History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

My father did tell me that he was in Russia and almost starved there. After the war he met my Mother in England and she said it was 2 years before he could eat normally and he was very thin in photos taken during that time. He also said that the germans came to get him with a threat that they would send the rest of the family to a concentration camp if he refused to fight for Germany. Many children that had blonde hair and blue eyes were stolen from his village and taken to Germany.He said that the Germans took everything even family photos.I know that he was also in Italy and eventually was in the Polish army but dont have information as to how all this came about. My Father was tough and hard working but suffered all his life with bouts of depression and insomnia. I would really like to know what happened to these young men after they were conscripted.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

Thankyou for your info. By the time he was demobilised to England he came there in a Polish uniform and there was a polish camp set up in "Leek'which is a small town in Staffordshire . This camp had previously been built for American GI's but had been condemed as unfit for the Americans to live in. The Poles lived in this camp until around 1970 when municipal housing replaced the army shacks. My Father would not live there after1947 which was when the Poles were allowed to leave the army. My Dad did all the worst hard labour jobs that most English would not do ,to try to better his life and I remember a lot of racial prejudice to our family from the English people. However The poles had no problem getting hired as they soon were known to be tough and hard working.There were a few Poles that were at the camp who came from the same village as my Dad which seems remarkable .The village is just outside 'Imelin '.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

My Dad was proud of his country and had a hatred for Germans and Russians , I doubt that he would have chosen to stay in a pow camp.In spite of being in England for the rest of his life he always talked of his home as being Poland and missed it until he died.He must have been in Italy because he talked about it with fondness but said that there were a lot of Italians that were starving and remembers children begging for food from the troops.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

He did say that he was in a Russian pow camp and thay had one piece of bread per day. Could he have been in Italy in 1945, Mum says that he was in Italy towards the end of the war. He was also in France and Holland according to Mum.My Mother joined the army at 18 and was in the ATS for the duration working on radar on the South coast of England.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

Great information on this site thankyou. hope to hear from some veterens poss. still alive from upper Silesia .

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

Polish men in our town could not get a mortgage or a place to rent, this I know for a fact.My father and Mother both worked to save enough money to buy a building lot. That took nine years and during that time we had to live with my Grandmother. I remember that he dug the foundations by hand and would buy materials as he could afford them,usually one or 2 bags of cement at a time with his weekly pay which was 5 English pounds. We did not have a car and I remember walking with him the 4 miles to the lot,carrying a 50 pound bag of cement on his shoulder. It took a few years before the house was finished but he did it with no help.The Polish men that I knew were all between17-19 when Poland was invaded,most were not well educated,a lot were farm boys.There was only manual labouring jobs available to them which were not well paid.My Dad did marry a very hard working and determined woman who taught him to read and write English and they were a good team. This was one reason that he was able to do what he did to better himself. He got no hand outs from the English ever and would have gone home if he could.As to the Polish living in the camp,they were forced to stay there until 1947. The ones that stayed after that as I remember for the most part were damaged from the war mentally and physically and not able progress in life. I would say that in my town it took around 20 years for the the Poles to be fully accepted ,there was a lot of racial discrimination towards me as a child because my Father was Polish.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

So sorry to hear your story. We had a lot of Poles in our community, more than a few turned to alcohol to self medicate, there was no understanding of post traumatic stress in those days or if there was, Polish men would not have asked for help. The ones that I knew would only talk about the war between themselves and in there own language but I would always know what the discussion was about because of the emotion shown at the time.My Dad never got past the bad memories and they flared up again severely towards the end of his life. I know that he is at peace now back on the farm in his beloved poland.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

explain ' wrong side' please.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

What would you have done in his shoes with the threat of death to his family, he had 2 little brothers at home. Would you have chosen to have them sent to a concentration camp? These young men were from small towns and villages,had never been far from home,not well educated for the most part, afraid . None of us who were not there can begin to know how it was for them and should not presume to judge. I lived among them and know the anguish and guilt that was felt .

History / What proportion of the Polish population collaborated with the Nazis? [125]

From what I heard from the Polish community in England, my Father included and from talking to Polish people in Poland, the Ukrainians were some of the worst collaborators and Poles that collaborated were few. Im not saying that this is true,its just what was told to me.

