aunt would, don’t know about my uncle, never really met him. But my aunt would certainly help us. But how are we going to get to Hamburg, the Germans are guarding every road that goes out of here.’
‘Let me take care of that, I have worked on railroad station a few times, loading and unloading cargo trains. I know my way around that area, we could be on our way to Hamburg this night already. YES, that is what we will do, now go get some sleep Kaz, you won’t get much sleep this night.’
‘Uh, Pawel’
‘What ?’
‘I don’t know exactly where my aunt lives in Hamburg, I don’t have here address and neither do I know what my uncle’s name is.’
‘Arrghh, why didn’t you say so before. Hamburg is a big city, we can’t just walk around in hoping of finding them. Does your mother have an address ?’
‘Probably, like I said we didn’t have much contact with her after she had married.’
‘Then we need to go, to your house first, now get some sleep or is there something else you have forgotten ?’
‘Well, I am still hungry and my hand still hurts.’
‘Go to sleep, Kaz’
It was after 10 in the evening, before they were on their way to Kazimierz house. No one was allowed on the streets after sunset so, they had to move with much caution, always staying in the shadows that were cause by a clear full moon.
When they arrived at Kazimierz house, they knocked on the backdoor, careful to not wake any of the neighbours. After a few minutes Kazimierz mother opened the door and let them in.
‘Oh, Kazimierz, you are still alive. Thank the Lord, oh I so prayed for you.’ She said when she hugged him. Then she saw Pawel and also embraced him, ‘Thank God, that you also made it, Pawel.’
‘We are all right, mama.’
‘Oh, it is so good to see you two well and alive, so many men have been killed or taken away by the Germans.’
‘We can’t stay long, miss Wlostowski.’
‘Ah, come on Pawel, we can stay here at least for one night maybe you could visit your father to, before we leave. Right mama !’
Pawel saw the face of Kazimierz mother turn white.
‘Oh, dear haven’t you two heard it yet ?’
‘What ?’ asked Pawel
‘Your father ......’
‘What’s with my, father ?’
‘He... is dead, Pawel, they shot him !’
‘Dead ? Shot dead, but he was an invalid, tied to his bed. Why would they shoot him ?’
‘I don’t know exactly what happened, but it was the first day of the fighting. German soldiers were going through all the houses in your street. Since your father couldn’t open the door, they rammed it open. Your father, God knows why, had his old army pistol in his hand and shot through this bedroom door at the German soldiers. He didn’t wound them or anything like that, but they still dragged him out in the street. They wanted to put him in one of the trucks, when a German officer arrived, he told the soldiers, that he had given a clear order ‘everyone who was caught with a weapon in his hand was to be shot’’
‘You mean ....?’
‘Yes, the soldiers then dragged your father to a wall. Your father was shouting at them and the officer, that he was a war hero he even showed them his Iron Cross, that he had around his neck. When the soldiers, saw that they turned to the officer again. But he didn’t react at all, he just said ‘shoot that Polish scum’’.
Tears were welling up in Pawel’s eyes, his father hadn’t been a pleasant person for the last few years, but this was outrageous. Shooting a invalid war hero, who probably had fired his pistol because he was drunk.’
‘Do you know the name of that officer ?’
‘No, I only know that people call him ‘the Butcher’ and that he is the commandant of the military police battalion that was sent to here to put down the riots.’
‘Then it must be Schicklgrüber !’ said Kazimierz ‘oooh, how I wish that he had come before my rifle, Pawel.’
And though Pawel was grieved by what had happened to his father, he still knew that there was not much he could do about it right now.
‘We can’t stay here, miss Wlostowski. Kazimierz we just came here to get the address of your sister.’
‘My sister ? Why do you need her address ?’
‘We need to get out of Gniezno or better still, out of the country. We are hoping that your sister’s husband will help us. So we need their address.’
‘I don’t think my brother-in-law will be eager to help you, he is .....’
‘Let us worry about that, when we are out of Gniezno. Do you have the address ?’
‘Yes, of course, wait I will write it down for you.’
Kazimierz mother scribbled the address on a small piece of paper and gave it to Pawel. She then gave a last hug to him and Kazimierz.
‘Be careful, boys and please let me know when you are save ?’
