Memorial do Holocausto Sr Thomas

Summary

Tom shares a powerful and personal story of survival during the Holocaust. Born in 1937 in the former Czechoslovakia, he recounts his experience in two concentration camps, Series and Teresina. He details the miraculous survival of his father, who was tortured and left for dead, only to be saved by a Polish Red Cross ambulance. His father, a walking skeleton after surviving the brutality of the camps, defied the odds and survived a near-death scenario, a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the miracles that can emerge from such horrific circumstances.

Takeaways

• 😀 Tom was born in 1937 in the former Czechoslovakia.
• 😀 Tom was imprisoned in two concentration camps: Series and Teresina.
• 😀 Tom credits his father with a 'miracle' for surviving harsh conditions in the concentration camps.
• 😀 Tom's father was severely mistreated and weighed only 43 kilos when he returned home, making him appear as a 'walking skeleton.'
• 😀 Tom's mother didn't recognize Tom's father when he returned from the camp.
• 😀 The Germans were dissatisfied with their mass extermination of Jews, leading to the mass death of many prisoners.
• 😀 In an attempt to escape, prisoners were shot, and the German soldiers targeted those who collapsed during the forced marches.
• 😀 A Polish Red Cross ambulance, accompanying the prisoners, found Tom's father among the bodies and saved him.
• 😀 Out of 140,000 prisoners, only 20,000 survived the ordeal.
• 😀 Tom considers his father's survival a great miracle, given the extreme odds and inhumane conditions he faced.

Q & A

What was Tom's experience during World War II?

Tom was born in 1937 in the former Czechoslovakia and was sent to two concentration camps during World War II: one called Series and the other called Teresina.

What does Tom credit as a miracle regarding his father's survival?

Tom credits his father's survival as a miracle because, after being severely mistreated in the concentration camps, his father was left for dead but survived thanks to an unexpected intervention from the Polish Red Cross.

How did Tom's father appear when he returned home after the camp?

When Tom's father returned home, he was so emaciated that he weighed only 43 kilos and was unable to stand, resembling a walking skeleton.

Why did Tom's mother say she didn't recognize his father?

Tom's mother said she didn’t recognize his father because of his extreme physical deterioration after his time in the concentration camp, with his frail and skeletal appearance.

What happened to the prisoners when they were lined up by the Germans?

The German soldiers lined up the prisoners who were still able to walk, with orders to shoot anyone who tried to escape. Tom’s father fainted during this process and was immediately shot by a German soldier.

What role did the Polish Red Cross play in the survival of prisoners?

The Polish Red Cross ambulances accompanied the columns of prisoners, trying to find survivors left on the road after the German soldiers shot them. They found Tom's father lying in a field, which helped save his life.

How many people survived from the group that was taken to the concentration camps?

Out of the approximately 140,000 people who were sent to the camps, only about 20,000 survived.

Why does Tom believe his father's survival is a miracle?

Tom believes his father’s survival is a miracle because, despite being left for dead and shot, his father was found by the Polish Red Cross and managed to survive the atrocities of the camp.

How did the German soldiers react when prisoners fell or tried to escape?

The German soldiers shot anyone who tried to escape or fell while walking with the group of prisoners, showing no mercy.

What does Tom emphasize about the scale of the extermination during the Holocaust?

Tom emphasizes that the Germans were not satisfied with having exterminated millions of Jews and that the genocide was part of a broader effort to eliminate vast numbers of people, leaving only a small fraction to survive.