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Later that morning I heard machine gun shooting. It was clear that infantry troops were advancing. I looked out of the trench and saw a Soviet officer. I was so happy that I was rescued. He had a machine gun and in an instant could have killed me, if he had thought I was German, but he took me to the headquarters for interrogation.
We had studied the Ruthenian language in the Czech school, and I knew Russian letters and understood Russian. The officer asked me who I was and where I came from. I said I was from Czechoslovakia. I didn’t say I was a Jew, I said I was Czech. He asked me what languages I understood. After the interrogation he said he was taking me with him.
I became an interpreter of Hungarian, Czech and German in the army headquarters. They gave me a soldier’s uniform, a belt and a cap. This was the infantry intelligence of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. I crossed Hungary with them along Nyiregyhaza, from there – to Mandok. This was near Uzhgorod [35 km from Uzhgorod]. I missed home so much. I was not allowed a leave, but I left the unit, crossed the Tisa and came onto a road. A truck gave me a lift to Uzhgorod where we arrived in the evening. This was 28th October 1944.
We had studied the Ruthenian language in the Czech school, and I knew Russian letters and understood Russian. The officer asked me who I was and where I came from. I said I was from Czechoslovakia. I didn’t say I was a Jew, I said I was Czech. He asked me what languages I understood. After the interrogation he said he was taking me with him.
I became an interpreter of Hungarian, Czech and German in the army headquarters. They gave me a soldier’s uniform, a belt and a cap. This was the infantry intelligence of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. I crossed Hungary with them along Nyiregyhaza, from there – to Mandok. This was near Uzhgorod [35 km from Uzhgorod]. I missed home so much. I was not allowed a leave, but I left the unit, crossed the Tisa and came onto a road. A truck gave me a lift to Uzhgorod where we arrived in the evening. This was 28th October 1944.
Period
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Stepan Neuman