by Slavomir Rawicz, 1956 (ghostwritten by Ronald Downingin)
Dad’s book. Slavomir was a young man in Polish Army taken prisoner in 1939 by the Russians. They were convinced he was a spy. They tortured him for months, then took him – actually he had to walk with 4000 other prisoners – after a freezing cold rail journey through Siberia – then walk w/chains through Siberia to Yakutsk. He and six other prisoners escape one night and trek south through Siberian winter – meet up with a young Polish girl – Kristina – continue on their trek through Mongolia, then the Gobi Desert. Kristina dies in the Gobi Desert – her ankles and then her legs swell up and she can’t go on. They are very sad and miss her terribly. Sometimes they go 12 days w/o water in the Gobi. Food is always scarce – days and days without food – eat snakes in the Gobi. They make it to Tibet and villagers and sheepherders are so kind and hospitable to them. Then through Tibet and the Himalayas. They lose 2 more of their companions. One falls to his death in the mountains. The other just died in his sleep – too much strain. Finally they make it over the Himalayas and into India where British soldiers take them in and heal them – takes a long, long time, in hospital. Slavomir goes on to eventually live in England. He trains to be a pilot but the war ends. After Note: 1997 – He married an English lady, had 5 kids, 11 grandchildren, died in 2004. Never heard from his other 4 companions all his life.