Kazimierz, who was now openly crying.
‘We will mama, we will.’
Kazimierz mother then took Pawel by his hand and said
'Take good care of my little boy, Pawel, I know I can trust you, please take good care of him.'
'I will, I promise.'
‘Now come on Kaz, we need to go, NOW !’
When they were outside again, they saw that clouds had covered the sky so that it now was pitch black. Which helped them a lot for reaching the railroad station unseen, there they climbed over a fence and hid behind an empty wagon. On the emplacement, they saw a cargo train being ready to leave. Pawel looked at his watch.
‘That’s the last train that will leave this night, Kaz, we need to get that one.’
‘But how do we get on it, without being seen ?’
The emplacement was fully light and several armed soldiers were guarding it.
‘We can’t get on it here, Kaz, we need to move along the railroad a bit towards the bridge there, the train will have to move slowly until it has crossed the bridge. It will move so slowly that we will be able to jump on it. Now come, run !’
Running with their backs low, they were able to get to their position unseen and soon after they got there they could hear whistles blowing, indicating that the train was ready to leave. As the train started moving, Pawel suddenly saw that it would be using a different track then he expected.
‘Kaz, we need to cross these tracks to reach the train before it is on full speed, are you ready ?’
‘Yes, let’s go !’
Just after they jumped up, they heard somebody shout
‘Halt, whose there ?’
‘They, have seen us. Run, Kaz, run.’
They started running and the same time more and more shouts could be heard
‘HALT ! Halt or we will shoot !’
Then shots were fired
‘Duck, Kaz, stay low, but keep running !’
Pawel could hear his friend’s heavy breathing beside him, then another shot was heard and from the corner of his eye, he saw his friend fall. Pawel stopped and turned to his friend.
‘Get up, Kaz ! We need to get on that train !’
Kazimierz, looked up, his face full of pain. ‘I can’t feel my legs, Pawel, help me ! Please !’
Pawel looked around, he saw the train slowly making speed and behind them he a soldier was taking another aim while two other were running towards them. He knew that if he had to carry Kazimierz he would never make it to the train and that would mean the death of both of them.
‘I ....can’t ‘ he whispered to his friend on the ground, another shot then strafed his head ‘I’m sorry, Kaz, I’m sorry’ he got up again and took one final sprint and then when he was close enough he was able to jump onto the last wagon of the train.
As he turned around, he saw that the two soldiers had reached Kazimierz where they stopped and fired their rifles at him, but their shots were badly aimed and he now the train was getting to full speed and the distance between them was soon widening.
As he took one final look he softly said ‘I’m sorry, Kazimierz, I am sorry.’
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Treckaddict and humancalculatorp
Well, civil war. It was more a local uprising
Black sun
We will see, we will see
Myth
Well one of the photos was from the Warsaw uprising
Well, civil war. It was more a local uprising
Black sun
We will see, we will see
Myth
Well one of the photos was from the Warsaw uprising
This is quality.
And I know high quality aars.
And if it is written by Veldmarschaalk, then one just haves to read it.
Excellent writing!
More!
And I know high quality aars.
And if it is written by Veldmarschaalk, then one just haves to read it.
Excellent writing!
More!
dear god they got kaz is this going to harden pawels heart to become an iron fisted brute
Pawel should have brought Kaz with him. I feel sad after reading this.
Really good story though.
Really good story though.
Pawel should have brought Kaz with him. I feel sad after reading this.
Really good story though.
Same here. To cheer myself up I am watching "Sink the Bismarck".
I feel kind of sad as well, but I feel worse about what happened to Pawel's father than what happened to Kaz.
Now to Hamburg!
Schicklgrüber... mmmh... from Austria, perhaps?
Skip the part when the Hood goes down or you'll get worse.
Schicklgrüber... mmmh... from Austria, perhaps?
Skip the part when the Hood goes down or you'll get worse.
Now to Hamburg!
Schicklgrüber... mmmh... from Austria, perhaps?
Skip the part when the Hood goes down or you'll get worse.
I know, I didn't skip it, because I knew she would get avenged. Besides, the scene where they load her guns is epic. (filmed on HMS Vanguard btw.)
Finally someone has spotted him
I knew it! It's him! it's him! And he rose to be an officer?
