THE HOLOCAUST

Uncle David was actually my father's cousin. Being the same age as Uncle Robert, the two had gotten along very well all of their lives. However, the start of the war meant that Uncle Robert would be flying in England, while Uncle David remained in Toronto until after 1944, when he enlisted  in the army, at a time when recruits were needed badly. After V-E Day and as the war came to an end, Uncle David  and thousands of other soldiers were given the gruesome task of liberating the  Nazi concentration camps. His first would be Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Gate to Hell.

Picture of women in the "Quarantine". The picture was found by Uncle David and his comrades as they had been clearing out the "living quarters" of the prisoners. People who were not immediately gassed were sent to the quarantine where they were left for days and even weeks without food or water. Unless sent to a slave labour camp,, most prisoners died within a few weeks. In such horrendous conditions disease spread like wildfire.

2 June 1945 Dear Family,         I thought that I would write to all of you this time, rather than only send my letter to Father. I hope you all are doing well. My love is always with you. I arrived at Auschwitz today. The rumours we heard of in Canada about the concentration camps were not entirely  true, because the scenes I behold here, are more gruesome than anyone can ever  imagine. I do not wish to even write to you about it because it sickens me.The day we arrived here, we all had been exhausted and tired from the long journey and most of us were in an irritable mood. However, the moment we walked in through those gates that read "Work makes you Free", we forgot our troubles. It seems to me that inside the walls of these murder camps, was where the real war was being fought. A fight for survival. You will not believe the conditions these poor people have had to live through. I would not even wish a Nazi to have the same fate as that of their prisoners here.It is horrifying to think that it is even possible for mankind to inflict others with such cruelty.I am not even sure if i can call these prisoners, people, since they look more like walking corpses. Some even wander around like zombies. It seems they have lost the desire to live. I expect that they will die soon. Disease and filth are all over the place and until we can place some order, I do not feel anything can be done about it. I had expected that the prisoners would have been overwhelmed with joy when we liberated them, but when we arrived I sensed a more powerful feeling of relief that their nightmare had finally come to an end. I do not know what will happen to them now. They walk around with their striped uniforms , and with identifying numbers on their arms, grateful for the food we give them, and not really seeming to think about the future. I guess being here, the future is just a struggle to survive the next day. It is already apparent to me from the uniforms, that the biggest group of prisoners are Jews. They can be identified by the Star of David they wear on their uniforms.Undoubtedly, these camps have scarred the Jewish history forever, and probably the entire history of mankind. Auschwitz is simply a hell on Earth. It sums up all ideas of pure evil. I cannot wait to get out of here. I remember on my first day here,after only an hour of witnessing the massacre and starvation of people, I had had to go and throw up. Since then I have thrown up a number of times, but do not worry, since the medics here are good. I cannot wait to be with all of you again in Toronto. I am sure that very soon we will be able to enjoy life once again, together!                                                                                                        Love Always,                                                                                                                     David.

"Piles upon piles of shoes, glasses and other items had been stacked along a wall. It was a constant reminder of the horrible deaths suffered by those who never lived to see the liberation of Auschwitz." Uncle David. On entering the camp, the prisoners were stripped of all personal belongings including their clothes. They were then given uniforms and a number was tattoed onto their forearm. This would become their identity for the rest of the time they spent at Auschwitz. Next their hair was shorn. Clothing, shoes, glasses etc. taken from prisoners and the dead were sent to Germany for the people's use. The hair was used to stuff mattresses. Even the corpses were put to use. Gold fillings in teeth were removed and put into Swiss Banks. Bones were broken and used to produce soap. Ashes of cremated bodies were used as fertilizer. The rest of the "waste" was sent for use in chemical factories. The death camps were used in full effect to promote the growth of German industries during the Holocaust. No doubt  it was a painful experience for those who had to behold it. Many of these belongings of the forgotten dead can now be found in war museums.

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