The story
At Ilja, a small town in western Russia, a number of Jews were sent to work on a small farm near the town.
They escaped into the forests and joined up with a group of partisans who had set up their headquarters there.
Next day, the two Jewish leaders of Ilja, who had refused to name the escapees, also fled to the woods to join the partisans.
The reprisal was horrific. All the old and sick Jews of the town were shot in the streets or in their homes and around 900 more were rounded up and locked inside a building which was then put to the torch. All 900 were burned to death.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.