Witold Pilecki was a veteran of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. In 1939, he fought against the Nazi invasion. He then joined an underground group. Pilecki volunteered to infiltrate a new prison camp called Auschwitz. He joined a protest march in Warsaw and was arrested on Sept. 19, 1940. He was tortured and then sent to Auschwitz. He was prisoner #4859. Pilecki formed a resistance group known by its initials ZOW. The group smuggled in food, medicines, and clothing. It also smuggled out information about the camp. This was done through escaped prisoners, released prisoners, and civilian workers. Pilecki was there as the prison camp became a death camp. After 2 ½ years, because of the killings of several ZOW members, Pilecki managed to get a job at a camp bakery outside the camp. He escaped and made his way to Warsaw where he joined the Home Army. He prepared “Witold’s Report” which detailed the “selection” process, gas chambers, sterilization experiments, and the crematoria. The report was sent to the British with the recommendation that the train tracks leading to the camp be bombed. The authorities were skeptical and refused to do anything. It was just one example of how the Allies did nothing about the Holocaust. In 1944, he took part in the failed Warsaw Uprising and was taken prisoner. After the war, he spied on the Soviets. He was arrested in December, 1945. He was tortured and executed on May 25, 1948 after a show trial. He was 47 years old. His story went untold until the fall of the Iron Curtain.
https://www.history.co.uk/article/witold-pilecki-the-man-who-volunteered-for-auschwitz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129956107
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