Heroes 13/01/20 Photo: Bundesarchive Demes: what the Germans executed a 13 year old partisan
Part of Soviet children in the resistance to the Nazis in the occupied territories – heroic and at the same time, tragic page in the history of the great Patriotic war. Many young partisans were killed by the Nazi executioners. In August 1943, in Belarus, the Gestapo executed schoolgirl Lydia Demes, who was only 13 years old.
Followed his sister
the Belarusian city of Orsha, the Germans occupied on 14 July 1941. Among those who did not evacuate, was a local resident Euphrosyne of Demes with two daughters-Schoolgirls and young son. Immediately after the occupation began 16-year-old Olga Demes organized an underground organization and, along with other pioneers wrote on the walls at night “the Death of Hitler”. In the summer of 1942 Olga, pulled a gun Parabellum, joined 15-th detachment of the partisan brigade “security officer” acting in Ratescom forest.
Orsha was a major transportation hub, so there has been “rail war”. According to guerrilla’s help, Olga Demes derailed 7 enemy trains and killed 24 Nazis. For the head of the partisan, the Germans promised a reward of 10 thousand brands as well as house, land and livestock. Being in the squad, Olga kept in touch with her younger sister, remained at home with his mother. Over time, Lydia also had a strong desire to fight against the invaders.
Girl with a basket
Lydia Demes forest fighters was given the nickname “chick”. Fragile little girl served as a conduit for guerrillas during their visits to Orsha. As he told scout Valentina Reutova, Lydia was “smart and savvy” and because of their age aroused the suspicions of the Germans. In addition, the Germans were afraid once again to approach her mother was short a hospital, so the invaders thought that she had been ill with typhus. A girl came on the railroad to find out the location of the trains and the number of them.
“Lida often took a basket or a bag and left on the railroad tracks to collect coal and, if it was stopped by the sentries, she explained that gathers the coal to heat the room in which Germans live. So she found her way to where she was,” recalled the younger brother of the heroine of Boris Demes.
In the “rail war” the girl involved not only as a scout. Sister Olga handed her the explosives Lida hid among the piles of broken bricks in the shed. Paired with the Valentina Reutova one day she laid under the tank, a mine with a clockwork mechanism. This diversion paralyzed the Railways for 4 hours.
the Failure of Lydia
meanwhile, the link Demes Jr. partisan Olga was a mystery to the Germans. From time to time the Gestapo did not touch Lydia, hoping that it will be able to go to an older sister. This continued until August 1943. One day Olga met with Lydia, handed her a note intended mother of one of the members of the guerrilla group. Before the curfew, Olga had to return to the unit. And Lydia, who went to perform the task sisters, fell into the hands of the German security service. Discovered when her paper was irrefutable evidence. There is a version that the Germans knew in advance about where to go Lydia and the story of the note in the hands of a provocateur.
According to the text of the German report, “Russian Lydia Demes were accused of helping the partisans.”
“In the process, it turned out that she constantly kept in touch with her sister Olga, which is a partisan, – stated in the document. – Lida was arrested. Her mother has not been apprehended, she escaped in the squad.”
the Germans tortured the girl, trying to get information on the whereabouts of the guerrillas. She burned my face with cigarette, broke the spine and at the end of the shot. One gets the impression that, mocking the child, the occupants thus avenged her “elusive” older sister. Later was captured and RAstrelan Euphrosyne of Demes. Olga and Boris live managed to survive until Victory.
Lydia Demes have not received the star of Hero of the Soviet Union, but it was mentioned among the most famous children heroes in the USSR. In the 1970-ies the name of a young partisan called a cargo ship, making flights in the Pacific.
Timur Sagdiyev
Source:
© Russian Seven
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