Polina Svyatogorskaya (born 1925), a Russian veteran of World War II (WW2). She trained as a nurse.."When war broke out, I wanted to help to defeat the fascists. But no military unit was willing to take me because I was only 16. The railway troops were in Kazan and I said: 'Take me with you. You need me because I'm a nurse.' But they also felt that I was too young. So I kept on nagging until they finally took me."."The Germans had put mines across the rails so that there...
more »Polina Svyatogorskaya (born 1925), a Russian veteran of World War II (WW2). She trained as a nurse.."When war broke out, I wanted to help to defeat the fascists. But no military unit was willing to take me because I was only 16. The railway troops were in Kazan and I said: 'Take me with you. You need me because I'm a nurse.' But they also felt that I was too young. So I kept on nagging until they finally took me."."The Germans had put mines across the rails so that there were a lot of accidents. I was the operating assistant. A leg was amputated during my first operation. The doctor handed me the leg. I wanted to give it back and said: 'Put that leg back on again.' They told me that I had to bury it. .I went outside with it and cried my eyes out. The soldiers, who saw me there, took the leg and buried it. I had no idea that that was what war was like.".. CHECK with MRM/FNA
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