Getting to know my father through his wartime diaries
Last week I shared some of Józef's words from a different part of the diaries, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Poland. The extract below now returns to the chronology of the previous posts I've shared, the last of which can be found here: My Beloved Kraków. 7/09/1939 I kept my … Continue reading German Armoured Units Already in Sight
The old man chauffeuring me wasn’t managing very well and because of his age he was driving haphazardly in the dark. So at his own request, he was released from the army and praising God he made his way back to Giszowiec. I was given a young driver and we headed towards Siewierz but it … Continue reading From Giszowiec towards Siewierz – part four: Sad News from Silesia
The diary extracts posted so far have covered the period from Józef being commissioned into the Polish army in 1938 up until the outbreak of war on 1st September 1939. Before posting extracts from the next stage of his journey, I’d like to describe briefly another European journey; my family’s trip in the early 1960s … Continue reading Discovering Poland
We first visited Poland in the summer of 1962 when I was 12 years old. Here I met for the first time, all seven of my father’s brothers and sisters along with my grandfather and numerous cousins (more of this visit later). Among these was Józef’s youngest sister Łucja, who I went on to meet … Continue reading Some Family Memories
This section was one of the first parts that I translated and my father's poignant comment has stuck in my mind ever since. 22/08/1939 On the 22nd August I received an order by telephone from Lieutenant Colonel Szebesta, to go immediately to the Pszczyna area and take up the position of doctor for the … Continue reading Some Sadly Prophetic Words
Following my father’s death in London in 1952, two Polish language newspapers – Myśl Polska (printed in England) and Słowo Polskie (printed in France) – published obituary notices. I was intrigued to read these and learn more about my father's activities as a student in Poland and after he settled in England. Below are excerpts … Continue reading My Father’s Obituaries
