On 5 Septemberat [. . .] a.m. Mrs G. was still in bed when a neighbour brought her sensational news: Warsaw was being evacuated and the government and ministers were leaving the capital. She could not believe it. In the afternoon she accidentally found herself in the tenement at Grzybowska Street 7, which housed Apfelbaum’s fur storehouse. She saw Marshal Rydz-Śmigły’395 driver park a gorgeous limousine outside Apfelbaum’s storehouse to pick up seven fur coats that belonged to Marshall’s wife. That was the moment when the morning news finally became real to her. The ultimate realisation came with Colonel Umiastowski’s appeal frequently repeated [83] that day. He was calling “all men able to carry arms” to leave Warsaw. What now? At lunchtime Mrs G.’s family met at her flat. Her husband, brother, and brother-in-law decided to stay for the time being.
The city was overcome by frantic excitement. Everybody was talking almost exclusively about whether to stay or go. Mrs G. could not stand to sit at home. She visited her friends to find out about their decisions and ask for advice.
Tension increased by the hour, fuelled by appeals “from the top.” The next day, that is on 6 September, Mrs G.’s husband left Warsaw, overcome by the mass psychosis to escape. He left with a large group of their neighbours. Mrs G. stayed with their daughter. Loneliness terrified her as much as the war itself.
During the first days of bombardment Mrs G. did not belong to the OPL. But after all male residents had left the tenement on 6 September somebody had to fill the vacancies in commissions [so?] Mrs G. volunteered to work. She kept watch at the gate during the day and, when necessary, also at night. She made sure that there was water and sand in the attic. She also maintained cleanliness in the shelter and she brought food to poor residents. Such an impulse of solidarity in the face of danger was a rather widespread phenomenon among women at that time.
On 6 September around 10 p.m. Mrs G. was keeping watch at the gate for the first time. She was sitting with two lady neighbours on a bench, with the glow coming from the ceiling lamp dimmed [84] with blue paper. They
