Diaries: 1944 July 3-1944 August 19; 1944 August 20-1944 September 13; Loose material from diaries

14

9 45 p.m. [strikethrough] Radio gives [/strikethrough] alarms from the north. Rahó, Beszterce.

Here is a letter from your aunt Margit, just to see, how a certain average of people is thinking. It is about the same line, our papers are taking.

[[Letter]][Hungarian]

[[Letter]] [Hungarian] lyoznak meg, a falusiak félnek bejönni a városba a portékával. Egyébként hallatlanul dühös mindenki a pénzért gyilkoló bombázókra. Nem tudom, hogyan fognak a háború után hidat építeni a lelkek számára, mert ezt az eljárást nem felejtjük el. Már senki nem sajnálja a megégett ejtőernyősöket, hiszen ők sem sajnálnak asszonyt, gyereket, öreget gyilkolni. Az elvitt zsidókat sajnálat kisérte, nálunk kevés volt és rendes emberek nagyjából. Persze, vad hírek jöttek, hogy hányan haltak meg innen Győrig, komoly adat csak egy fiatal orvos, aki maradhatott volna, de 20 éves felesége és 2 hónapos kisfia miatt velük ment, csendben injekciót adott mindhármuknak, és valóban meghaltak. Ez oly borzasztó dolog, egy fiatal kis család együtt múlt el. De mennyi tragédia adódik mindenhol! Nem jó „nagy idők tanujának” lenni, ez csak távlatból csodás. Fogalmam sincs róla, Dénes honnan vette a Te vidéken létedet, én régen írtam neki, hogy szeretném, ha hozzánk jönnél, mert féltelek. Mi van Ibykével? és kiket érintett barátaid közül az uj rend? Óvjon a jó Isten minden bajtól! Szeretettel csókol [?] [/Hungarian]

15.

There is a [strikethrough] tale [/strikethrough] in town, rather difficult to beleive. Béla Aczél, with several other labour service men was traveling, on way to Jászberény. At Hatvan a certain captain of the gendarmey, Zöldi, has seized [strikethrough] them [/strikethrough] and put them on a G. train, due to Katowitz. Béla and the majority of them arrived there. Eleven out of these men, as [strikethrough] [?] [/strikethrough] none of their protests helped, (they were under military obligation towards Hungary) [strikethrough] got [/strikethrough] jumped out of the moving train and escaped. Got to their place of destination, reported to the colonel, who, learning what happened, praised them, let them have double rations and extra leave until September.

July 8. Saturday

9 35 a.m. radio off the air. Airdanger announced from Kanizsa - Pécs. 10 10 a.m. The raid seems to turn towards Austria – Sopron, Győr, Veszprém are alarmed. You hardly can imagine, how much these alarms do disturb everyday life. Shopping, various errands, rendez-vous have to be postponed day by day. Telephon calls can not be put through for hours. Not during actual alarm and not for two hours after.

16

Afternoon. I had to do several errands, but most of them came to nothing as it was too late because of the “légó” (alarm). I had a free Saturday this time, but no Municipality matter could be arranged as one could not venture the trip to the other side of the Danube before noon. At Ilonka no cigarettes this time. Her son is back on the frontline. Except her children and grandchildren, all her care is your Daddy’s burying place. I promised to go with her next time. – I had to [strikethrough] fetch [/strikethrough] get my watch from Schober, I had it there more than a week. He talked about the price of gold, which, [strikethrough] second [/strikethrough] [?] him, is 42 P/gm, though [strikethrough] second [/strikethrough] the Zürich price of the pengő (100 P=3 Fr. Swiss) it should be 100-112 P. This is an index, that except in days before Jews, other people have no money to buy or, as I suspect, have not the brains to buy secure things. He has shown me two brilliant stones, beautiful specimens, one just under one carat, the other a bit smaller, which he can not sell for twelve thousand

17

Ps, though at the beginning of March its price would have been twenty thousand. As I asked him, whether the origin of the stone is not dubious, he said no, it is all right, as he bought it a week ago from the wife of a high ranking G. officer, whom he knows personally. These two stones and about ten small ones were all taken out of their set. [strikethrough] I suppose, G. officers must be poorly off, if they have to sell their family properties on low prices. [/strikethrough] It was late to go to Rami, [strikethrough] too, [/strikethrough] so no cigarettes from him either. Then I went the second time to Frances Máthé, Laci at home too and [strikethrough] fetched [/strikethrough] borrowed a long promised book. Terrible heat, sitting at home in the less possible clothing.

[[Clipping]][Hungarian] Kérem Rákosi Zoltán bajtársait

These are advertisements I can not understand. If a person disappears, why not go to the police?

July 9. Sunday.

The morning a telephon call from Erzsike. Alarms