Semyon Tilipman with his fellow comrades

This is me Semyon Tilipman (first from right, sitting), among my fellow comrades. This photo was taken in Niedzwiada village in Poland in December 1944. There is first sergeant V. Suchok (first from right, standing), sen. sergeant V. Yuschenko (sitting beside me), private V. Miakushko ( first from left, standing).

In winter 1944 we were in Poland. Polish residents had a friendly attitude toward us. In Niedzwiada village boys used to sing: 'Polska hasn't died yet and it will not…' Then there were words that they would make Germans to wash their boots. We were accommodated in a house. There was a Polish family of a husband, wife and a young daughter living in the house. This family invited us to a celebration of liberation of Poland. Our telephone operator, private Vladimir Miakushko, who was also our logistic supervisor, brought some food products and we set the table. We proposed a toast to victory, of course. There was an interesting custom with the Poles: they had their classes filled to the brim and when touching glasses they tried to let their wine overflow into somebody else's glass. We had lots of fun.

Later our tank brigade took part in liberation of Warsaw. In 1944 I became a candidate to the Communist party and I joined the Party in Odessa in 1948.