Memostory#3
Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Sat, 12 Apr 1997 19:15:23 +0200
Hello again to MEMORIES!
The third life-stories is about my free-will work for a repressive state.
The title I choose for it is:
*** MY FIRST VOLUNTARY WORK FOR A REGIME 1941 ***
On April 10, 1941 one proclaimed the INDEPENDENT STATE OF CROATIA (known
under abbreviation =91NDH=92). Six days later the new ruler Ante Pavelic
nominated a new government to be fully cooperative with new USTASA (read:
ustasha) regime. This autocratic was allied to Hitler=92s NAZI and
Mussolini=92s FASCIST regimes. During next few months the regime started
eliminating enemies =96 assumed or prospective or anybody opposing regime=92=
s
intentions. Persons=92 pursue started being either of different race (Gypsy)
or religion (Jewish or Orthodox) or nationality (Serb) or just of
opponents to regime. My father, a renown layer in Osijek, learned soon
about many cases of police arrests, lawless abductions of many people and
disappearing persons without any trace.
By end of June 1941 we have received the Memorial Certificates. I finished
in Osijek Real-Gymnasium school 6th grade (K9 in a Secondary school). We
couldn=92t have any holidays under current circumstances. All students aged
+15 years had to become members of Ustasa Youth Organization. We were
supposed dedicating our efforts building the new State. We could either
start with para-military training or voluntary join working groups. Father
has decided for me to join some kind of a builder=92s band. I was the
youngest (just 16) in our group of some 40 students who left Osijek Railway
station early July 1941.
At Mikleus Railway station we changed into trucks and arrived at Vocin
(read: Vochin) village. Our group moved into Primary School few classrooms
with benches pushed to walls. We got straw and dry maize leaves for
bedding. We spread a bed-sheet and blanket everybody had to bring with from
home. We got something to eat at school=92s yard where a provisional kitchen
had started in disused room. Outside were several crude benches and few
rather dirty tables. The whole day and new surrounding were so strange and
disheartening as I never stayed in such an environment. I grew up in
burgher=92s family in a comfortable, cared after and favorable surroundings.
Now, I was hungry and tired just wanting to sleep. Instantly I fell asleep
on straw without washing and cleaning teeth.
Suddenly I was awakened by whistles and shouting. It was morning 6 o=92cloc=
k
=96- I never had to get up so early. I went out dressed the same as on
arrival and us had learned what a roll call is about. We had breakfast of
fresh-warm white bread and milk before we left our new domicile at 7 a.m.
going to pick up tools and equipment needed for our day=92s assignment.
Vocinska river springs at Papuk mountain=92s northern slope not so far away
from Vocin. River has a mountainous character here and its riverbed had
plenty of good gravel with mixed grain sizes. Our group had to sieve gravel
into 3 sizes: largest grain went for road construction and the two smaller
sizes would be used for concrete works. We put three sieves of different
mesh gauge in a row at river bed=92s leveled place. Distance between sieves
was about 3 m enabling a pair of us with shovels throwing gravel on next
sieve. Others brought excavated gravel in wheelbarrows forming a hip in
front of the largest gauged sieve. From there onwards we shoveled it
through sieves one by one until hips formed in between to be driven up the
river bank for final dispatch. This was a rather hard work lasting 7 full
hours with a half-an-hour break for lunch as well as for comings and goings
each way. In total day=92s work lasted 8 hours -=96 very long hours, believe=
I,
for somebody not used to it at all.
A week or so of this muscle-tearing hard works I had an accident.=20
The pair with shovels had to synchronize their actions avoiding any
accidental contact with his opposite. Suddenly, I still don=92t know how it
did happen, my opposite=92s shovel hit me straight into face. Blood runs ove=
r
my lips like from a slaughtered hog. My nose bone was hit by stroke at its
route. Blood streamed and I felt unconscious for a moment. Zagar, our
first-aid man (a student of medicine) used gauze to press on my nose
stopping blood run after-a-while. Zagar carried me blood stained and out me
on a waiting peasant=92s wagon used for transport of gravel. Thus the hard
work ended for me but not my stay in Vocin.
Several days later I felt no pain as the wound healed without any
complications besides a visible scar there. Zagar got me in his heart and
looked after me like a dear older brother. He told me that camp's commander
didn=92t dare to send home earlier for some unknown reasons. He proposed
taking a duty that wouldn=92t ask for too much effort from me so I became
camp=92s caterer soon after. The night guard woke me up each morning at 02.4=
5
and by 3 o=92clock a peasant with his one-horse cart arrived at gate. The
horse pulled at a steady pace for about an hour with two us dozing until it
stopped -- we had arrived at the turning point. I never discovered where we
went but coach driver woke instantly asking me to show the list of items
supposed to collect on our way back. We returned stopping at one house from
where a woman with candle in hand arrived carrying some milk and/or other
goods ordered day before. I put milk in a 50 liter can dotting down its
quantity for payment later or paid other goods instantly. We were back by 5
o=92clock with dawn lighting up eastern skies. Never later did I see dawn
coming up so often!
After breakfast I was free for rest of the day. Some times I climbed to
Vocin=92s ruin spending several hours talking to or listening to Zagar=92s
lecturing. His hobby was hypnotism but he couldn=92t get me hypnotized. On m=
y
suggestion Zagar made an experiment of mass hypnosis one evening and some
mates bit into onions =91assuming=92 that these were apples. After our last
evening meal we organized a farewell fete and Zagar performed a real show
of mass hypnosis making us cheering and laughing for hours. We didn=92t go t=
o
sleep at all, cleared up our domicile for 6 long weeks and with our packed
belongings left Vocin in an old truck. I was back at home by mid morning
dirty and smelling awfully. After thorough bathing and too good mother=92s
meal I fell asleep like a hog but woke up of some horrible odor some time
later. I dirtied my clean and soft bed by vomiting all over it and myself
too. I was so ashamed of myself. Nevertheless I learned something important
for life: NEVER DRINK OR EAT MUCH AT ONCE after you dried out and/or
starved for a longer period of time.=20
[Notes: Many things changed during my 6 weeks absence. My mother wouldn=92t
go of house without wearing a yellow armband with a star. Thus, I learned
about regimes persecution of Jews and of my parents a mixed marriage. Those
comrades who went for para-military training reported how they were helping
police or Ustasa secret police arresting, abducting and transporting
unfortunates to prisons or camps from which few returned live. Father=92s
foresight sending me working hard was too accurate.]
=09
******
Many regards from an old CROATIAN SOLDIER alias Zvonko of the Oak Hill
(near Anif, Salzburg).
=09
End of Memostory#3.