Henryk Kuczynski - tank driver
My father-in-law was taken initially to a Siberian labour camp when the Soviets failed to find his elder brother near Augustow. He was released by the Russians when Germany declared war on the USSR on the condition he fought for them. Like many loyal brave Poles he headed South via Iran and joined Maczek's new Division in Scotland. His mentor was Capt Hertz, a Jewish officer and tank commander (he died near Jort, Normandy) - who watched over him and he served as a tank driver in 1st Armd Regmt, 1st Squadron (recon). Ryk survived Maczuga and was on the Guard of Honour at Willemshaven. He settled in England. Eventually in 1980's he was reunited with his sister (originally family lived near Augustow). Ryk passed away 2002. A lady in Poland still puts flowers on his grave - she said he gave her a potato to eat whilst (as a young girl) at the Siberian labour camp.
Tony Wood
28/04/2013 |
Contact address for: Polish Army Enquires UK
This is to help you find information of your Father's army records etc:
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
APC Polish Enquires
Building 60, RAF Northolt
West End Road
Ruislip
Middlesex, HA4 6NG
Also you can find a web site on facebook:
1st polish Armoured Division again very good for information.
Good luck Aleks
Aleksander Mazurek
27/09/2012 |
Looking for my father
I am looking for my birth father (different than my adopted father named Joseph Kruczek, who was also in the 1st Armoured). I have a picture of him and think he was a Captain as well. I believe he is in a picture with Captain Duda at the Johnstone Castle in Glasgow. Would anyone be able to help me? I also have a picture of him in his uniform, if that would assist. I'd love to find out his name - it would be wonderful to know where I came from. Email me and I can send you a picture if you think you can help. Thanks so much. - Krystyna
Krystyna Kruczek
28/08/2012 |
Genaral Maczek'k great map of Scotland
There is a group of people in the border region of Scotland trying to get help with restoring a unique large relief map, as a memorial to General Maczek and the 1st Armoured Division. The map is situated in the grounds of the Barony Castle, Eddleston where Gen.Maczek was stationed during the war. If you are interested, would loke to help or wish more information look up the MAPA SCOTLAND web site
a luczak
16/04/2012 |
1PAD
My father served in this division from1942till 1944.He was wounded at Falaise in France and repatriated to the UK.He lived until 1985 aged 72.It is such a shame these guy's were never honoured.Za Wasza i Nasza Wolnosc. For Your FREEDOM and Ours. Hello to all from Bonnie Scotland home of the Division.
Stephen Stelmaszuk
21/01/2011 |
I have been trying to find information about a grand house ( in earlier times, the Laird's residence), located near Blairgowrie.It was requisitioned for the Polish air-force. My father, Wladek Nakoneczny convalesced there for a short time during the war.
Anita Hutchinson
20/09/2010 |
Stefan Potrzuski
My father was captured in France escaped and joined the French Resistance. Later he made his way to Scotland and I know he was stationed for some time in the Perth, Bridge of Allan and Stirling area. If anyone knew him please let me know. My father died in 1992 and I miss him very much.
Aurelia Shield nee Potrzuska
06/05/2010 |
Loss of Colleague
I was a friend of one of the First Armoured Division serving officers. His name is Roman Maryniak and he died in London on September 2, 2009, aged 90 years. Roman was a freind of mine for 10 years. I met him through a mutual friend, Richard Saunders from New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA; a great and generous friend of Poland. Roman's daughter, Wendy Ciriello, had written to this site looking for news of her father, you will be happy to know that I connected her to his family having seen her request for information about Roman on your site and she was fortunate to attend his services. Keep up the good work!
Jim Camacho
James Camacho
07/10/2009 |
Seeking Information about my father
Can anyon etell me anything about my father Lc Cpl Fabian Gosiewski who served with the 14th Light Field Ambulance.?
He was wounded in 1944 in Holland. One account says he was picking up a wounded soldier under fire?
Can anyone give any information?
Leon Gosiewski
19/08/2009 |
I am an old Viet Nam boy. I drink rarely these days but will always raise a glass to our honored dead.
I have no Polish roots. That does not matter. Those of our men of The Mace (Hill 262, Mount Ormel) are my honored dead also. I think of Monte Cassino the same way.
But The Mace is special. There is a certain and peculiar pressure upon the soul at times and places where there can be no expectation of survival that the veteran experiences that the newcomer to fighting does not. The men of The Mace knew in their hearts what they were getting into and did their duty well. The Canadians didn't do so bad, either.
