People
44 Articles
Personal narratives of those whose lives were defined by exile, conflict, and the rebuilding of identity across borders.
A Forgotten Odyssey
1 minute readThis site is connected to ‘A Forgotten Odyssey’, a recent documentary film by Jagna Wright and Aneta Naszynska....André (Andrzej) Wyssogota-Zakrzewski
4 minute readBorn in 1905 in Kalisz, Poland, he was a member of the extensive Dutch-Paris resistance network that had lines running through the Low Countries through Paris to Lyon-Haute Savoie, Switzerland,…...
Bacia, Stanislaw, Adam (1914 – 1969)
22 minute readThe remarkable story of Captain Stanisław Bacia, from his early life and military training in Poland, through the 1939 campaign, escape to France, and internment in Switzerland, to his post-war…...
C T Gregor (1909 – 1999)
7 minute readCaptain C.T. Gregor served in the Royal Tank Regiment before joining the Polish section of SOE, training agents and aiding the Polish resistance in WWII....
Cichociemni & The Role of Couriers
129 minute readElite Polish WWII paratroopers, the Cichociemni, operated in secret to support the Home Army—trained in Britain, deployed by night, unseen couriers of freedom....
Czeslaw Kowalczyk
10 minute readCzesław Kowalczyk escaped Poland after the 1939 invasion, journeying through Europe and the Middle East to join the Polish Air Force in Britain, where he served with courage and distinction....
Dr Mieczysław (Mietek) Jan de Sas Kropiwnicki
17 minute readPolish officer turned paratrooper, Dr Mieczysław de Sas Kropiwnicki escaped occupied Europe to serve in Britain before rebuilding his life as a veterinary surgeon....
Dr Tadeusz W. Wlodek
3 minute readDr Tadeusz W. Wlodek, Lwów metallurgist and weapons innovator, helped create Poland’s wz.35 anti-tank rifle and led technical intelligence work before escaping the 1939 invasion....
E/ UP Operation SAINTLY-SOLEDAD
11 minute readIntroduction Latin America is often over looked for SOE - E/ UP operations but also was under the Continental Action as a whole (Ciechanowski, 2005). There were many Polish diasporas in Latin America…...
Edmund M E Lubkowski
7 minute readTaken for forced labour at 14, Lubkowski escaped German captivity, joined the Polish forces in Scotland, and later rebuilt his life in Britain after the war....
Forgery, Counterfeiting and Deception
4 minute readSource: N/K. Introduction: Standing on the Essex-Hertfordshire border near Roydon, Briggens House Hotel (now derelict) had a very different role during World War II. Initially used to train Poland’s elite…...
Frantisek Smietana-Czarkovsky
2 minute readFrantisek Smietana-Czarkovsky, a Polish officer of the 1st Independent Rifle Brigade, served in wartime Britain—his quiet courage and mystery endure....
Henryk Wroblewski
6 minute readHenryk Wroblewski (Anders) 304 Squadron Henryk was born in St. Petersburg in 1921. His mother was a housemaid to a Russian general and father was a member of the Czar's…...
Herbert Noga
4 minute readThe mysterious 1945 crash of Polish pilot Herbert Noga’s P-51 Mustang on Darwen Moor — a wartime hero’s final flight remembered with honour....
Jan Walenty Walis
20 minute readFirst-hand account of Polish officer Jan Walenty Walis — his 1939 mobilization, retreat through Poland, and harrowing escape to Hungary during WWII....
John Kapelko 1992 – Poles Apart
74 minute readThe remarkable WWII memoir of Polish soldier John Kapelko — from capture and escape in Russia to fighting at Tobruk and Monte Cassino, and rebuilding life in Britain....
Kazimierz Blazey Pajorski (1918-1989)
1 minute readPolish soldier Kazimierz Blazey Pajorski escaped war-torn Poland, fought in France, survived internment in Switzerland, and rebuilt his life in England....
Kazimierz Lewandowski
5 minute readPolish airman Kazimierz Lewandowski of 304 Squadron served in Coastal Command, flying anti-submarine missions over the Atlantic during WWII....
Maria Tulasiewicz
11 minute readLife of Maria Tulasiewicz — born in Warsaw, refugee of WWII, postwar London writer and Polish émigré who built a creative, resilient life in exile....
Mass Deportations
26 minute readCaught between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, millions of Poles were deported, enslaved, or killed—victims of genocide, forced labour, and shifting borders that erased their homeland....
Mieczyslaw Antoni Leśniak
10 minute readMieczysław Antoni Leśniak—Polish Air Force officer, instructor, and postwar teacher—escaped occupied Europe to serve Britain with distinction and lifelong dedication....
Mieczyslaw Bargiel (Code Name Major Roger)
4 minute readMieczysław “Major Roger” Bargiel — Polish miner turned Resistance leader, who fought with the Maquis in France and later rebuilt postwar Poland....