Help, the world is going mad!
Finally someone has spotted him
Who could that be?
I mean it isn't Hitler, since his father already changed the name from Schickelgruber to Hitler in 1886, 13 years before Adolf Hitlers birth and 29 years before the start of the Kaiserreich timeline.
And who says a certain Adolf couldn't change it back ? It is not like he liked his father. And this is based on an alternative history, so a bit of 'what if' is allowed
Just caught up with this today, Veld. A nice start. Sad about Pawel having to leave Kaz like that but it was a life or death decision. Staying meant they'd likely both die.
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
Chapter 4
Pawel looked at the address on the note in his hand and then looked up to the house again. It didn’t look anything like he had expected. Instead of some small dwelling in downtown Hamburg, it was a grand villa in one of Hamburg’s suburbs.
‘Maybe Kazimierz’ aunt works and lives here as a maid’, he thought and then walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and an elderly man appeared who looked down upon Pawel with a certain disdain.
‘Yes !’
‘Good day, sir. I am looking for Anna Müller ? Is she here ?’
‘Pardon ? Who are you ?’
The man took another good look at Pawel, saw his somewhat dirty clothes and a nasty smile appeared on his face.
‘I am a friend of her family.’
‘A friend, you say ? Do you have an appointment with Mrs. Von Müller ?’
‘No, I don’t have an appointment.’
‘Then Mrs. Von Müller has no time for you. Please leave at once !’
The man then closed the door
‘Hmm’ Pawel thought ‘Mrs. Von Müller ! That didn’t sound like the name of a maid at all.’ And he rang the door bell again. And the same man, opened the door again, this time with a more angry look on his face.
‘Listen up you, I told you to leave. If you don’t leave immediately, I will call the police.’
‘But I want to speak to Mrs. Von Müller.’
‘You don’t have an appointment and looking at you and I don’t think Mrs. Von Müller wants to see you. Now leave or else ....’
Pawel then made a last attempt
‘Tell her, that her cousin from Gnesen, is here !’
Somewhat the surprised the man asked ‘cousin...?’
Suddenly from the background a woman’s voice could be heard ‘Albrecht, who is it at the door ?’
The elderly man turned his head around and said
‘It is nothing, my lady, just a man who claims to be your cousin, I will take care of this.’
Steps could now be heard inside the house
‘My cousin, you say ! Then don’t keep him waiting, Albrecht. Let him in !’
‘But, my lady.... I don’t think.’
Impatiently Pawel stepped forward and pushed the man aside ‘you heard what the lady said, Albrecht. Introduce me to her.’ And then he walked into the marbled hallway.
The old man’s face was now red of anger.
‘Follow me..... sir’ and he guided Pawel to a small salon, where a finely dressed woman in her mid fifties awaited them.
‘My lady, your cousin ......’ and he looked to Pawel
‘Kazimierz.’ Pawel said
‘....Casimir’ has arrived.
The woman, first took a surprised look at Pawel, a look that then showed some disappointment. She then said to the male servant ‘Thank you, Albrecht. You may go now and please close the door behind you.’
Albrecht walked backward and closed the doors to the salon. The woman now turned to Pawel
‘Who are you ?’ she asked ‘You are definitely not my cousin, Kazimierz ?’
‘No, I am not, I am a friend of Kazimierz, my name is Pawel, my lady.’
‘To bad, I was hoping for some news about my sister and him. I haven’t heard from them in a long time and the news I have heard from Gniezno has made be worried.’
‘I am from Gniezno, my lady.’
‘Really, but that’s wonderful. Sit down pleas, and tell me, how is the situation there and how are my sister and cousin ?’
‘Well what do you know about the situation, my lady.’
‘Not much, the newspapers here don’t say much about what is happening over there. But we all have heard rumours here. Are they true ?’
‘Oh, it is much worse than that, my lady.'
And then Pawel told the whole story, about the strikes, the fights with the police, the escalation, the arrival of the military, the fight on the barricades and the shooting of innocent citizens. And how Kazimierz told them about his aunt and uncle and how they obtained the address.
‘So then you escaped on that train ?’
‘Yes, it brought me to Posen, but before it reached the station there I jumped of it.’