After all these years I still study war. You just never get over it. And why would one want to forget? Forget those faces? Forget their cheerfulness under adversity? Forget their gallantry? Forget? Never.
May Poland live forever.
Paul Callahan
12/08/2009 |
My Father Josef Sobota
My father Josef Sobota, was 15 and training to be a priest when WWII began. Never really spoke about the war till his death at 62 in 1987. He fought with 1st Polish Armoured Div and if anyone knew him, or any photos would love to hear from you.
Stefan Sobota
06/06/2009 |
Mrs
Does anyone know Roman Maryniak? He was an officer and fought in the First Polish Armoured Division during World War II and was in France during the Normandy campaign. He settled in London after the war. Please contact me if you know him. Thank you.
Wendy Ciriello
03/04/2009 |
Looking for anyone who knew Roman Sobkowiak
My father has recently passed away the year at the age of 83. He was born in Poznan in 1925 and was sent to a youth camp by the Germans from which he escaped with a couple of friends to France and then on to England/Scotland where he joined the British Army. He was very reluctant to speak about what he did in the war but I do know he was a gunner at Monte Cassino and wondered if this was the division he served with
Joanna Miller
26/02/2009 |
Mr
Mr father was a tank platoon leader in the Black Brigade in Poland in 1939. With his three tanks he escaped to Hungary then Romania. Then to France where he was wounded. He was wounded, when a German shell shrapnell entered his tank and kill the gunner and wounded him.
With his Company he escaped to St Jean de Luz. Where he with his sea experience commanded a fishing trawler to England. 1941 he was medicaly discharged due to the chest wound recieved in France.
My Grand Mother was arrested by the Germans for connections and carrying documents for the Underground Army and shot in 1944 in Auswitzch
My grand father. Took part in the 1944 uprising in Warsaw.
In 1948 My father managed to have him smuggled out to England.
None of our familly has been back to Poland while it was under communist rule. It was deamed inadvisable by the FO
My Uncle waas Col. Karol Complak comander of the Polish Highland Div and of the 1 POLISH AIRBORNE BRG
Adam Wisniewski VM 1887 - 1956 Grandfather
Wodjmesh M Wisniewski VM 1911-1982 Father
Adam Wisniewski
07/12/2008 |
New Polish Forces War (139-1945) Memorial - Sept. 2009
A new Polish Forces War (139-1945) Memorial is being constructed at the National Memorial Arboretum in England, It is due to be unveiled in September 2009 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. The statue design is to comprise four sculptures of typical members of the different branches of the Polish Armed Forces: the Air Force, the Army, the Navy and the Polish Underground Home Army. The Airman is a Polish pilot from RAF 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain; the Underground figure is a woman courier wearing civilian clothes; the Army is represented by a typical Polish soldier from the battle of Monte-Cassino; the Sailor is a crew member of the Polish destroyer Błyskawica. In addition, the figures are ‘combined’ with an eagle uniting all four sculptures under its outspread wings.
Details of the project (which needs our financial support) can be found at:www.PolishForcesMemorial.com
Stefan Mucha
21/11/2008 |
1st Armoured Division
Greetings from Canada. My father Ryszard Januszewski was a career military man and a member of the 1st armoured division. Like a lot of Poles, he didn't speak much of the war. Sadly we died in 1964 when I was 10. I have been researching a lot and came across your website, which is first rate. Cheers Bill J
Bill Januszewski
28/10/2008 |
wladyslaw gorniak
i think my father served with the 1st armoured he spoke little of his experiences but i do know he was captured by the germans, sent to a forced labour camp, escaped to france, taken to Scotland and served as an allied soldier. He passed away last year but i miss him so much, and thooght to make a tribute to him by finding out who he served with and his campaigns etc. can anyone help?
margaret taylor(gorniak)
12/10/2008 |
1st Polish Anti Tank Regiment/1st Polish Armoured Division
My late father-in-law Karol Wiejaczka was part of the above regiment. He spoke little about his wartime experiences other than how he escaped from Poland after the German invasion and fled to France. There he joined up with other Polish militia and after the fall of France escaped to Hungary where he was interned. He then escaped from Hungary and made his way to the UK to join the Free Polish Army. He was based in Scotland prior to active service overseas and returned at the end of the war to marry my late mother-in-law Eliza Rogers and raised a family. He was never able to return to Poland because of the Communists but met his older sister in Italy on a regular basis until his death in 1977. Researching the history of the regiment with my grandson for his school project I was struck with the detail available and I wonder if indeed Karol was part of the Black Brigade.
