Tag #148239 - Interview #95316 (Rahil Shabad)

I also remember the episode in Bryansk forests when our troops were retreating. There were great many wounded. The hospital dislocated in the forest and was scattered it different huts. There was an aerodrome close by. Suddenly I received the order from the chief physician of the hospital regarding evacuation. I was supposed to stay with the severely wounded in lungs and abdomen, who could not be transported. I was given a truck but taking into account the state of the wounded I would not use it anyway. In the evening the aircraft landed by the hospital. I was so surprised when I saw the pilot, my Moscow acquaintance Anatoliy Kiselev, the former cadet of aviation school of Tushinskiy aerodrome. In 1939 being a student of the medical institute I had a part-time job on the aerodrome on the night duty. I met Anatoliy there. We had not seen each other since. Anatoliy said that Germans were expected here pretty soon and offered his help. I said that the most important task for me was to evacuate the wounded and Anatoliy promised to assist me in that. Before soon the whole squadron flew and they loaded the wounded in the planes. Hardly had we taken off, when the Germans occupied the place we left. We were taken to the hospital.