Polish resettlement camps in Britain 1945

angelfire.com/ok2/polisharmy/chapter7.html

Polish Resettlement Camps in the UK, 1946 to 2011

I'm not even half way through it yet, but so far this site has been absolutely excellent at giving the personal side to the dry facts and figures which many of us already knew:

northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk/index.htm

Highly recommended.

It does seem that the author doesn't have a lot of time for certain elements of today's Britain:

very interesting. thanks for this link

It's very interesting, I've bookmarked this one

thanks again

It is so bitter...

I just think why we are with our "alies" in Iraq or Afganistan ...

Bitter? Well the Poles were very depressed about being discarded and felt lost, helpless.

It directly lead to my father eventual suicide, before he killed himself he destroyed all his identity papers and photographs. It ensure that he didn't exist, vanished, I suspect.

It is interesting to see how Britain has changed, 50 years ago foreigners were stared at, life was dull and poverty was rife.

Now Poles come here and complain about the multiculturalism, excessive money and wild behaviour of the British.

Still find friends in the Irish, though.

not all Poles, this forum in some way doesnt stick to Polish reality, It is full of Americans with Polish origin supporting parties like LPR (1-4 % of support in Poland) and after reading this forum you may think that it is really strong party ... or this questions about condoms and religion :) You really should come to Poland and see what Polish reality is :) ...

Or this all subjects about White/Black/Arab, it isnt part of public debate in Poland, and here it is discussed as one of the most important issues. (Polish americans again)


yes it is.

And Polish reality is not you and a few of your friends.

Yes it is bitter. Because now we are good alies again, and when we will be in troubles again. In USA or in UK you will show some spots about Radio Maryja or anti-semits and call us "Polish fasists" when it is anbout 1-5 % of our society. And we will be alone again. And I m sure about that, so I dont see the reason why Poland should be with USA in Iraq or Afganistan.

I'm really sorry to hear that, it must have been terrible for you and your family

The enigma machine, is good example.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine

Our mathematicians broken its code and it shorten war by 2-3 years (maybe changed result of the war) and after the war I think in '60 - '70 brits made movie about it ... in this movie brits did everything and there was one Pole - drunken traitor ...

I just dont understand brits or americans coming here and reminding us how did they sold us during WWII. I dont know if it is good idea.

lukasz, The Polish fellas cracked the origional two disc enigma machine. Alan turing and his boffins cracked the 3 and 4 disc enigma machines that were used during the war.

Of course Britain was a grey and miserable place back then ,it had just bled itself white in a six year war that cost it the empire empire and its econamy to the USA which had literally made a killing through the war years by dealing with all sides.

I wish the few of you that bleat on and on and on about britains betrayal of Poland would remember where the Free Polish Govt was located,London, and where the vast majority of Poles who could leave ended up,Britain, then as now though located in grim northern towns with shakey employment prospects,not only were our servicemen returning to find jobs taken by women for the first time,they were also being taken by forgienrs,not only Poles(many of who were ex POWs who had never signed up with anders after "liberation" from the WH) but also ex Galician Div ukrainiens....anyhow,Im bored with this perpetual whining about being sold out by britain,it was Polish Communists who sold you out by getting into bed with Stalin,get over it.

It was RED ARMY in our country, which atacked us in '39 together with Hitlers germany, and murdered our citizens (katyń) occupied half of our country to '41 , and UK and USA sold Poland in Yalta '45 for the same murders ... and Katyń was well known this time ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalta_Conference

. It is old story, and I dont thik that UK citizens should start to argue about it again.

As to Enigma without Poles who gave for English know-how in this case, you wouldnt breake new versions of Enigma.

I agree you were exhausted, but you should notice we were under soviet occupation to '89 and now UK/France citizens when we talk about EU funds starts to talk about ungrateful Poles, "what do they want ... " "they are in EU they should be quiet" "they live in the past"

Thats because us Brits did do everythinge!!.....So stop complaining!!

Enough of the world does that already.


Were you there? I thought it was more of a combined effort.

Yor right.......but some of us did more than others!

Thats why I think we should leave Iraq and Afganistan ...

when we will be in troubles we will be again stupid Poles, "Polish fasist" ...

this is nice example

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_death_camp

Americans will make movie in which Poles will be guards in prison in Iraq tortruring Iraqis people ... and our soldiers will be drunk traitors (as in brits movie about enigma) ...

I m not going to bid who did what in WWII, I know the truth and when I see our "alies" opinions I know we do the same mistake again ...

And to Poles (not to americans with Polish origin) on this forum, do you see what I see, really I think that we should develope our country, take money Germans give us, and just dont care about things like WTC or bombs in London underground. It isnt our problem.

Lukasz

The Enigma machine has nothing to do with the Polish army's resettlement and neither does Iraq. Can you keep on topic.

I think what many people find shocking is that ,in effect many Polish servicemen ended up in concentration camp light over here,butagain,there was a massive shortage of housing in the UK after the war,and not unjustifiably in my opinion priority was given to rehousing British troops on De Mob.

(btw,lukasz,why do you always forget about the Lublin govt',made up of Poles,in Poland? hurchill and the Guards armoured division were not in Poland at the time,if thgey had been maybe things would have turned out differently but I say again,perpetual whining about being sold out by britain smacks of old fashioned communist propaganda dressed up as "fact". )


look mate,Ive debated on here with people far more knowlagable than you about Polish ww2 history and come off on a level so just why should anyone not disagree with your one sided ,slightly pathetic interpritation of an incredably complex situation just because they dont hold a Polish passport? If this is the case ,what right have you to even mention Mr Churchill as he isnt Polish? By your logic you have no right to as you are not British(or American,as he was half septic)

Maybe vichy gov in france is a good example, or gov in cheuchenia established by russians.