Mieczyslaw M. Wnuk
24 minute readFrom Olympic skier to wartime escapee and commando trainer — the epic journey of Polish officer Mieczyslaw Wnuk from Zakopane to Dunblane, Scotland....
Operation FRESTON
14 minute readBackground: A British military mission was sent to Poland in December 1944 to ascertain the conditions in the country post Warsaw Rising and attempt to liaise between the AK and…...
Peasant Battalions
8 minute readBataliony Chłopskie Introduction: The Peasant battalions (BCh) were formed in August 1940 out of the Peasants’ Guard (Chłosta) and were the largest independent battalions within the AK (Nowak, 1986; Roszkowski,…...
Polish Batallions
15 minute readPolish resistance fighters in France joined the M.O.I and F.T.P.F, sabotaging German forces and aiding liberation efforts alongside the French Maquis....
Polish Women at War
5 minute readPolish women served bravely across all forces—soldiers, nurses, mechanics, and pilots—playing vital roles in Poland’s fight for freedom during WWII....
Roman Olczyk
68 minute readRoman Olczyk’s harrowing memoir traces his deportation to Siberia, survival, and journey through Persia to Italy with Anders’ Army—one man’s odyssey of resilience....
Roman Wroblewski Denys
20 minute readAt 17, Roman Wroblewski Denys fled occupied Poland—bikes, arrest, mountain escapes and St-Jean-de-Luz—reaching Britain to join the RAF and fight the Nazis....
SOE and the Poles in Hungary
53 minute readSOE and Polish agents in Hungary ran escape lines, sabotage, and rescue missions amid Nazi control, Soviet interference, and complex Allied politics....
Stanley Jeziorski
23 minute readStanley Jeziorski’s epic WWII journey—from Poland’s battlefields to Tobruk, the RAF, and life in exile—tells a story of courage, resilience, and renewal....
Stefan Zolkowski O’Dell
35 minute readStefan Żółkowski O'Dell’s remarkable WWII journey—from besieged Warsaw to Britain—tracing escape, survival, and service with 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron....
The Holy Cross Brigade
14 minute readBrygada Świętokrzyska Introduction: The Holy Cross Mountain Brigade has remained contentious since its formation on 11th August 1944 on the Lasocin estate, Opatów County in the foothills of the Góry Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross…...
The London-Budapest Game.
30 minute readCatherine E. Schandl, 2007 by Lulu Books Inc, USA (On-line self-publishing site) ISBN 978-1-4303-1178-2 The London-Budapest Game is part of a trilogy (“Sword of the Turul” and “Swedish Gold”) tracing the…...
The Musketeers, Intrigue, and the Balkan Connection
22 minute readPoland’s secret Musketeers network linked SIS, SOE, and Balkan intelligence. Led by Stefan Witkowski, it gathered vital intel before his 1942 assassination....
The Technical and Non-Technical Services for the PAF
9 minute readIntroduction: One area overlooked by historians is the role of research and development (R&D) by the PAF (Polish Air Force) during World War II. For some, the subject lacks the ‘draw’…...
The Wellington Crew No.304 Squadron (NZ-B) W5627
2 minute readThe story of Flight Officer Julian Morawski and the Polish Wellington crew of No. 304 Squadron, shot down over France in April 1942....
Trial of the Sixteen
18 minute readThe 1945 Moscow Trial of the Sixteen marked the end of Poland’s wartime independence, paving the way for Soviet control and the rise of the ‘Cursed Soldiers’....
Władysław Popiołek
8 minute readWładysław Popiołek’s journey from Nazi-occupied France to a Spanish concentration camp, RAF pilot training, and postwar life in Britain embodies resilience and hope....
Wojtek – The Soldier Bear
1 minute readWojtek, the Soldier Bear, served with Polish troops in WWII—hauling ammunition at Monte Cassino and becoming a beloved symbol of courage and comradeship....
Zbigniew Maslaczyk
6 minute readPolish airman Zbigniew Maslaczyk found love and a new life in wartime Blackpool before his tragic 1942 crash. His story bridges two families and nations....
Zenon Krzeptowski
57 minute readZenon Krzeptowski’s remarkable journey from Middle Eastern battlefields to the skies over Europe with Poland’s famed 303 Squadron....
Zenon Stefan Teofil Bartkowiak
107 minute readZenon Stefan Teofil Bartkowiak—Polish airman who escaped occupied Europe to serve with the RAF, embodying courage, endurance, and the indomitable Polish spirit....
Zenon Waclaw Krzeptowski
11 minute readThe incredible wartime journey of Zenon Wacław Krzeptowski — from Zakopane’s ZWZ resistance to 303 Squadron pilot, crossing Europe to freedom and flight....
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