Jacobs, William: my recollections of the holocaust and the Polish underground (November 28, 1980)

Interviewee: Jacobs, William

An interview/narrative of William Jacobs's experiences during World War II. Mr. Jacobs was a member of the Polish Underground. Interview took place on November 28, 1980.

ABSTRACT: Mr. William Jacobs Polish Underground Survivor of the Holocaust Jacobs_W_0196_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 1) Describes working on construction projects under a "capo" in 1944/1945. Medical experiments on concentration camp inmates in 1943. Continuous hunger made people behave as animals. Fortunate in having a job in the blacksmith shop. Potatoes used as the medium of exchange. Professional class among the prison population least likely to stay alive; not ruthless enough in survivor skills. Polish civilian employees of the camp would occasionally throw food to the prisoners. Gypsies were treated the worst of all. Transferred to Czechoslovakia. Jacobs_W_0196_02.mp3 Sent to Buchenwald where all prisoners had their clothes removed and replaced with one blanket. Usual meal was soup and one pound of bread for ten persons. Robbed fellow prisoners of food. Malnutrition began to affect the mind. Sneaked out of camp with a work group sent to a camp near Stuttgart. Better food there. Became leader of a burial party; usually buried twenty to thirty bodies every day. Sent to another camp near the Italian-German border -- no rations -- slowly starving to death, ate grass. Slated to be shot, but at 10:00 A.M. on Apr. 29, 1945 the German guards told them that they could leave as the Americans were approaching. Americans handed out Red Cross parcels, some prisoners died from overeating. Given a pistol by an American officer, and, mad with revenge, Jacobs killed the families of two German Schutzstaffel members. Given boots from a German officer. Jewish refugee centre in Munich where he was given a German apartment (after throwing out the occupants). (45:00) Jacobs_W_0196_03.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 2) As a prisoner, in 1942, he worked on the autobahn. One of six prisoners who stole a guard's lunch. Beaten and sentenced to be hanged, but managed to escape despite bullet wounds in the leg. Found by the Polish underground, had to prove himself by killing a German soldier and stealing his weapons. Captured by the Germans after a raid on a police station. Proclaiming his innocence, he was tortured for four days, then sent to a political and criminal labour camp where the rule was: work or be executed. Continues story from May 1945. In that month he met a Jewish girl in a refugee camp. They decided to return to Poland to see if any of his family were alive. Approaching Poland they learned that the Poles were still persecuting Jews. Trouble with both the Polish and Czech police. (45:00) Jacobs_W_0196_04.mp3 Eventually returned to Germany where he and the girl were married. Dealt in the black market and in guns for Israel. Through an American soldier was able to contact his uncle in Paterson, New Jersey. Uncle sent visa, entered the United States in 1947. Worked for an Italian tailor for twenty-five dollars per month. Soon obtained a far better paying union job. Eventually in the late 1960's he was able to start his own coat business. Sold his interest in that business after suffering a heart attack while on vacation in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Moved to Victoria, B.C. Attitude is still very anti-German and pro-Israel. Feels that his survival was a miracle. (30:00)

Interviewer: Singer, Barney

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Singer, Barney
• Jacobs, William

Subject

• Personal narratives--Canadian
• Military history
• World War (1939-1945)
• World War (1914-1918)

Language

• eng

Date created

• November 28, 1980

Relation

• Part of the Barney Singer collection.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 4 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• British Columbia--Victoria
• Germany

Coordinates

• 51.5, 10.5
• 48.4359, -123.35155

Additional physical characteristics

• Two original sound tape reels (ca. 165 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• interviews
• oral histories (literary genre)
• sound recordings
• reminiscences

Archival item identifier

• JW_196

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• May 11, 2010

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2010. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/pfsh-rh81

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Visibility	Actions
	SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail		Public	Press to Select an action Download
	Jacobs_W_0196_01.mp3		Public	Press to Select an action Download
	Jacobs_W_0196_02.mp3		Public	Press to Select an action Download
	Jacobs_W_0196_03.mp3		Public	Press to Select an action Download
	Jacobs_W_0196_04.mp3		Public	Press to Select an action Download