Slavery in Norway: 1942-1945 by Radovan Rajić, 1996 Pages 34-56

Radovan Rajić, Ropstvo u Norveškoj: 1942-1945, Beograd: Mrlješ

In the hull of the ship we descend down using 2 ladders (260 people in our group) 12 meters high. The guards took one away, tied the other with a rope so that it could be pulled away immediately in case of danger.

This is so that they would not be in the way during a rescue. One thing is clear, we remain in the hull of the ship and there we will find death. Four German planes are circling above the ship itself… At the exit, they doubled guard, we only go to the toilet in groups of 5.

Fear is in all of us. I am as cold as this dungeon of ours. Bosnians are praying to God around me. I take out a photo of my two dearest beings in the world, Lilče and Ljubica. I said that I would hold them in my hands in case of sinking to be together with them in the depths of the sea. I feel sorry for the two of them, I’m not thinking of myself because I became numb to it. I don’t know which one I feel sorry for more. Lilče is already mine, and Ljubica? She was not only a proper wife to me, but a collaborator – a comrade; a sister as well, further stil,l a mother. She is a mother because she harboured such feelings, knowing that my whole life I was without parental love. I’m sorry because she will be grieving together with Lilče, but she will teach Lilče to love me. It’s my peace of mind. If I do come back alive, next to the two of them, after all this slavery and suffering, I will be the happiest man in the world.

I am continuing the description of the place. 5:00 p.m. – the whole day the ship is going fast and all around is just stone, stone… As far as I can see in the depths of the earth, there are huge stone hills and mountains. The stone is grey and there is no vegetation. Only here and there a stone tower, like a nest. To the right endless grey stone mountains, to the left endless blue sea. Darkness.

September 29, 1942 – The same situation today, that of danger and a picture of the Norwegian coast. At the foot of huge stone mountains, a village, greenery: moss. In the evening, around 7 o’clock, stone hills as high as the sky!! Further on, the snow is white, snow… and it’s only September.

September 30, 1942 – The same situation today: insecurity and stones, snow.

October 1, 1942 – Great joy: announcement of the disembarkment from the ship.

VI NORWAY

October 1. I’m saved, because we made it to the Norwegian mainland, but I hope that October will be even happier… And for the third time I escaped great danger. The first trip from Vienna to Heiligen Kreuz, the second was typhus and the third, this most difficult part. As the superstitious would say that God helps three times, except that I don’t believe in that. I believe in my two angels: Lilče and Ljubica. Now I look at her photos and share with them the joy of salvation.

A note on the travel. On the 23rd, we didn’t eat anything all day: 50 of us in a van with luggage. We only got 1/4 of the bread in the ship before midnight. On board, daily: a plate of soup (unpeeled potatoes) completely lean, less than 1/5 of bread and 10 (ten)! grams of margarine. As for the ship, it is like a dungeon 12 m high, the people crowded together, crouched, bent, neither lying down nor sitting; cold steel walls. Me in the corner, humidity, my luggage all wet. Hungry, cold, my chest hurts, my stomach boils, I don’t digest what I eat; the whole body hurts, the bones are brittle, the head is buzzing, the ears are buzzing; I feel dizzy, I can barely climb the ladder because my legs are shaking. The air is terrible, the dust is suffocating. Viewed from above from the deck, half-lit day and night, it actually looks like a dungeon or some kind of tomb. I’m all bloated. It’s no wonder.

That’s why I can’t wait to get my hands on land, come what may. And constant hunger, physical, and

on board also mental: I got nervous. Thanks to Viennese sunbathing, I don’t cough. That sunbathing did me a world of good. This journey takes eight nights and seven days by boat, plus one day to Szczecin by train – a total of eight nights and eight days under terrible conditions. I’m noting further places.

1) Trondheim (German: Trondheim). We landed in this town. “Politika” daily wrote about this town. Otherwise, a beautiful town, the centre of which is entered through its bay by sea ships, there are several bays, it gradually climbs uphill; it’s stony, but there is also beautiful greenery – conifers. A clean and orderly place. Because of the hill, villas-houses were built in the form of steps, with gardens, flowers. Interesting: one whole street and more on two floors made of wood, but it cannot be easily noticed. Everywhere in Norway there are wooden houses like this, beautiful and finely furnished.

So, I am in Norway, the most extreme country in Europe, the extreme north where in the north there are six months of daylight and six months of night, an interesting country in general. I never thought I would ever come here. But here I am. We go further on by truck with a trailer, 3 trucks, 200 of us in one camp? We keep riding along the bay, wonderful hills covered with fir forest, in the plains the harvest of barley and rye, only now, and it is already October. The wheat is piled on 2 m high stacks like beans in our country. I haven’t seen this anywhere, 5 bundles on a pole. It’s already very dark, but people are still working in the field, and you can’t see a thing. Weird! Packed in the truck like sardines, we travel for a long, long time. Sometimes it’s hard to go uphill, sometimes it’s rushing downhill, abysses, stones. Our trailer ran into a hill on a curve, luckily there was no abyss behind it, the drive r is careful, but no use. At one point, he braked to let pass a car loaded with

wood, my left arm was a centimetre away from disaster, because I couldn’t hold it, it was outside the trailer. The driver jumps out timidly and asks what it is, I said in German: Alles gut. We rush on, where? It’s been pitch black for a while. Now there’s the bay, now the mountains, stones. Our situation worsens tonight. As if to make our life even more miserable, the night is terrible: it is raomomg, the wind is blowing and black clouds are swirling over the Norwegian mountains, which are black in this dark night like some kind of scarecrow. The officer shines a flashlight on us now and then.

