Expert: Bartecki Grzegorz - 1/7/2009

Question
I am an Arizona journalist writing a story about a Polish family that was forced
into labor in Germany during World War II. The man I interviewed was four
years old at the time and cannot remember exactly the name or spelling of
the village where he was born. I hope you can help me track it down; I keep
hitting dead ends on my Internet research and during a conversation today
with a person at the Poland embassy in Los Angeles.

Mr. Sakiewicz's birth record says he was born in the village of Tryputni in the
district of Sarny. He believes the village was near the Bug River, near the
Ukraine border.

Can you help me determine where this village was/is located? Did it disappear
because the Germans captured and relocated all its residents?  

Thanks you in advance for your help.
Pam Ashley  

Answer
Dear Pam Ashley,
thank you for your e-mail and request. I have found some interesting information for you. Look below for facts that I have found:

1. There was(and probably still is) a village Tryputnia, located now in Ukraine, near Sarny (small city) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarny As you can read that territory belonged to Poland before II WW. I have found it also at google map - look at http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/ukraine/map/m1569101/tryputna.html

2. I have found also short information that (probably in July of 1943 if I find it correct) there was an large extermination action in Tryputnia (and in some other villages in that region) - anyway it was done by Ukrainian not by German. There is an notice that at least 14 Polish families were brutally killed by Ukrainian partisans (not by German soldiers!) and next all of them were taken back to their homes and burned.

3. More information you can find (but in Polish only) at two books presenting all details of many such kind exterminations "Ludobójstwo dokonane przez nacjonalistów ukraińskich na ludności polskiej Wołynia 1939–1944”, and „Wydarzenia wołyńskie 1939–1944” by Władysław Filar - part of that book http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.culture.polish/2008-11/msg00676....
If you are interested in it someone could translate it for you (I'm sorry but I don't have so much time ;-)

I hope my e-mail gives you more important information. If you have any question don't hesitate to contact me.

best regards

Grzegorz Bartecki
www.excitingpoland.com