I m not british and I m not american I dont care about WTC, bombs in London undregroud and war agains terrorists.

And maybe one very interesting fact. After the war there was Victory Parade in London, all alies were represented, British forbiden to take part in it for Poles to not disturb Russians ... we were awkward ally in this moment.

And durring Battle of Brittan when Poles were about 20% of fighter pilots in RAF and they were simply the best they were heros ...

You can writte what ever you want, for me you were simply traitors (this time).

In some way I undestand that you were exhausted ... but small things like parade or that Poles were holded in worst conditions (after the war) than German POWs.

Not true - see list below of RAF fighter pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain. That the Polish were good pilots and helped shape the tactics in aerial warfare is not in doubt. Me dad told me so!

British 2340
Americans 9
Australians 32
Barbados 1
Belgians 28
Canadians 112
Czechoslovakians 89
Free French 13
Irish 10
Jamacians 1
Newfoundland 1
New Zealanders 127
Polish 145
South Africans 25
Southern Rhodesians 3
TOTALS 2936

to make it clear:

2,944 pilots took part in the historic Battle of Britain, of whom 497 lost their lives. Amongst them there were 145 Polish pilots, of whom 32 were killed. The RAF and allied pilots shot down 1,733 German aircraft and the Luftwaffe shot down 915 British fighters. 203 German aircraft were shot by the Polish pilots. In September, during the highest intensity of German attacks, 13% of Polish pilots in frontline squadrons were Poles, and in October, because of the RAF loses, the proportion went up to 20%.

According to Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, AOC Fighter Command of RAF: "(...) all (Polish) squadrons swung into the fight with a dash and enthusiasm which is beyond praise. (...) The first Polish squadron (303) (...) during the course of one month shot down more Germans than any other British unit in the same period. Other Poles (...) were used (...) in British squadrons, but (...) they were probably most efficient employed in their own national units."

Lisen.

READ THE ARTICLE that this started the thread. The Poles were refused to to march so that it would not upset the POLISH GOVERNMENT, who Britain had recognised.

Here's the whole book.

angelfire.com/ok2/polisharmy

Its funny, you get Polish Poles complaining about this, yet the British Poles called those who went back home to Poland traitors.

Peter,you have hit the nail on the head,there does seem to be a certain section of otherwise inteligent young Poles that seem to want to blame everyone else for everything and cannot/will not admit that maybe,just maybe there were enough Poles willing to do Stalins bidding that not everything bad done in Poland was done by the russians or winston bl o ody churchill (i hate having to defend the drunken a rse but hey,in this case....). Wasnt there a civil war in Poland between 45 and 47 (about 56 if you count the last of the ex home army types to come in from the forests) where loyal Poles were killing other loyal Poles? I would suggest removing the rose tinted(practicaly opaque) glasses if you want to be taken seriously as any sort of historians.


hey,you missed off the 1 isreali ,that has confused the heck out of at least 2 generations of British schoolboys at the end of the film........

Typically uneducated Brit confused by the history lessons he had at school!

Why are Brits so badly educated in European history!

even some Russians and Germans asked here (Polish forum) Why we stick to the same countries after that all ... ehhh

Ok I'm not going to continue this topic, I presented my point of view, and haven't changed it

because we had an empire that was much more important/interesting than a bunch of squabbeling foreigners across the channel

And we and the Czechs were awarded with the present of communism for our gallant efforts! Brits need to take responsibility for their actions and stop pretending history doesn't exists. For Poland WW2 finished in 1989! Communism wasn't invited by us it was imposed on us!

right;)

Ok then brain box,what part of my statement is incorrect?Point anything historically wrong in that and you get a cookie. Who were the LWP? answer=Poles.Who were they fighting in 45-47?answer=Poles

Who were the KBW?answer Poles. who were they fighting and killing?answer=other Poles.
BTW its British,not Brits .
Real Polish historians dont have a problem admitting that there were plenty of Polish communists around,I ask again why do some modern day Polish kids not get this as well? Why all the peeing and moaning about Britain anyway,as you say it was the Soviets who were an occupying force in Poland ,not Britain, do any of you seriously think anything could have been done short of sparking off the 3rd world war to remove them? If you do you are suffering serious delusions and more than a touch of persecution syndrome. I think the most vocal ones against Britain etc are probably the ones with shameful little secrets in their family histories,all the people I know descended from true Polish patriots have a rather more realistic and pragmatic attitude,and believe me I know plenty,both from those families who stayed in Poland and those who grew up in this country after receiving asylum here from persecution by the Polish Govt in Warsaw at the time.


I was born in the 70s....My Grandparents fought along side Poles and respected them,they had no say in where the Soviet Juggernaut decided to stop so call a halt on your immature little attacks on the nation that gave every one of your fighting forces bar the lwp all their kit and equipment,not to mention a home,friendship,families and jobs in this country where as if they had returned home to Poland they would have ended up in Pawiak,a prison run by Poles to keep and kill other Poles.


Yes,thats when you stopped pointing nuclear weapons at us,what a silly comment,the fall of communism in 89 signaled the real end of ww2 for every nation in Europe.


now,if your trying to say Britain imposed communism on you ,ha blooming har har,that would have been the Soviet Russians with the help of Polish communist collaborators. Your real disdain should be reserved for FDR,he was the one that got together with Stalin leaving winnie out of the loop entirely,but I suppose with the butt kissing thats going on from certain sections of Polish society to the USA at the minute that is unlikely,lets just blame the one country in Europe that whenever it has been possible has offered a home to Poles,not to mention your democratic govt in exile in London. As I say, I ,and many other "ill educated Brits" do actually know their stuff so try to pull the woool over your own eyes if you want but dont bother here or with me.