I already feel the slavery, I admit that it is hard for me, a sadness overwhelms me: the impact of this dangerous ride in this terrible night in the rain, the wind, the darkness, the cold in the night. We go zigzag, along the hairpin bends as if we were running around the same place. Grave silence, we whisper, you can see that the people are sad, quiet. Darkness before our eyes, darkness in the thoughts, in our soul, in our heart, envelops us like a black veil. The only light that shines on me are the two of them, my two angels from the Baltic Sea. That’s what I call them: “saving angels from the Baltic Sea”. Here they are again to save. When I think of them, I always think of Mum and Dad. I am afraid that they may be angry with me for leaving poor Lilče to their care, and Ljubica in the

camp, in these difficult times. All my own fault. At this moment, the thought that I might already be cursed brought tears to my eyes. I’m crying like never before. But it’s not easy for me either. If I come back alive, I hope they will forgive me. Who knows? Whether they condemn me torments me and gives me no peace. This pain has been holding me like a ghost since the arrest. I have to think of everything.

We take off our clothes, go on foot with heavy luggage through the forest. A narrow, stony path, you can’t see a thing. We stumble, although the guards repeat “Achtung” (attention), I fall three times. My right knee is bleeding, I feel the pain. Ah! Here we are already in the camp. On the very shore of some kind of bay, as wide as the Danube, on both sides wooded hills, wooden shacks, barbed wire. I was thinking and didn’t sleep all night. We arrived at midnight. Tomorrow we rest and the day after tomorrow we start working. What? I do not know. We should stop finally. I’m tired of this constant change of camp and new fear…

October 31, 1942 – As soon as the second day we started working on building underground storage-bunkers and streets for them. Here’s what I did: I pushed carts with earth, stone, loaded, dug canals; crushed stone with a big hammer; mixed concretecement, paved the street, etc. The work is hard. The mud that I throw up to 2 meters high sticks to the shovel and cracks the ribs, the whole body writhes, sweat breaks out. Arms, back, legs hurt. The work is on the sea bay itself, it rains constantly, there are storms, there are snowstorms often, the wind blows. Muddy, sloppy all over and wet as we are, the tent we have is not much use. The work is not interrupted, we work for 10 hours, but in fact there is no rest all day. Getting up at 5, immediately checking, counting, etc. At

noon it’s time for lunch, but by the time we get through the mud up the hill to the camp we don’t have lunch, we’re already leaving and so on until 9:00. Rest every other week – 15 days without rest! It is an even greater evil that we cannot dry ourselves: 100 people in a room with 2 small stoves. The result: in the morning we go to work wet from socks to hats, and it’s raining, cold, windy, snowing outside. It’s terrible. Some say: better dead than a slave, so they also want death! It’s hard and I can barely hold on, but: the two of them, freedom… That’s what keeps me going. People get hurt and sick at work. Miraculously I am healthy and unharmed. Peasants and workers succumb. Some people are surprised.

But I’m thin: skin and bones. The people say: tired as if he had been turning the earth. It is being turned by workers and peasants, but under different conditions… Here, the guards keep shouting Los, los.. and poor food. Hunger bothers me the most. We got very hungry on the way. And the work is hard.

In addition to this: it is terribly dirty. We cannot wash our faces, let alone wash ourselves. Head lice appeared and we fear typhus. A room full of mud, wet; we eat on the beds, muddy shoes, muddy clothes. A bed full of crumbs, food scraps, mud and misery. There is no soap.

We don’t change clothes. I often wish I were sick, so I could rest my body, or want to hurt myself. Slightly, in both cases, but I must not get sick or hurt? That is why I am doing my best not to get sick or hurt. My head: of course, it often aches…

I will see how it will be in November. I’m afraid of the cold.

Norwegians work with us as master craftsmen at the “Todt” organisation. About thirty of them. It’s incredible how well-mannered, friendly, calm, quiet, noble these people are. They pass by us countless times a day and always say hello and smile, that is, if they are allowed… In the beginning, so to speak, they took bread and cigarettes from their mouths and brought them. Now they are forbidden to do so… Tobacco is sent to us by a company that builds the bunkers. They are still secretly giving it if they can, but it is almost impossible. At the beginning, one of them, who speaks some German (we usually communicate in German), gave me a large slice of bread well spread with pure butter, and on it a fine red marmalade with raisins in it. It was delicious, also, 1/4 litre of pure milk. This was like a salve. Is it because I’m hungry? Both. By the way, their favorite breakfast is buttered bread topped with marmalade or honey and 1/2 litre of milk. I never liked anything that much. Will I live to eat my heart out of it? They cook thick dishes thickly in butter. Those who received it, say: thank you, thank you. Butter smells good, especially dishes with potatoes, combined. It just makes my stomach hurt when I see it and smell the butter in the dish, which is yellow from the fried butter. Ah! Slavery, slavery.

November 22, 1942 – Yesterday, on Archangel Michael Day, we dug a canal. Snow, rain, wind for several days. Yesterday it snowed and the snow melted on our clothes. A little later, the cold wind blows again and freezes the bones. Also early this morning, ready for work, but the order came: today our room of 100 people to get ready for departure, tomorrow the other 100. We travel by small boat. Where to, now! There’s no joy in it! We are on the move again, pain and trouble! But a miracle! To this day, I have remained healthy next to the mass of people sick with cold, work, poor food! I’ll see how it goes.