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1410]

From what I have seen living in a Polish community and having been to Poland 3 times it seems that the Northern people are more often darker haired and have a different look than the people from the South. I was on vacation in Costa Rica a couple of years ago and saw a guy working as a security guard . I knew straight away that he came from the same area as my Dad because he looked like my Dads family. Sure enough when I approached him he did indeed come from Katowice area and was amazed that I would know that. Having said all that why is the subject of the way different races look being discussed on here or any where else for that matter. My Dad is Polish my Mum is English/ Irish but the English part has a French name that goes way back.Who can know exactly who are ancestors were ,Europeans are a real mixture of many races and aside from that fact who the hell cares. GROW UP

Genealogy / The typical Polish look, or all Eastern Europeans [656]

What a bunch of fools on here to even be discussing this. Who cares how people look, have you guys got it into your heads that one race of people is any better than another ???

Genealogy / What are common Polish character traits? [417]

Hello , my Father was Polish ,married an English woman after the war and settled in England. My Father was tough ,hard working, very loving towards me and openly affectionate, not a trait that I had noticed from my friends Fathers I have to say, Dads did not hug daughters much that I noticed in those days [ I was born in 1954]. He was very compassionate towards people in need of a bed for the night, food, money, a kind word. Our house was an open door to anyone that was down on their luck. My freinds loved him and were always made welcome. If sombody dropped in unexpected the first thing to be offered was food and drink. He loved animals and missed his family farm that he could not return to after the war [ read my other posts]. He taught me not to judge people and told me that we can never know a persons story that may have led them to be, [for example ], living on the street or addicted to alcohol or drugs. I went to visit Poland for the first time when I was 7 and the love that I felt from all of the relatives was overwhelming . My polish Grandmother squeezed me so tight and kissed and hugged me every 5 minutes. I was heartbroken when we had to return to England. Growing up there was a Polish community in our town and to be among those people was always the most fun. I found them to be very hard working,kind, fun loving, straight forward, down to earth.I was born and raised in England but love Poland and Polish people and feel at home there. I now live in Canada and find Canadians very kind and open hearted people.

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [450]

its kind of like do colored men have big???? so STUPID

Life / Why is circumcision not practiced in Poland? [701]

I think that the decision to have your baby boy circumcised should not be taken lightly. Here in Canada from what I gather most parents opt to have this done simply because they want their son to look the same as the other boys , and so it goes on and on. In England it is not common practice in the caucasion population. As far as it looking better, Ive seen both and they look the same when erect which is the only time that I bother to look.

Life / Poles - the Nation of Liars? [478]

Yes I have to agree but to them its not a bad thing, everbody does it. When you live among them you have to learn to deal with it. There are other cultures like this also which I am not going to name.

Life / How would you describe the Polish sense of humour? [66]

My Dad loved the 3 stooges , Abbot and Costello, Laurel and hardy. That type of thing. He was not amused by anything raunchy or even suggestive.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

I have always found them to be fun to be around when you get to know them. They do not consider it dignified to go around with a big smile on your face or to smile at strangers. Its a cultural thing.The ones that I knew growing up were always polite, but joviality was reseved for parties and get togethers.

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

When I was in Poland I noticed how well behaved and mature the children were as compared to British kids. Canadian children are quite badly behaved and spoiled, also have no respect for their parents. My Dad settled in England after the war and was disgusted at the way the British slapped their kids around. Growing up in a polish community I never saw a child getting hit in a polish home but saw it lots of times in the English ones. The british schools were also full of bullies and Im not talking about the kids.

Life / Poles - the Nation of Liars? [478]

Just one more post then Im getting off this site. To the expats that live in Poland and whine about the Poles,go back to your own countries or find one to suit you better. I left UK 20 years ago and every time I go back to visit relatives Im more convinced that I did the right thing to move to Canada. There are a few things that I dont like here,cold winters,mosquitos, Bears in my back yard. Other petty stuff but overall I love Canada and Canadians. Also love Poland and the Polish people but it would not suit me to live there. Cant stand this site any longer its sooo depressing and hateful