TRANSLATION WITH TRANSLATOR'S COMMENTS
(PAGE 1)
Pithiviers on Wednesday evening, May 13, 1942
Beloved Pola and Beloved Jacqueline!
I have just now received your letter written on May 11, for which I thank you very much.
I was really looking forward to your letter to find out if you know already that I am at Pithiviers for the time being.
As far as I can see, until the day when you wrote me that letter, you didn’t receive my letters, which I sent every day, apart from that the French letter with a card (ticket?) for a package. [The sentence is unclear – I’m not quite sure if Leon maybe sent some rationing tickets in that French letter?]
I am sure that by now you have received a letter form me, because I also wrote to Suzan and I have her answer.
Beloved! For sure you are certain that I let you know immediately that I am still in Pithiviers, because as I understand, you found out right away that a group of people left Pithiviers.
I understand your heart when you found out that a group of people left and you didn’t have a letter from me. [This expression “I understand your heart” may be a borrowing from another language – it sounds strange in Polish.] I did everything to write to you because I understand your worry until you receive the first news that I am here again.
My Darling Sweet One! I’m sure you will get the letter where I wrote you in detail what the first departure looked like.
Just to make sure, I will describe it in brief again.
Dearest Pola! As you know, there have been rumors for a long time that we were to be sent out, but we almost couldn’t believe it.
On Thursday evening our daily news started to be circulated, that before dawn a convoy of people would be sent out but we couldn’t believe it, either; however before dawn on Friday on May 8 we were woken up by calls of people from the barrack.
The whole camp was surrounded by gendarmes and they called people out of each barrack.
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At 5 in the morning they came to our barrack and they didn’t tell anybody to get out of the bed, only those, who would be called by name.
Imagine the heart of every person, as he was waiting to hear his name.
They started to call the first people and they stopped at Max, so I thought I would be called but after him they only called one and then nobody else.
They called 9 people from our barrack.
160 people left altogether, and there are news that they went to Kompien [phonetic spelling of Compiegne]. I’m sure we’ll receive news from them soon.
Most people were called from barrack 9. As we realized later, all those who left had earlier escaped and returned of their own free will and those, who wanted to cross the border to zone libre.
[Note 1: I’m looking at the lists of convoys and I’m not seeing any that would go to Auschwitz around that time, so maybe they were really moved to Compiegne temporarily.
Note 2: here is some information about the “zone libre” Leon mentioned:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_libre
being. But this news is not confirmed, just like the first news wasn’t confirmed, either.
In the meantime, the conditions in the camp are becoming harder. There is information that we will be allowed to write only one letter per month and only one package, and only things that are not on [rationing] tickets.
If you haven’t sent by the day when you receive this letter, don’t send me any packages and hide this card/piece of paper until I write you more because currently they are taking out. [Not clear what they are taking out – perhaps the letters?] They don’t take out matzos, hard biscuits and home made cake, nor cooked vegetables and fruits. They take out everything else.
[Leon uses the word “legimy” – this must be a borrowing from the French “légumes”,vegetables. We have the word “legumina” in Polish, which has the same root and in older Polish was associated with vegetables as well, but now – and I think in Leon’s times as well – it is a type of desert, which doesn’t quite fit the context.]
If you already have sent it, it’s lost. They also search heavily for letters, in underwear, in threads, in vegetables. For now don’t send
[The big question is how Leon’s letters got out if correspondence was taken out of packages…
…and I’m not sure what he meant by searching in threads. Maybe inside the seams?There is also a similar word in Polish referring to the reverse side of fabric, but that’s rather far-fetched.]
(PAGE 3)
letter, just French letters.
My Dear and Sweet One! I have received your package with the underwear and the vest/jacket, and I thank you very much for them. [Looks like another borrowing – not sure if Leon meant a vest (from the French vest), or a jacket (from veston). A jacket might be more likely in this situation.]
I wrote you already that I received it but you haven’t gotten the letter yet.
As you can see, I have already written you about everything and about the situation at Pithiviers/
My Sweet One! Please, do not worry, because you know what situation we live in todau. As you can see yourself, I am still at Pithiviers, so don’t worry and be of good cheer that everything will end well.
I am so happy – I received your letter today and you are writing that you [plural] are healthy and that our delightful Jacqueline can walk on her own very well already. I am incredibly happy about this news. I’m sure you will write me soon a lot about yourself and about our Darling Jacqueline.
Tell me if you have received anything more from Feron [name hard to decipher – crossed out and on the fold.]
I will end the letter now and I send you greetings and I kiss a thousand times you and our beloved Jacqueline.
Your Leon, who loves you both sincerely and is sure that the day will come soon when we will be together with our darling daughter.
Hugs, Leon
Greetings from Szlomek, Abyś, Motek
Try to be often at Mrs. Szmulewicz [shmoo-LEH-veetch], because I will also send letters to her address.
Dear Pola and Dear Jacqueline!
As you can see, I couldn’t send this letter yesterday, so today, on Thursday May 14, I will add a few words until the time comes to give away the letter.
[A word is missing where the corner is torn off but it’s probably kilka – a few. Also, he says literally that he will give away the letter, not send – it would be interesting to know how the letter sending really happened in the camp.]
(PAGE 4)
My Sweet Pola! Today is the one year anniversary of when I was separated from you and from our beloved Jacqueline.
Last night, when I went to bed, I remembered that last night with you. May 13, 1941. This night could never be forgotten, it was the night when we did not sleep at all and each of us was holding back tears, which were in our eyes, and you could see them even though it was dark.
You cried loud a bit but I comforted you that everything will turn out well. You just kept saying that I was being separated from you and that was true. One year has passed since I left you and my child, whom I hardly know. But I am sure that all this will pass and we will be together again with you and with out Jacqueline. So please, do not worry; you’ll probably say that it’s easy to write the words „don’t worry”, but there is no other way in today’s situation.
I know, you are alone with a little child and I may be leaving and you do have reasons to worry.
But for the time being I’m still here and we don’t know anything.
I will keep writing letters to you so you know what’s going on. I will end the letter here, I send greetings to you and kiss you and our darling Jacqueline a million times.
Your Leon, who will always be by your side, even though from afar for now, but he thinks only about you.
Now it’s 4 and I will go to pick up a package shortly. I will write you a letter tomorrow.