Transport XXVII left the Radegast (Radogoszcz) station on the morning of March 20, 1942. This was the forty-first transport of Jews from the Łódź ghetto to Chełmno since the deportations began in January 1942. There were 1,000 Jews on the train.[1]
On the day of deportation, the temperatures fell once again to 4° below Celsius; there was sun and a westerly wind.[2] Dawid Sierakowiak (b. 1927) noted in his diary on that day: "Winter has returned. Thick snow fell today, and it's really freezing cold. We have no way to get out of this cold. To say nothing of the hunger."[3]
Unlike most of the transports which left in March 1942, a deportation list is available for this transport, but only the names of 910 deportees.[4] In addition to the deportees' names, the list includes other details: their addresses in the ghetto, year of birth, occupation, and a note regarding their marital status.[5] Chaim and Bencjon Rajz, twins, were among the youngest deportees. They were born in 1940.[6] The oldest deportee appears to have been Emanuel Milsztajn (b. 1867).[7]...