STEFAN’S FATHER WAS born in 1912 in Wolkusze, Poland. He grew up on a farm and learned carpentry. When WWII broke out in 1939, Poland was divided between Germany and Russia. He joined the army, was captured by the Russians, and sent to a Siberian work camp.
Many men died there due to harsh winter conditions. In 1941, after Germany invaded Russia, he joined the Anders’ Army and made his way to Iran, where he joined the British 10th Army.
Stefan’s father fought in North Africa and Italy, including the Battle of Monte Cassino, where he was wounded.
The English government recognized it wasn’t safe for many Poles to return to Poland.
After the war, he returned to Britain on an American troopship and settled at Heathfield Camp in Honiton as part of the Polish Resettlement Corps. He chose to stay in Britain rather than return to Communist Poland.
Returning to Poland after the war was risky for Polish officers and intellectuals, as they were often detained or killed. Despite contributing significantly during WWII, Polish forces were excluded from the London victory parade to avoid upsetting Stalin.
He was demobbed in 1948 and worked as a lorry driver for Slades of Honiton having had experience of driving a Bren gun carrier in North Africa during WWII. His father had a strong accent so he took on mostly manual labourers’ jobs and got a job working at the gasworks on King Street shovelling coal to make coke.
Stefan’s father had four sisters, but he never talked much about his family in Poland.
Stefan, who grew up in Honiton with an English mother, didn’t discuss his Polish heritage much when he was young. He identifies as British but is proud of his Polish heritage.
When working as a maintenance technician in a London hotel, he was surrounded by Polish colleagues and it made him reflect on his ability to understand but not speak the language.
Stefan feels it’s important to share these stories, especially with younger generations who may not know about how and why many of these Polish descendants live in Honiton today.
Listen to highlights from Stefan’s interview below:
Highlight 1: Being part of a community of Poles here in Honiton [00:00:00 – 00:01:18]
Highlight 2: Sending Bundles to Family in Poland [00:01:18 – 00:01:56]
Highlight 3:Proud of my Polish Heritage [00:01:58 – 00:03:10]
Highlight 4: Perceptions from Poland, Denied Rights to Parade [00:03:12 – 00:06:03]
Highlight 5: It’s Our History, It’s Polish History, Why it’s important to tell your story [00:06:05 – 00:07:10]
Listen to Stefan’s full interview here:
Click on the logo below to read the transcript of Stefan’s full interview