We traveled in a cold trailer until before midnight, then trucks, open in the snow, wind, and cold. We arrived at barracks made of wood and barbed wire even on the windows. There were no stoves and we lay down on the bare boards, wet and cold. We chatted all night. The following day we immediately went to work. My shift works in a stone quarry!

It is well-known what it’s like to work there and still be under guard… It’s not the only trouble. I work from 4 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. A break for lunch that we often don’t finish, because it is far from the camp. Getting up at 3 a.m.! Snow, frost, wind, insufficient food, lack of sleep! I am feeble, and the worst thing is the wet suit that freezes. So on the 27th, wet, freezing, tired, I fell unconscious on the trench, for a briefly, but…

The hygienic conditions are terrible. The shack is leaking and I put a bucket on my bed, but I happen to spill it at night, in my sleep, all over myself. There is no water for drinking, not to mention for washing ourselves or clothes. Drinking-cooking water is brought by truck in a barrel. We don’t wash, we don’t change, we don’t wash our faces, we don’t shave. There is no time, room 25 can accommodate 10 people. The snow on the shoes and the dirt stinks, mud and water on the floor. Unbearable! I don’t know how long this pace of work and these conditions will go on for. It’s the end of November.

Another miracle! I’m still healthy but here I am…

I was chosen immediately as the room head. There is no supplement, but I don’t tidy up or do other things that have to be done, the room head doesn’t do. In that camp there, I was the deputy warden. Otherwise, I distribute dry dinner, bread, etc. The head has big rights, to use various punishments, even with bread, beatings. But I don’t do that, except for stealing. A hard life, but the two of them, hope for freedom soon…

December 15, 1942 – Until today, day and night work in the quarry… From today we are unloading cement on the ship. (30,000 sacks!) Terrible dirt. They are not visible from the cement either. And so we lie unwashed. There is no water. My skin was all blistered with dirt. The horror! Otherwise skin and bones! Hunger. Working hours continuously from 7- 8. We lunch on the go, on the quay, work immediately! The food is cold, and the cold blows and whistles across. And again a miracle! Many of them got sick, got injured, I’m still in one piece!

January 7, 1943 – Christmas. Today is already a year since I was deprived of my freedom. Right on Christmas Eve, the police came to the door, and just a little before that, Ljubica and I were saying that we were in no danger… That ominous night, tying the hands and legs with chains and padlocks to the back and 3-4 of them beating me. This was repeated almost all night. All bruised and beaten up, I could neither lie nor sit nor walk. And in the following days it went on…

Today: Christmas, we are working. Frost, we unload iron, cement, etc. on the barge. Food: breakfast, a cup of coffee without sugar, lunch: a plate of potato soup, unpeeled, broken in half, dinner: 300 grams of bread and 40 grams of dry food. So hunger. The thought of eating last Christmas almost gives me a stomach ache. How long will this black slavery last? Will I stay alive? It’s hard, it’s hard.

January 31, 1943 – During January, I worked in a group of 20 people which is permanent and work on the dock. We unload cement, wood, iron, coal, sand, etc. just carrying load. So I became a porter. We work continuously. We have not had a vacation for four months. Sundays and holidays do not exist. So, we go to work by truck (8-9 km), and if it’s cold and windy, we still happen to fall asleep in the truck. Fatigue. This group is better than the others because we don’t work the night shift. It is constant, and most importantly, we also get some food from travellers, sailors, even from the German soldiers! And sometimes we barge into some Norwegian house where we get bread or something else. They are very happy to give, even though both they and we are being punished. But we are in the same position, so we understand each other… So during January, I ate bread, fish, etc. 4-5 times. To get filled up on food here, it’s a sensation, a desire, a thirst! It’s terrible to be hungry and still do hard work. For this group, you have to thank other comrades who took me into the group and saved me from hard work and gave me the opportunity to get a bite outside the rations.

March 1, 1943 – In February I worked in the same group. No rest. Due to the stricter controls, I could not get anything to eat from the Norwegians in February. The work is hard and the food is poor. But March is a happy month for me. When we came on October 1 and found the snow, since I was poorly dressed, with terrible shoes, and thin without body heat, I was afraid of the cold, and I am so sensitive to cold. And now, 5 months have passed and my fingers, legs, ears, nose are all intact and miraculously I remained healthy and unharmed. Although it is March with snow, the days are warm and the danger of frost has passed. But I went without dinner about 15 times, living on one serving of soup, buying the warmest clothes and other stuff I could get. I wrapped myself up in every way so as not to get cold and here I am saved, unlike the others. Luckily, this is a coastal

area and it is not very cold.

March 30, 1943 – Today we received a new command and guards. The army took us over from the “Todt” organization. I will write about how the organisation “Todt” treated us in due time… and I don’t know how the army will treat us now.

By the way, this month I’m working in the same group, but we repaired the streets, we did a little work on the pier.

This month too, I ate my heart out 3-4 times thanks to the noble Norwegians, about whom I must say a few more words. They give and that’s why they are punished with forced labour and they give again. To get six months of forced labour and still give is a miracle. They give you even their last bite when you go to their home. They drop a parcel at work, leave it on the street next to work. They wrap the parcel well and throw it in the bins. They are trying in every way to get us food. They also give gloves, sweaters, socks, etc. These are peasants and workers who live and eat in a completely urban manner.