‘But what happened to Kazimierz, wasn’t he with you on the train.’
Pawel, turned his head down and his face saddened.
‘No, Kazimierz, didn’t make it. He was shot while we were running to reach the train. I stopped and wanted to help him, but he said no, it’s too late for me, save yourself. He was very brave.’
There was a moment of silence as Pawel waited for the reaction of Kazimierz’ aunt
She took a deep sigh ‘so my cousin is dead ?’
‘Most likely, my lady, I wish I could have brought him with me. But he really begged me to go.’
‘Yes, that is how I remember Kazimierz, always looking out for someone else. My dear Pawel it must have been a horrible experience for you. But why did you come here ? Why do you think I can help you ?’
‘Well, Kazimierz told me your husband is a sailor or something...’ Pawel looked around the salon. There were paintings and pictures on the wall of ships, important looking men and what looked like some natives from faraway lands. ‘but looking at all of this, he must have been somewhat wrong.’
A smile returned on Mrs. Von Müller’s face ‘a sailor or something ...? Well my husband is more than a sailor. He is the owner and president of a shipping company, the Hamburg Africa Shipping Company to be exact’.
Pawel also smiled ‘that is indeed something else, but that is even better. Maybe your husband could smuggle me out of the country, on one of his ships ?’
‘My husband is a firm supporter of the Imperial government, Pawel. I don’t think he will agree in helping a revolutionary out of the country.’
‘But he doesn’t have to know, my lady, you could help me.’
‘I don’t have anything to do with my husband’s business, so I am afraid I can’t help you there. I also have heard that each ship that leaves the harbour is thoroughly searched, it is to dangerous to leave now.’
‘But what must I do then ?’
‘Well, you could stay here, for a while ?’
‘Here, but how ?’
‘Well, we could pretend that you are my cousin Kazimierz, who is visiting his aunt.’
‘But would your husband, believe that ?’
‘He has never met Kazimierz, so if I tell him that you are our cousin, he will believe it. And if we use the German version of your name, Casimir, he won’t be reminded to much about his wife’s Polish ancestry’
‘So I will be your cousin Casimir ?’
‘Yes, what do you think about that plan ?’
‘It sounds great, my lady !’
‘You will have to call me, aunty though’ she said with a smile.
Pawel looked at the address on the note in his hand and then looked up to the house again. It didn’t look anything like he had expected. Instead of some small dwelling in downtown Hamburg, it was a grand villa in one of Hamburg’s suburbs.
‘Maybe Kazimierz’ aunt works and lives here as a maid’, he thought and then walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and an elderly man appeared who looked down upon Pawel with a certain disdain.
‘Yes !’
‘Good day, sir. I am looking for Anna Müller ? Is she here ?’
‘Pardon ? Who are you ?’
The man took another good look at Pawel, saw his somewhat dirty clothes and a nasty smile appeared on his face.
‘I am a friend of her family.’
‘A friend, you say ? Do you have an appointment with Mrs. Von Müller ?’
‘No, I don’t have an appointment.’
‘Then Mrs. Von Müller has no time for you. Please leave at once !’
The man then closed the door
‘Hmm’ Pawel thought ‘Mrs. Von Müller ! That didn’t sound like the name of a maid at all.’ And he rang the door bell again. And the same man, opened the door again, this time with a more angry look on his face.
‘Listen up you, I told you to leave. If you don’t leave immediately, I will call the police.’
‘But I want to speak to Mrs. Von Müller.’
‘You don’t have an appointment and looking at you and I don’t think Mrs. Von Müller wants to see you. Now leave or else ....’
Pawel then made a last attempt
‘Tell her, that her cousin from Gnesen, is here !’
Somewhat the surprised the man asked ‘cousin...?’
Suddenly from the background a woman’s voice could be heard ‘Albrecht, who is it at the door ?’
The elderly man turned his head around and said
‘It is nothing, my lady, just a man who claims to be your cousin, I will take care of this.’
Steps could now be heard inside the house
‘My cousin, you say ! Then don’t keep him waiting, Albrecht. Let him in !’
‘But, my lady.... I don’t think.’
Impatiently Pawel stepped forward and pushed the man aside ‘you heard what the lady said, Albrecht. Introduce me to her.’ And then he walked into the marbled hallway.
