John was born in Canada in 1929, but his family returned to Zichydorf in 1933. He grew up there and experienced the Second World War and its aftermath. He escaped to the west with many harrowing adventures and returned to Canada in 1951. John’s story can be downloaded in the PDF file below.
As told to Glenn Schwartz and Ray Borschowa. Parts were originally written by Glenn Schwartz. Updates, additions, and edits were added by Ray Borschowa based on many conversations and emails over the years. There may be some minor inconsistencies, as John was recalling details many decades in the past.