April 21, 1943 – Something new. They took away all our civilian clothes and we were given German military uniforms, only dyed green. Now we look nice, especially those caps. The army, only missing a belt and a knife… Gone are those colourful torn and diverse clothes, red emblems, capital letters KZN (Kriegszivilhäftlinge – civilian prisoner of war) in greasy white paint on the back, we looked terrible. But there was one accident. In that confusion during the change of clothes, a photograph fell out of this Diary, because the Diary itself was thrown out of the room into the camp grounds where everything that was old was burned, etc.

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April 25, 1943 – A happy day! Today is Catholic Easter, and nobody knows when, whether today or May 2. We keep guessing. That’s not the joy, it’s joy that we got the letter forms and I contacted Stole, since I don’t know where my family are. With impatience and fear, I expect to hear what happened to them? When will the answer come?

April 25, 1943 – Something new again. Today we received metal POW numbers to wear around our necks. I don’t know why this is. We also received camp numbers, metal ones for work. If someone does not work well or moves further than 50 m from the place of work, his number is taken away and the punishment follows: he does not get lunch or dinner, cigarettes, etc. and gets a beating.

April 30 1943 – This month it is just like in March: the work is the same, but it is impossible to get some food from the Norwegians, especially since we got the numbers.

May 31, 1943 – In May, just like in April, there is no rest. We work all the time. We only rested on the first day of Easter. I feel very tired.

June 1, 1943 – Since the army took us over for these 2 months, the result is this: the food has somewhat improved. The treatment is better. Hygienic conditions are very good compared to the previous ones. The laundry is washed and we bathe and change clothes every week. We wash ourselves and enough water is brought in barrels. So the danger of typhus has passed.

One observation: when we arrived here in autumn, the day looked like this: the sun rises at 11 and sets at 2. It doesn’t move anywhere, it rises a little at 11 and lowers at 2. That is to say, it’s night all the time, but now at 1:00 a.m. you can read the newspaper. It’s daylight almost all day. There is no night. Otherwise, every day we see the tides, the ebb and flow of the sea. Although it is June 1, they are plowing and sowing only now. There is snow on the hills, we don’t have overcoats yet, the sun sets at 11.30 at night.

June 30, 1943 – Work and everything like in May. No rest. We were vaccinated three times against typhus and malaria. Today we received the forms for the parcel, but we didn’t write anything on them, only the name and the correct address. I sent again to Stole because I did not receive a reply to the letter dated April 25.

July 1, 1943 – We got writing cards. I wrote to Stole.

July 18, 1943 -We got writing cards again. I sent it uncle Đoka.

July 22, 1943 – The happiest day of my life! I got a card from home today. Ljubica and Ljiljana are alive. From today, slavery will not be so hard for me. I know why I am a slave and when the day of freedom comes I will have someone to share this great joy with.

July 25, 1943 – Today I received the letter form. I wrote to Ljubica. For the first time in her name.

July 31, 1943 – Work as in June – no rest. This month is lucky for me. The two of them are alive! Another 3-4 times I ate fresh fish, naturally oily herring, delicious, delicacies, also bread. I got all this from Norwegians on the boat. Now is the herring fishing season.

August 1, 1943 – We received the letter and parcel forms. I sent them to Ljubica.

August 4, 1943 – Form and letter again. I also received a card from Ljubica.

August 10, 1943 – Even though it is a plain here, next to a sea bay, the first sheaf of barley fell today, while the wheat is still green. A little wheat, oats, rye, barley and potatoes. Nothing else, no fruit anywhere. Today is a cold day – the summer is over. On average, we had to wear overcoats every other day. These days we are watching the delivery of herring. Various boats bring food. It is packed in barrels, crates, like our plum season, for example, when they are brought to the market.

August 30, 1943 – Today I received a newspaper (3 issues, from 16-18), out of 510 people I was the first to receive a newspaper from Serbia. Here, in distant Norway, it has caused great joy that we can read our newspaper. At the same time, I received a letter. Joy: Lilče started school.

August 31, 1943 – Work and everything as in July. I ate fish and bread again 3-4 times.

September 20, 1943. My favourite day: Daddy’s girl’s birthday. I received a parcel today for the first time (one kilo), 3 letters and a newspaper. All the best, my kitten.

September 30, 1943 – Work and other things as in August. There is no vacation. I receive letters regularly and it gives me great joy. Otherwise hyg. conditions lately are good: we wash every Saturday and wear clean clothes that are washed in the laundry room; there are workshops for shoes and suits, and as soon as something is torn, it is immediately mended. We also have a barbershop. The most important thing is that so far we have received injections against all infectious diseases about eight times, and we have been vaccinated once. Except for injuries, there are no other diseases. It is really lucky, because we are numerous.

We all look good, because since the army took us a parcel, the sick and weak are constantly being rounded up and sent to the Ålesund sick camp where they recover. When they come back, sometimes we cannot recognise them.

If it had only been like that before, many would be alive today… We got seven mandolins, several chessboards, dominoes and some other fun games. Also one soccer ball. But I don’t have time for fun. Those who stay in the camp can have fun. We haven’t had a Sunday off for years now. Our group always works.

October 31, 1943 -This month, as well as the last, I have done well with food, the parcels are also coming. On the 28th of this month I weighed myself and I weighed 70 kg. I weigh more but its net measure.

November 13, 1943. I received a new number, 1539. This number, counts us as prisoners of war, not as civilian prisoners like before.

January 7, 1944 – Christmas, two years since my arrest. Today I worked all day and again, tonight I’m working night shift, concreting. But I am happy because my stomach is full, I even gave my ration, a lunch and dinner, to a comrade. In addition, I received three cards and two letters. An interesting comparison: the first, the second and the third Christmas, it is getting better and better. I hope this is the last one in slavery.