The old man’s face was now red of anger.
‘Follow me..... sir’ and he guided Pawel to a small salon, where a finely dressed woman in her mid fifties awaited them.
‘My lady, your cousin ......’ and he looked to Pawel
‘Kazimierz.’ Pawel said
‘....Casimir’ has arrived.
The woman, first took a surprised look at Pawel, a look that then showed some disappointment. She then said to the male servant ‘Thank you, Albrecht. You may go now and please close the door behind you.’
Albrecht walked backward and closed the doors to the salon. The woman now turned to Pawel
‘Who are you ?’ she asked ‘You are definitely not my cousin, Kazimierz ?’
‘No, I am not, I am a friend of Kazimierz, my name is Pawel, my lady.’
‘To bad, I was hoping for some news about my sister and him. I haven’t heard from them in a long time and the news I have heard from Gniezno has made be worried.’
‘I am from Gniezno, my lady.’
‘Really, but that’s wonderful. Sit down pleas, and tell me, how is the situation there and how are my sister and cousin ?’
‘Well what do you know about the situation, my lady.’
‘Not much, the newspapers here don’t say much about what is happening over there. But we all have heard rumours here. Are they true ?’
‘Oh, it is much worse than that, my lady.'
And then Pawel told the whole story, about the strikes, the fights with the police, the escalation, the arrival of the military, the fight on the barricades and the shooting of innocent citizens. And how Kazimierz told them about his aunt and uncle and how they obtained the address.
‘So then you escaped on that train ?’
‘Yes, it brought me to Posen, but before it reached the station there I jumped of it.’
‘But what happened to Kazimierz, wasn’t he with you on the train.’
Pawel, turned his head down and his face saddened.
‘No, Kazimierz, didn’t make it. He was shot while we were running to reach the train. I stopped and wanted to help him, but he said no, it’s too late for me, save yourself. He was very brave.’
There was a moment of silence as Pawel waited for the reaction of Kazimierz’ aunt
She took a deep sigh ‘so my cousin is dead ?’
‘Most likely, my lady, I wish I could have brought him with me. But he really begged me to go.’
‘Yes, that is how I remember Kazimierz, always looking out for someone else. My dear Pawel it must have been a horrible experience for you. But why did you come here ? Why do you think I can help you ?’
‘Well, Kazimierz told me your husband is a sailor or something...’ Pawel looked around the salon. There were paintings and pictures on the wall of ships, important looking men and what looked like some natives from faraway lands. ‘but looking at all of this, he must have been somewhat wrong.’
A smile returned on Mrs. Von Müller’s face ‘a sailor or something ...? Well my husband is more than a sailor. He is the owner and president of a shipping company, the Hamburg Africa Shipping Company to be exact’.
Pawel also smiled ‘that is indeed something else, but that is even better. Maybe your husband could smuggle me out of the country, on one of his ships ?’
‘My husband is a firm supporter of the Imperial government, Pawel. I don’t think he will agree in helping a revolutionary out of the country.’
‘But he doesn’t have to know, my lady, you could help me.’
‘I don’t have anything to do with my husband’s business, so I am afraid I can’t help you there. I also have heard that each ship that leaves the harbour is thoroughly searched, it is to dangerous to leave now.’
‘But what must I do then ?’
‘Well, you could stay here, for a while ?’
‘Here, but how ?’
‘Well, we could pretend that you are my cousin Kazimierz, who is visiting his aunt.’
‘But would your husband, believe that ?’
‘He has never met Kazimierz, so if I tell him that you are our cousin, he will believe it. And if we use the German version of your name, Casimir, he won’t be reminded to much about his wife’s Polish ancestry’
‘So I will be your cousin Casimir ?’
‘Yes, what do you think about that plan ?’
‘It sounds great, my lady !’
‘You will have to call me, aunty though’ she said with a smile.
Edzako and Hyme
Thanks and nice to have you, on board
coz1
Thanks for the nice words
Thanks and nice to have you, on board
coz1
Thanks for the nice words
A great lady, Kasimierz's aunt, indeed. Well, at least Pawel is not within reach of the cruel Scheissengrüber, sorry, I meant Schickelgrüber.