By this time, the Americans were getting close to us. Their tanks were in the hills and shooting at us daily. There were five of us Poles in a work detail. I said to one of them in a a low voice
"Very soon we will be free, the Americans are already shooting at our positions."
That German, Joe heard me, and I think he must have understood a little Polish, because he came up to me, and shouted
"What did you say?!" I should kill you for saying such things!"
He began to hit me across the back with his rubber truncheon. He just kept hitting me, and I realised he was going to beat me to death if I didn't do something! I had my new spade in my hand, just a tiny thing, with just a short handle and I thought,
"If God is in heaven, he just might help me!"
I turned round and gave him such a whack with the spade that he fell to the ground and I was left with just the broken handle in my hand. Well I ran for it, followed by the other Poles and we headed for the forest as fast as we could, before anyone had realised what was happening. We ran over the bombed out railway bridge over the river, and headed in the direction of the American tanks in the hills.
About 10 minutes later an SS squad arrived with a heavy machine gun and started firing after us in to the forest. I said to my friend, we just have to head towards the Yanks and hope that the SS think they've killed us. We ran and scrambled through the forest, uphill in the direction of the American tank fire.
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