February 13, 1944 – Today is the first Sunday after 17 months that we do not work. And we got up at 8 a.m. instead of 6:30. From now on, we will have to work 2 Sundays until noon, and the third Sunday we will not work all day. That’s an order. We’ll see. A few days ago, we received several of our books from the Danish Red Cross.

February 15, 1944 – Today, joy in the camp. Our camp (about 450 people) received 325 parcels of 9 kilos each from the Egyptian Red Cross. In them: rice, beans, butter, lentils, marmalade, tomatoes (cans), peas, etc. The two remaining extra parcels will be given to those who did not receive any from home. From them I received 4 kg of rice and 1/2 kg of butter! Nice.

February 22, 1944 – Dokić, the main interpreter (Chief interpreter Svetozar Dokić), called today for the first time for an extra helping of lunch, but hardly anyone answered, even if it was peeled potatoes with peas. What with the parcels from the Egyptians, from home, the supply of bread outside the camp for cigarettes and other things, the people are full. Who would have hoped for that.

Not even in my dreams. Last year in the winter when there was an extra helping – which was untasty, people pushed and shoved each other so that the butt was used, the club hit on the head, the back, but hunger knows no fear, the crowd rushed forward.

March 13, 1944 – We received today from the American Red Cross a 5 kg parcel. 100 cigs in them. and 14 types of various foods including chocolate.

April 7, 1944 – We received from the American Red Cross: 2 pairs of underpants, 2 shirts, 2 T- shirts; 1 pair of trousers; 1 pair of shoes, 2 handkerchiefs, 2 pairs of socks. At the same time, the rest of the American parcel of 5 kg was distributed to us, namely 2 parcels for 3 people.

Something about cigarettes used as money, here. Now there are enough cigarettes and bread in the camp – food, that is, thanks to the parcels. Earlier: we had to barter: a soldier’s bread for about 20-25 cigarettes, a meal ration 6-8 cigarettes. And outside the camp, bread could be obtained for 10-12 (from soldiers and Todt members). Now: in camp bread 10-12, out of camp 6. E.g. loaves used to be 8-10, now 4-5. Cigarettes now in camp, 2-3 cigarettes, but most are given for free. For almost half a year I give almost 1/2 a ration for free, and I used to receive or buy it myself.

May 15, 1944 – When we went to Norway, all the little things were taken away – penknives, pieces of wire, forks, lighters, pencils, some clothes, etc. Here in Norway, in the beginning, everything that we had acquired: bags, backpacks, suitcases, etc., was taken from us. We only had a uniform and nothing more. In the course of time, we ammased things again. Now in the rooms there are: bags, suitcases, private clothes, boxes, lighters, knives, etc. But the most beautiful thing in our “home” is that you can see family pictures, even framed, some drawings, etc. Now they’ve declared us “human beings”. Up until now, the most strictly forbidden thing was to have a piece of wire, today they gave us a box. They also give us pencils, tooth powder, razors, etc.

May 17, 1944 – Today we received American parcels again, 4 parcels for 5 people. Same as the previous content, but 140 cigarettes each.

May 18, 1944 – As of 2-3 months ago, beatings were abolished and “criminals” are now sent to prison – “Chinese pagoda” for 3-14 days. I didn’t note this at the time until I saw it for myself. I don’t much trust the black mob.

May 25, 1944 – Today we received an American parcel of 5 kg, 100 cigarettes and other things. Lately we’ve introduced a little entertainment. Every week we organise dances, singing, recitation. Through “Sparrow” ( “Sparrow” – humorous sketch, which recount current experiences. Specific form humor is especially nurtured at partisan events ), we caricature the events in the camp. We teach the illiterate to read and write.

We are still doing something that is commendable. In this Diary I highlighted, in short, what the Norwegians did for us. Although behind the same wires, we are able to repay them. From American, Serbian and other parcels, we take away and give: cigarettes, coffee, chocolates (for children), etc. We use situations in which we get in touch with them, and it is often thrown from the truck. This became known throughout the region and is well received.

June 4, 1944 – Sunday. Get ready for a walk?! Who? Where? A walk for slaves! It is not a joke. From now on, on Monday afternoons when the weather is nice, the groups working in the camp will go for a walk: cobblers, tailors, laundrymen, cooks, etc. With a guard but not for work. To the forest, the meadow. They promoted us to people… June 5, 1944 Today came 2 delegates of the International Red Cross from Geneva to inspect the camp and the conditions under which we live. But… it’s too late for that now…

June 7, 1944 – Today we received 1 parcel from the American Red Cross of 5 kg each. As before.

July 4, 1944 – We received from Ireland the rest of the parcels that were sent to Yugoslav prisoners of war: 4 people per parcel. At the same time, we received again about 90 parcels of rice from the Egyptian Red Cross. This was given to the kitchen to cook soup for dinner. Certain things are also taken out of American parcels and given to the kitchen. For example, cocoa for breakfast etc.

Some observations about Germany

1) Wood ready for the stove is stacked like hay.

2) Oxen are not yoked. The carts are pulled by their horns, i.e. on their foreheads, there

is something like the things horses have under their necks. There is no yoke.

3) People cut their hair right around halfway up their heads. Some sort of a crest

remains on the head.

4) Sheep without tails. You can see it everywhere. I don’t know where that came from?

5) Women carry burden, not on their backs, but with a yoke around their necks like oxen

– the weight comes from the left and right sides of the arms instead of from the back and

stomach.

