History
Description
MARCHING WITHOUT KNOWING is a non-fiction book and draws on the true account of a British prisoner of war, beginning with his journey to a coalmine at the Sosnowitz works, Auschwitz III, in September 1944, to work alongside forced and slave labourers of different nationalities and ‘categories’, and concluding with his liberation in Bavaria at the end of April 1945 after a foot-march covering nearly 800 miles and in atrocious circumstances and conditions. The book pieces together in an original way the events, conditions and decision-making processes leading up to, and during, the evacuations from Upper Silesia by way of documentary evidence.
Using previously unpublished and unknown materials and facts of international and historical significance, the book contextualizes the survivor’s own fate, and the fate of thousands of prisoners of war who were trapped in, and force-marched from German-occupied Poland as Europe began to be divided into two halves during the winter of 1944/1945.
The historical material is approached from three perspectives and in three stylistic parts: Part One is a poetic reflection on the events transmitted and discovered across generations (entitled ‘Knowing’); Part Two is a dramatic chronological narration in Five Acts using authentic communications and oral accounts from the time; Part Three is the transcript of over thirty years ago of the survivor’s own narration of his experiences. Thus, the skeleton of war – its bones and joints are clearly visible and starkly contrast with the flesh and blood of the individual lives at the heart of the account. The parts are united by the theme of ‘who knew what when’ and ‘who did not know what when’ on personal, governmental and military levels. Will we ever know, is the question the readers are left with, and one that has a relevant contemporary echo.
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[Knowing] is extremely well written.
Juliet Annan, Literary Director at Penguin
I have read your piece [Knowing] with great interest for it really is an unknown topic... If the book is written in an accessible and gripping way, it should be suitable for any big publishing company.
Bernd Rheinberg, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
I have checked the website and found your really excellent piece under campaigns and news. You write so very well and clearly.
Tessa Ransford, President of Scottish PEN, re. J.McNally’s ‘Letter from Berlin’ on historical and contemporary matters
Which publishers are you in contact with? Tell them that experts in Germany can’t wait to buy your book!
Günther Siedbürger, teacher and expert on European forced labour, Göttingen
More Information
Rights Information
Rights held by Joanne Maria McNally
Brief outline of author's research
Christmas 2001 Mr Clifford Rushby gave me audio tapes he had made in the seventies about his war-time experiences as a soldier-prisoner of war (1940-1945). His account aimed to be humorous on the whole, but when he mentioned ‘Sosnowitz’, his voice changed.
Feb 2002 I discovered that Sosnowitz/ Sosnowiec was part of Auschwitz extensive industrial camp system and he’d been forced to work underground in the mines. He was forced to march from Sosnowitz, with inmates who were administered officially by Auschwitz main camp, in Jan 1945 until 29 April 1945. I wrote to key institutions in Germany and also to Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington for information. No information about these PoWs forthcoming.
Since February 2002 Investigative and research work in archives throughout Europe (I understand, speak and write German with near-native competence), mostly at own expense, including New Zealand in 2008. Leverhulme (post-doctoral) research fellowship funded my trip to Geneva and Poland in 2004. I uncovered important documents (including lists of PoWs and illnesses and punishments), facts and photos etc. Ministers so far not interested in considering them, in spite of Dr Moonie’s promise, 5 April 2001 (Hansard)
Since March 2002 Letters and emails to ‘German industry foundation’, EVZ- foundation und International Organisation for Migration
(official addresses for German compensation scheme).
Letters acknowledged, but issue not processed, in spite of Mr Rushby’s case being a ‘special hardship case’.
Since March 2002 Letters to British politicians, MPs, ministers, MoD. In a personal phone-call to me, Lord Janner, offered his full support in the matter (June 2009). Meeting with MoD in Feb 2010 but no forward movement on compensation (Mr Rushby died in Nov 2011).
July 2002 Discussed my findings with Anthony Beevor at Society of Authors meeting in London. He realised the importance of the work. Society of Authors suggested publishers and agents who subsequently requested outlines, proposals and sample chapters but then, for no good reason, declined to take the work forward in any shape or form.
Since Oct 2002 Efforts to get Feature and story taken up with different media. Prose-poem on the matter (‘Knowing’) went straight to the Literary Director at Penguin and was viewed as excellent
Marketing Information
UNDERGROUND AUSCHWITZ is the title for the documentary based on MARCHING WITHOUT KNOWING and Dr McNally’s own academic research and findings (presented formally in 2006, 2007 and 2009 as a conference paper and portable exhibition at academic conferences in London and Berlin). The documentary is also based on her interviews with survivors, and includes photos and also film footage of survivors talking about their experiences and ties in with the Five Acts of Part Two of MARCHING WITHOUT KNOWING.
Accompanying Research
- Own research records re. discovery of, analysis of and copies of original documentation and records (recorded in A5 handwritten books), 2002 onwards. ‘Knowing’ (Part One) sent to Penguin in Nov 2002 and regarded as excellent by the Literary Director.
- Underground Auschwitz. Documentary Treatment, 2005 onwards (logged with Executive Director of BBC in Oct 2005)
- 'British and Commonwealth Prisoners of War put to work down
mines in Upper Silesia: A Neglected Group', © Joanne McNally, in: Beyond
Camps and Forced Labour. Current International Research on Survivors of Nazi Persecution, 2006, edited by Steinert and Weber-Newth, pp 251-26
- Own filmed and recorded interviews with survivors including Maoris (with signed release forms for Joanne Maria McNally, Abel Film), 2007 onwards
- KL-Betrieb Sosnowitz. Travelling Exhibition (6 large poster boards) and accompanying guide sheet and folder of documents, 2007 (copyright: Joanne Maria McNally).
Bibliographic Information
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- FormatPaperback
- Publish StatusUnpublished