Robin Sharp
03/10/2008 |
-
My grandfather Henry (Henryk) Sadowski was in the 1st Polish Armoured Division.
He told me many stories about the war.
He was a great man.
Born 1916 - Lodz
Died 2005 - London
James
04/08/2008 |
1st Polish Armoured Division
My father Stanislaw Wolanin who was born in Wola Bilgoraj Lubelskie, was a tank driver in the 1st Polish Armoured Division. He survived the battle at the Falaise Gap.He joined the Polish Army in 1939 but escaped the Germans and was interred in Romania and afterwards fled to Britain. In 1942 the 1st Polish Armour Brigade was formed under General Maczek and my father was billeted in Blairgowrie Perhshire where he met my mother.After he was demobed in 1947 he remained in Blairgowrie.(1920-1974)
christine
24/07/2008 |
1st armoured division
Hi,great site, My grandad Szymon szatylowicz was in the polish 1st armoured division szymon came from czeremcha in poland and my great uncle Frank kozil was in the polish army too, he was from lithuania both of them settled in scotland after the war.
thanks chris szatylowicz
Chris Szatylowicz
23/05/2008 |
Mr
My father was Jan Pyziak, he died in 1996 and was a tank driver in the first Polish Armoured Division from 1942 to its demolbilization in 1947. He survived the Battle of Falise Gap.
Fred Pyziak
14/01/2008 |
I am a grandson of Waclaw Muter from 1st Polish Armoured Division
My Grandfather was with 1st Polish Armoured Division and Gen. Maczek from the biggining in Scotland until the end of the raod in Wilhemshafen, he told me many stories and make me proud and who I am now, this a great website , best regards Piotr
Piotr
03/10/2007 |
Beau site !
Voilà un hommage mérité à un Polonais qui s'est battu pour son pays et qui a contribué à la libération du mien. A travers cela, c'est en réalité à tous ses compagnons d'arme ! Très belle initiative !! Comme je suis maquettiste, je souhaite à ma manière honorer ces combattants, en réalisant un jour la libération de Breda par la Division Maczek...
Encore bravo !
Patrick
Patrick Lapalu
24/07/2007 |
my father Major Donald Robert Fyfe
My father was a British liaison officer in the the Polish Armoured Division both in Scotland and later in Europe. H enever showed me any pictures so I scanned the ones opn the web site but could not see him in any of them. He became fluent in Polish since he lived in the officer's mess where Polish was spoken every day. He died in 1996 so I cannot ask him any questions about that period of his life. He never discussed the war unless pressed and then very little.
Regards
Andrew Fyfe
Andrew Fyfe
16/05/2007 |
Hello,
I lived in a small village south of Edinburgh Scotland. in this village there was a hotel Called the Black Barony. This was owned by a Captain Tomashek, who every summer had as one of his guests with family General Maczek. they were delightful people and will always have good memories of spending time with them. He was a very polite and modest man. I always assumed the the Catain had seved in his division--Am I right in this thinking?
brian mcteir
14/12/2006 |
My Father Mario Bryanston
My Father was in the 1st Polish Armoured Division with the 14th Polish Lancers. His name then was Mario Brynstein one of a number of Jewish Polish soldiers. I am just having a plaque made with his name for the new National Memorial Arboretum in the UK. This might be the first mention of the division at the Arboretum. I have a lovely engraved metal cigarette box with the words in Dutch Met Harteluken Dank inscribed inside presented to him at the liberation of Breda. Sadly my Father died on November 11th 2002 conincidently Armistice Day in the UK
Sincerely
Claudette Bryanston.
Claudette Bryanston
19/10/2006 |
Stanislaw Maczek school
Greetings from Stanislaw Maczek school in Warsaw. We are preparing for our annual Maczek day to be held on October 13 and will be grateful for any information available.Thank you in advance.
Regina Kaźmierczuk
04/10/2006 |
Félicitations !
Un grand bravo pour le travail de mémoire accompli à travers votre site ! Il s'agit là d'un bien bel hommage à votre grand-père et à tous les combattants de la 1ère DB Polonaise. Félicitations encore !
Stéphane Brière
BRIERE Stéphane
28/06/2006 |
Bienvenue / Welcome / Witaj !
Steven DUDA
23/06/2006 |
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