6) Instead of wine, there is a jug of milk on the table next to the cookies. For breakfast, bread spread with butter, lard and topped with honey, marmalade, powdered sugar. Very nice, delicious.

8. Dogs look after sheep, cattle. They return home alone. I did not see the shepherds.

Dinner:

From 250-300 grams of bread, on average from 20-80 g of dry food, because dinner is never cooked. This dry food includes: various artificial cheeses: margarine, artificial honey; artificial marmalade, cooked meat, salami, 1 egg; some bad cans. A little, but in general we can say that we ate. We did not want.

All these three meals mean one lunch, normal. Potatoes always peeled. Homemade

combinations of dishes with and without potatoes that I saw in Austria:

1) Potatos-peas, peeled or old ripe or sweet potato,

2) Potatos-lentils,

3) Potatos-sauerkraut,

4) Sweet potatos-cabbage

a) Potatoes – various root greens or leaf greens (root and leaf separately),

6) Potatos-beans,

7) Potato-pickles,

8) Potatoes-various pasta-macaroni, etc.

9) Peas-macaroni or other pasta,

10) Lentils-macaroni or other pasta,

11) Bean-macaroni or other pasta,

12) Beans – several different greens – especially soup roots.

Of course, these dishes are made with meat, fat and sauce, and it goes without saying

that they are tasty. The scale-ratio is convenient, i.e. they go 1:1-1:2 1:3 3:2=2:3 etc.

Depending on the combination, according to taste.

Daily amount of food in Norway

1) Breakfast – coffee, almost without sugar (with sugar only for 2 months).

2) Lunch – one food ration,

3) Dinner – bread from October 1 1942 to December 1 1/3 and every third day 1/2; from

July 15, 1943 to May 10, 1944, once a week 1/2; from January 10 ’44. 1/3 to October 31,

1/2 twice a week; from February 1 ’44. until January 15 ’45. 1/4 all the time, from January

15 ’45. to April 11 1/4:1/3, from April 11 ’45. 1/6 and 2 p. in 10 days.

Dry meals as in Austria, quality and quantity.

Quality of food: potatoes-barley, macaroni, beans, peas, lentils, dried fish, millet, shelled wheat, cabbage, soup in the evening from May 1, 1943 to May 1, 1944, 2-3 times a week. In conclusion, the quality of food in Norway is much better than in Austria, and especially in Germany, Sometimes soup for dinner, rarely. Potatoes are often peeled.

Daily amounts of food in Germany;

1) Breakfast cup of coffee without sugar,

2) Lunch one plate of food,

2) Dinner – less than 1/5 of bread. About 30 g of dry food. Food worse than in Austria, less frequent. Potatoes unpeeled, always. A mixture of cooked and dry food in Austria, but mostly potatoes and cabbage.

July 7, 1944 – Today, I went out to the dock with with 10 comrades under the charge of refusing to work and “sabotaging”. As a punishment, we were sent to work in the stulm. People fear the very word stulm. Here’s what it looks like: it is drilled into the stone pit,

there are streets with rooms, etc. Outside, the sun shines, there is greenery, flowers, fields, meadows. Simply summer, everything is lush. Stones are taken out of the stulm. When we enter the stulm from the outside from this nature and clean air, the very moment we enter we are hit by dampness, the smell of stone, darkness, bad odour and cold even though it is warm outside. But inside it is real hell, four drills drill the stone, making a terrible noise that deafens the ears, shakes the whole body like an electric current, while water leaks from the damp walls and ceiling and often drips on the head. Ears start ringing, headache sets in. Stone dust penetrates the chest and tears it, man turns white as if in a mill. It stings the eyes and the ears. The feeling in the mouth and the stomach is terribly bland from the wet rock dust. You can’t feel the taste of food. After pausing while the wagon is filling up, when it is being driven out, the air splashes us when we leave, so

that we almost stagger. Prince Marko’s Dungeon. Luckily we work for 8 hours instead of 10 and 12. We don’t have masks.

July 10, 1944 -We received today from the American Red Cross 1 pair of socks, 1 handkerchief, 1 Spanish Republican Army scarf, 1 pair of warm woolen gloves.

July 16, 1944 – As an extension of entertainment and spiritual improvement, we started publishing wall newspapers. We edit them well. In addition to the fun part, all scientific branches are covered. They come out every Thursday. I am also cooperating. I also participate in a singing choir that has achieved great success. We also have a drama club. Today we performed “Đido” by Janko Veselinović Considering that we have no stage, no props, no hall, we are forced to manage on our own. And yet the piece is satisfying. Female roles are played by some comrades who have a female face and voice. We received women’s dresses from the O. T. cmp, and the tailor and the shoomaker

made sure to make certain things from newspapers.

Image: Erland Peninsula, unloading sand on August 15, 1944

September 1, 1944 – All cultural and educational events in the camp have been suspended. Even German newspapers, although the Germans themselves gave us one for each room since a year ago.

September 26, 1944 – We received another parcel: just as before. These days, we have had cases of appendicitis and surgery was duly performed. Also blood samples were taken from the cooks, and from the rest of us. And those whose blood is not pure are being sent for treatment. It’s certainly a commendable thing because these diseases were not acquired here, but have been carried on from Serbia, especially blood diseases. There are no infections. Only injuries.

