Concentration camp jacket with a prisoner ID patch worn by a Polish Jewish inmate

Benjamin Jumek Milich was born on June 23, 1914, in Łódź, Poland, to a Jewish couple, Wolf and Rajzla Katz Milich. Rajzla was born in 1892. Benjamin had three siblings: Abram, born February 2, 1912 or 1913, Lajb (Leib) Dawid, born June 13, 1917, and Anka (Anita), born December 25, 1925. Benjamin and Abram were barbers, Leib was a tailor, and Anita was a seamstress. Rajzla later married Henrik Morzyglod (Marzyglad, Mowzygtud).

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Łódź was occupied one week later. In early February 1940, a ghetto was established. In about April, Benjamin and his family were forced to move into the ghetto. Leib worked in a tailor factory in the ghetto. In July 1942, Abram was sent away. In spring 1944, the German authorities decided to liquidate the ghetto, the last ghetto in Poland. On August 10, Benjamin and Leib were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. In late August, the brothers were transferred to Kaufering labor camp, a subcamp of Buchenwald in Germany. Benjamin was assigned prisoner number 96699 and Leib number 96700. After nine months, they were sent on a forced march to Dachau. Benjamin and Leib were on a death march toward Buchenwald when they were liberated by American forces on May 2, 1945, near Bad Tolz, Germany.

Benjamin and Leib were reunited with Abram, Anita, and Henrik. They lived in Markt Oberdorf displaced persons camp. In July 1942, Abram had been sent to Auschwitz and assigned prisoner number B-10306. In July 1944, he was sent to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, and assigned prisoner number 120676. On January 28, 1945, he was transferred to Ebensee, a subcamp of Mauthausen, where he was liberated on May 6, 1945. In August 1944, Anita was sent to Auschwitz. In September, she was transferred to Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany and assigned prisoner number 60914. On September 18, she was sent to Muehlhausen, a subcamp of Buchenwald, and assigned prisoner numbers 30316 and 48435. In February or March 1945, she was sent to Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated on April 15. Their mother Rajzla perished, presumably in Łódź Ghetto.

In May 1948, Benjamin married Halina Gozdzik in a double wedding with Anita and Bolek Schwarcberg (Schwartzberg). Halina was born on June 24, 1926, in Łódź, to Jakub and Cela Cypora Domb Gozdzik. In June 1940, they were forced into Łódź ghetto, where Jakub and Cela died. On August 10, 1944, Halina and her younger brother Lajb were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Lajb was killed. On September 24, Halina was transferred to Halberstadt labor camp, where she was liberated on May 8, 1945. The Milich siblings immigrated to the United States in 1949: Anita and Bolek to New York in July, Abram to Massachusetts in August, Benjamin and Halina to New York in September, and Leib to Boston. Halina changed her name to Helen, Abram to Abraham, and Leib to Leo. Benjamin and Helen lived with Anita and Bolek in Brooklyn and eventually moved to Flushing. Abraham, age 70, died on March 15, 1982, in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Leo, age 72, died on August 30, 1989, in Boston. Benjamin, age 84, died on April 17, 1999, in Flushing. Anita, age 88, died on August 19, 2014, in New York.