Warsaw

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8.12.40 [George Orwell]

December 8, 2010 in Albania, Danzig, POland, Pole, Political, Rumours, War-time, Warsaw, bombs, nonsense poetry by orwelldiaries

Broadcasting the night before last. . . . Met there a Pole who has only recently escaped from Poland by some underground route he would not disclose. . . . He said that in the siege of Warsaw 95 per cent of the houses were damaged and about 25 per cent demolished.  All services, electricity, water, etc., broke down, and towards the end people had no defence whatever against the aeroplanes and, what was worse, the artillery.  He described people rushing out to cut bits off a horse killed by shell-fire, then being driven back by fresh shells, then rushing out again.  When Warsaw was completely cut off the people were upheld by the belief that the English were coming to help them, rumours all the while of an English army in Danzig, etc. etc. . .

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12.9.40 [George Orwell]

September 12, 2010 in Churchill, East End, Elephant and Castle, Hitler, Ireland, Political, Scotland, South Coast, War-time, Warsaw, West End, air force, air-raids, bombs, destruction, garage hand, homeless, invasion, patriotism, pessimism, profit, revolution, rich, south London, stephen spender, war by orwelldiaries

As soon as the air-raids began seriously it was noticeable that people were much readier than before to talk to strangers in the street. . . . . This morning met a youth of about 20, in dirty overalls, perhaps a garage hand.  Very embittered and defeatist about the war, and horrified by the destruction he had seen in South London.  He said that Churchill had visited the bombed area near the Elephant[1] and at a spot where 20 out of 22 houses had been destroyed, remarked that it was “not so bad”.  The youth: “I’d have wrung his bloody neck if he’d said it to me.” He was pessimistic about the war, considered Hitler was sure to win and would reduce London to much the same state as Warsaw.  He spoke bitterly about the people rendered homeless in South London and eagerly took up my point when I said the empty houses in the West End should be requisitioned for them.  He considered that all wars were fought for the profit of the rich, but agreed with me that this one would probably end in revolution.  With all this he was not unpatriotic.  Part of his grouch was that he had tried to join the Air Force 4 times in the last 6 months, and always been put off.

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