October 4, 1944 – Work in the stulm has been completed. Today was a bright, sunny day. We’re on our way, when we receive the news: the work stops. Joy. I caught some sun and air! Today we worked in the sun and tonight I feel easy, the lungs are working better, they are getting cleaned. A friend came in the other day and said: this is the Devil’s Kingdom. The dampness has drained me and now I’m pale, coughing. This is the picture: after, for example, loading a large stone into the wagon, we sit, sweaty and tired in the semi-dark corner, the light fades, pale face, damp dripping down the head, crouching on the stone. We look like real slaves from those medieval dungeons, except we don’t have chains on our hands. This is what that Todt member did to us, he is next to me in the picture next to me. Otherwise, our military guard – the command did not punish us, it was

Todt on his accusation.

October 15, 1944 – We all received from the American Red Cross 1 good winter coat, 1 wool scarf, 1 jacket-type overcoat.

October 26, 1944. Another parcel from the American Red Cross.

December 17, 1944 – No more mail from Serbia. The last letter from Ljubica and Ljilja is dated September 10. Uncertainty, thoughts, worries arise again. It’s Sunday, we don’t work and go through old mail. It’s a pleasant passtime. December 23, 1944 – Received one parcel each from the American Red Cross

January 7, 1945 – Christmas. Today is exactly 3 years since I have been a slave. I am convinced that this is the last year of slavery. One more joy. From today there will be no work on Sundays. After three years. Now I’m looking forward to Sunday.

March 14, 1945 – I received a parcel from the American Red Cross.

April 19, 1945 – Order to move! Tomorrow we go. Where? We do not know. We are not working today (Thursday). We are all packing.

April 20, 1945 – We are traveling by boat. It is pouring with rain, wind, it’s quite cold. But the situation is favourable and we are all happy. We are standing on the deck soaking wet in the pouring rain, although we can go down into the ship’s hull. Nothing feels hard for us now. We keep playing music and singing. In the past, moving from the camp was difficult, there was trouble and suffering. New camp, new torments. Fear of work, treatment, starvation… We are moving away from the coast. We glance at our works, fortifications, bunkers, streets, stables, various buildings. We built, not underground, but in stone, entire streets in which there are apartments, warehouses, power stations, workshops, etc. left and right. Stone settlement. All this was the work of Serbian slaves.

Hundreds of thousands of years will pass, and this work of Serbian slaves will not be destroyed by natural forces… I worked all winter on a bunker, drilling stone with my hands, because there are no drill-machines, i.e. compressors. The bare stone hill, the cold, the wind that never stops blowing, and the iron wrinkles as cold as ice. We forgot all of these troubles. There is jubilation and joy. Our joy is marred by the looks of of some comrades directed towards the church in a place called Brekstad where the Norwegian cemetery is located. There, outside the fence, there are 70 graves of Serbian slaves. There remain the bones of those who have lived among us: brothers, fathers, sons, relatives. So these are those who have sadness in their hearts and are leaving this place with tears in their eyes, the more so as no one is taking care of the graves. They are overgrown with weeds,

even though they are new. Not even everyone’s names are known… Some devout Norwegian women lay some greenery on these graves from time to time.

Last Sunday, permission was sought from the command and 20 Serbs went to the cemetery under guard, carrying a large cross on which only the total number of dead was written. A huge green wreath was also made to decorate the cross. So, a modest but moving memorial under unusual conditions.

I will write about these graves, as well as others in various Norwegian camps, later… This afternoon we arrived in Trondheim, which was discussed upon arrival in Norway. There are 350 of us here. The rest went to other camps. What are we going to do? we will see.

April 27, 1945 – We have been here for a week now. Work: completed work on the naval settlement (apartments), land filling, planning, cleaning and selecting potatoes in huge cellars, etc. We work for 10 hours. The camp: wooden barracks, barbed wire, messy, I am in a room with 82 people! The beds are separate, but three one on top of each other. The most terrible thing is that we don’t have a bathroom. Laundry is washed regularly here.

April 28, 1945 – Although today is Saturday – a working day, almost half of the camps are closed. I got a good night’s sleep and here I am taking the Diary to write something about it. Half of the camp works for three days, and half rests, in shifts. We never dreamed 42-44) that we would work this much in 45. This will be discussed later… Now this is the picture: on huge construction sites with many Todt members (yellow race as we slaves call them) and slaves who scurry like ants… Today you can see some Todt members, flying past like ghosts. And we work like real prisoners of war, that’s only just to show we keep in motion. No one cares about work anymore. True, there is hope for some believer who shouts and would like to hit us with rifle butt, but…

That ship has sailed. There are no works, and there are not even enough guards. Therefore, the chains of slavery loosen, and the spirit of freedom is felt more and more, i.e. when we are freed from barbed wire and guards there will be no surprises for us. We were previously prepared for that a long time ago. We are not very bothered about 1/6 and 1/7 of bread.

April 29, 1945 – We received a parcel each from the American Red Cross.

May 6, 1945 – We received a parcel each from the American Red Cross.

May 7, 1945 – Today is exactly 3 years since I went to do forced labour in Germany. It is described on page one. But what a coincidence! May 7, 1942 and May 7, 1945. Today I was at work in the apartment complex of the navy settlement. I pounded the stones with a big hammer in order to level the street. And only by working order, the Trontauarim crew was ordered to lay down their arms to the Allies. The officers communicated this to the soldiers in groups in front of us. They told me that the Allies will come on Friday (today is Monday) and then they will lay down the weapons standing in ranks in this way: they will 4 Referring to the 1942-1944 period turn the guns i.e. barrels towards the leg and will salute the soldiers, and not by the fascist salute.

