A Small Loss

November 01, 2017

by Halina Yasharoff Peabody

In 1939, when World War II started, my first loss was my father, who was caught by the Russian occupying forces as he was trying to return home. He was sent to Siberia for 20 years’ hard labor. That was only the beginning, but it was a very big loss.

As the war continued, my family was thrown out of our house, first under the Russians and then under the Nazis. We lost almost everything but our lives. I was very young, but I remember my toys. I lost a Shirley Temple doll, a bicycle, a tricycle, and a scooter, which was very special because it had rubber wheels—an innovation in Poland at that time. I also had skates, on which I had learned how to skate when I was five. My mother, who had been a champion swimmer, believed in playing sports early in life. She also loved other sports, such as skiing, skating, tennis, and any sport that required courage.

Now, when I recount my war experiences and describe how we managed to survive because of my mother’s Herculean efforts, I always talk about the loss of my favorite doll—an authentic Shirley Temple. She has a special meaning for me because my mother used to sit with me and knit her little outfits. The one I remember best was a red cardigan. The wool had little white specs in it, and my mother did a beautiful job of knitting a cardigan with sleeves, a collar, and real buttonholes. She knitted everything I wore, as well. I don’t know when the doll disappeared, but she is a part of my lost childhood.

By the time I was free and living in England, I was no longer a child, and I was dealing with a new life, a new language, and growing up—but I never forgot my Shirley Temple doll.

Recently, I celebrated my 84th birthday and got the biggest surprise. But, I will let my son Joe tell the story as he posted it on Facebook. He wrote: 

“Forgive the long post, but I hope you’ll find it worth your time. For my mom’s 84th birthday, we gave her a doll. Not just any doll. A Shirley Temple doll. A vintage one that’s 80 years old just like the one she used to have when she was a little girl in Poland. It was her favorite possession. My mom and her family used to go see Shirley Temple movies in the 1930s when she was Hollywood’s no. 1 box office star. My mom actually bore a striking resemblance to Temple . . . My mom’s mom (my grandmother who I sadly never got to meet) would knit clothes for the doll. Life was good.

Then in 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. Nazi tanks and motorcycles literally barreled down my mom’s street right in front of her family’s house. Can you imagine the horror? My mom will never forget that sight. And then everything changed. Family members disappeared, and lives were profoundly changed. Forever. The doll along with almost every other prized possession became distant memories.

A few years ago, my mom started talking about her precious doll. It symbolized so many things, but mostly it represented the happy days of life in Poland before the Nazis ripped everything away. My amazing wife started plotting how she could get a Shirley Temple doll for my mom. Not just any doll, but a vintage doll that was in good shape. That was not an easy task, but a few weeks ago Nancy found a woman in Kansas who had the perfect Shirley Temple doll. YES!

Tonight, we surprised my mom with the doll, wrapping it in a blanket. And boy was she surprised. She said things like, ‘I’m so overwhelmed’ and ‘This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.’ All I can say is tonight my mom got her Shirley Temple doll back, and my heart is full.”

It is difficult to describe what went on in my mind when I opened this gift and saw the doll. A lot of memories floated back, and I was very moved. I have been sharing my wartime experiences with many audiences over the years, and each time something new creeps back into my memory. So, now I have a new piece to add to my recollections and another way to remember my mother who never gave up the fight to save her two daughters.

©2017, Halina Yasharoff Peabody. The text, images, and audio and video clips on this website are available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws.

Tags:   echoes of memory, volume 10halina yasharoff peabodyinvasion of polandparentspre-war life