During bombardment the informant was not at home, but at her brother-in-law’s at Nalewki Street 36 on the ground floor. There was a hole in the tenement as 2 bombs and several grenades had hit it. There were about a dozen casualties behind the wall in the neighbouring tenement. In the tenement where she was staying there were many refugees from other streets [and] a few people from the Praga district—mostly relatives of the residents, but there were also some total strangers. The residents from the upper floors descended into the shelter, while they remained on the ground floor. Food for the poor was taken down into the shelter. Hot meals were cooked for the poor several times. Only women were in charge of this. The women were holding up better than the men, who were shuddering. In the informant’s flat there were about a dozen people, half of whom were women. The informant’s sister-in-law was unable to provide the food and coal they all needed. Consequently, Mrs H. had to walk to Bielańska Street 16 in a hail of bullets during a very fierce air-raid. She found many food products there. Later on, the tenement collapsed. The men stayed indoors almost all the time as they feared that they would be captured for forced labour. The Polish authorities were capturing [men for labour] at that time. Women continued to be very active after the bombardment, too. Even elderly ladies walked to the Vistula River to fetch water. Mrs H. did not have any contact with the Germans, nor did they cause her any trouble. She was taken ill and did not work until after her husband’s death. She has been working for 3 months. She works in the District Commission [and] in the Constructive Aid to Women Commission. Within the District Commission she works in the Women’s Activation Sub-Commission.
She undertook to organise a Ladies’ Circle on Majzelsa Street. She even managed to organise Ladies’ Circles in two tenements, but these committees were short-lived: only 8−10 ladies came to the meetings even though as many as [. . .] had signed up. They have chosen the collection of bread for children to be their aim and they are successful, but last year they had nobody to give it to. Consequently, the donated bread, even with butter, was taken to other
