Slavomir Rawicz - The Long Walk

‘Are you sure that is what you want to do?’

‘It is the only thing I can do.’

‘We shall meet after the war, of course. Where shall it be, Slav?’

‘In Warsaw,’ I said. And I wrote down for him the address of my family’s house in Warsaw.

‘I should like that,’ he said. ‘We will meet in Warsaw.’

A British officer and a Polish interpreter came to see me. It was a long talk with the characteristics of security interrogation not, however, overstressed. A long catechism about Poland, its people and its politics to test my bona fides. Then the Russians and the journey, all over again.

The interpreter returned alone the next day bringing me a gift of half-a-dozen white handkerchiefs and an Indian ivory cigarette-holder. He said transport was being arranged through the British for me to join up with Polish forces fighting with the Allies in the Middle East.

The night before I left, Kolemenos, Zaro and I had a farewell celebration in the hospital canteen.

Mister Smith came to the hospital to see me off on that last day, bringing me a small fibre case in which to pack my few belongings. I had resolved to make the parting from Zaro and Kolemenos as painless as possible. We said goodbye in the ward and the soldiers called out ‘Good luck’ and ‘All the best, Slav,’ and things like that. I walked towards the door, Smith ahead of me. Zaro and Kolemenos followed behind. I wanted them to stay where they were but they kept on walking. I turned at the door and big Kolemenos ran forward and hugged me and then came Zaro. And the tears came so that I had to drag myself away. The American walked with me, blowing his nose in his handkerchief.

He rode on the bus with me into Calcutta, where they dropped him off. ‘Look after yourself, Slav,’ he said. ‘And God bless you.’

The bus pulled away towards the transit camp where I was to await a troopship for the Middle East. I looked back at him once and he waved.

I felt suddenly bereft of friends, bereft of everything, as desolate and lonely as a man could be.

SLAVOMIR RAWICZ(1915–2004) lived in England after the Second World War where he met and married his wife Marjorie. They had five children and lived in the countryside of Derbyshire. Slavomir’s ill health led to an early retirement during which he gave many talks about his experiences, raising money for orphans in Poland. He also corresponded with people throughout the world who were inspired by his story.

Constable & Robinson Ltd

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First published in the UK by Constable and Company Ltd 1999

This paperback edition published by Robinson, an imprint of Constable and Robinson Ltd 2000, 2007

Copyright © Slavomir Rawicz 1956

The right of Slavomir Rawicz to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-84529-644-5

Printed and bound in the EU.

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