For us and for the army, this was not a miracle, because we were constantly watching the development of events in different ways. Still, this was the official announcement for this town. Even though the soldiers know that they are going into slavery, at least for a short time, they are happy and wink at us, they are laughing, but the officers gather in groups, talk and are depressed. Petrified. Small wonder… Of course, we are cheerful, but we have order, discipline, and dignity. When we arrived at the camp, congratulations, noise, joy, but – order. But the real day of freedom will come when we are released from the barbed wire, and we have no guards, no knives on guns. Immediately after the announcement, the Germans began to burn confidential documents, books, maps etc. Soldiers were carrying full sacks and it took 5 hours to burn it all. They want to cover the

tracks of their evil deeds.

One Russian camp – of the Red Army members, which is next to us, they were always calm.They don’t have parcels from the Red Cross, they are hungry, tortured, exhausted. But today they formed a circle, cheerful, singing wonderful Russian tunes. In our camp, there is song and dance, speeches are held. The emergence of the Yugoslav flag caused a roaring ovation, and it was flown on the stage by our main interpreter Voja Rakić, with the remark that he will put it up on the camp – barracks when we are formally free. We are expecting the Allies any minute. Events outside the wires Even though the Germans still have weapons in their hands and patrols are cruising through the town, the Norwegians started hanging their national flags on the houses immediately after 4:00 in the afternoon (the capitulation was announced at 2:00). Big and new. A group of children with small flags came before our and Russian barracks. They listen to our and Russian songs and dances. Joy all around. The Germans watch it all silently. Their empire is gone.

An announcement tonight that there is no more working. Interesting: when I started working in Norway, they first gave me a hammer to break stones, and here I finish with a hammer and stones.

May 9, 1945 – Today a wonderful sunny day dawned, which is rare in this country. It is as if nature itself is in our favour and rejoices with us. Today is our most solemn day. Today at 8:00 a.m. all the prisoners lined up in the camp. A moment later, the Yugoslav flag with a hammer and sickle was brought out in the left corner. 4 meters long and one meter wide. The command “Attention” was given and the flag was hung on a high pole in the camp grounds. Then the choir sang the Internationale song. At ease command was given and our commander Voja Rakić gave a speech about the importance of the flag and the coming days. Then the music played and we danced in a circle around the flag. The greatest joy and the greatest discipline that comes from within. Huge banners were hung on the barracks with the words: “Long live Marshal Tito”, “Long live the freedom of Yugoslavia”. One picture: a globe and on it Allied soldiers: a Russian, an Englishman, an American, with helmets and guns. Above their heads the Allied flag. Above the flag is the

front part of a four-wing bomber.

What a contrast! All this is happening while we are still inside the wire, under guard, because the Germans still hold power. The Allies have not yet arrived. Citizens and soldiers watch, but the officers, who are mostly fascists, turn their heads, frown, grumble. Around 2 o’clock the flag was proudly fluttering, and it hurt the eyes of the fascist beasts, who seemed to have forgotten that the guns had fallen silent at midnight and that Germany had unconditionally capitulated. They asked our guards to take down the flags. The guards refused this. They are even more enraged and are now asking for the intervention of the higher command, which will issue an order to take down the flags. The guards get an order and invite us to take it off. Our camp leadership rejects this and gives

the order: Everyone to the rooms! Silence! The Germans have to remove it themselves.

They are already taking them off, and we are calmly watching them, not succumbing to provocations, aware that this is the last wave of bloodthirsty fascism. And this time, this attitude of ours, that is victory. I await further development. Here they are already. Flags and banners were torn up and handed over to us. We get the command to come to the grounds peacefully and sing the Internationale and other battle songs. This is done in silence and order. A pleasant surprise at midnight. We received a radio from the Norwegians. They arranged it so that it would arrive within the wired perimeter. To our greatest joy, after 3 hours we heard for the first time in our language, from Moscow, the report about the German capitulation. Around 12:00 midnight our joy is increased by the Norwegian Red Cross which brought in 4 buckets of warm semolina and 4 buckets of warm milk.

From the 7th of this months almost no one sleeps day or night. Overnight, various banners are written, flags are sown. A flag is being prepared for the Russians who are unable to get the material. They know that and have declared that they will carry this flag to Moscow as a gift from Serbian prisoners.

Another detail of today. When the enraged fascists came this morning to take down the flags and the banners, an order was issued to use heavier weapons in addition to rifles. And we bare-handed in the wire! An order was also issued to destroy all banners. Our guards took them to their premises, but they did not want to destroy them and they will give them to us when the Allies come, because they must not do it sooner for fear of punishment.

May 10, 1945 – It was announced this morning: no more roll calls. Until now, the counting was carried out 2 times a day – morning and evening. It was not regular, that is, at the same time, that’s why we had to wait dressed, wet, tired, without having to do anything until then…

From tonight, the Norwegian Red Cross will give us food aid. We will also regularly receive milk, which we have wanted for a long time.

May 11, 1945 – Today we received 4 radios, new. 1 for every 100 people. This is a gift from the Norwegian Red Cross.

We also listen to Belgrade via London. Now we already have a clearer picture of Yugoslavia, its state structure, etc.

May 12, 1945 – Today, three Norwegian officers and a representative of the Red Cross came to our camp to inspect the camp. We are still guarded by the German army although the Norwegian People’s Police and military personnel have been in the town for 2-3 days. A paradox – while we are part of the allied army and free, and the Germans are prisoners of war and already wear white flags – a symbol in their hands, on the cars and buildings, we are still in under barbed wire and under German guard.