15: THIS CHAPTER IS NO LONGER PROPERLY MAINTAINED

Due to old age (92 years) and shaky health it is difficult for me to reply to your emails

24 April 2016

My name is Peter Urbanski, son of Bronislaw Urbanski.

My fathers sentiments when he was alive was exactly one of yours!

Bronislaw Urbanski was born 1912 in Piotrkow in Poland from I am told a Polish Nobility Line from the House of Urbanski 1602 in Haczow, Galicia.

My relatives were Alfred Urbanski, Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile in London, England from 1972 to 1976, and my uncle Franciszek Urbanski from the famous Trial by Soviets of Sixteen Polish leading underground members, who died after there treatment by Stalin a few years later.

We escaped from Western Germany with help from the CIA to Australia under a deal to protect certain people.

My father was a "Cichociemny" (in Polish "Silent and Unseen"Agent) and was sent in to eliminate Nazis and Communists. The trial of sixteen historically I can now say was my father who was once a KOP Dederkaly Plutonwy killed many Russians by the help of his brother Franciszek Urbanski who was in the PPS.

I love your spirit. I love the way you say the medals of Russia are like the Nazis, exactly.

We have lost buildings, churches, thousands of hectares of land and many many family members to both Nazi and Communists. ......they were even hunting my father in the sixties!!

Kind Regards

Peter Urbanski

28 February 2016

This Email is in Polish:

Szanowny Panie Franciszku,

Nazywam sie Michal Rózynski, jestem historykiem oraz pasjonatem historii, zyjacym w Poznaniu. Prowadzac wlasne badania i poszukiwania, natrafilem na Panska strone.

Tak sie sklada, ze moj dziadek, urodzony w 1924 roku w Radoszkowicach (powiat Molodeczno), Zdzislaw Audycki, byl takze zolnierzem Sekcji Dyspozycyjnej Naczelnego Wodza. Dziadek, zeslany w 1940 roku z rodzina na Syberie, w 1942 roku wstapil do Wojska Polskiego. I z nim, na statku SS "Mariposa" przyplynal w marcu 1943 roku do Greenock. Wkrotce rozpoczal szkolenie Cichociemnych. Byl wlasnie w lacznosci, ksztalcac sie, podobnie, jak Pan, w St Margaret`s School w Polmont. Na przelomie 1944 i 45 roku dziadek sluzyl w Londynie, w Oddziale VI.

W 1947 roku dziadek wrocil do Polski, gdzie zyje do dzis w Bydgoszczy.

Bardzo sie ucieszyl widzac Panskie zdjecia, rozpoznal kilka osob na fotografiach, jak chocby braci Siemaszko i Antoniego Miszkela. Ponadto dziadek ma te same zdjecia z kolumna maszerujaca w niedziele ulicami Polmontu.

Jestem pewien, ze sie musieliscie Panowie widziec nieraz w 1943 i 1944 roku!

Zalaczam kilka fotografii z archiwum mojego dziadka.

Zdaje sobie sprawe, ze wiek oraz stan zdrowia nie pozwalaja Panu na czeste odpisywanie na listy, jednak gdyby zechcial Pan napisac kilka slow, zrobilby Pan wielka przyjemnosc mojemu dziadkowi, ktory serdecznie Pana pozdrawia.

Z serdecznymi pozdrowieniami z Polski

Michal Rózynski

Translation from Polish:

Dear Mr Franek,,

My name is Michal Rózynski, I'm a historian and passionate about history, living in Poznan. While running my own research and exploration, I came across your webpage.

It so happens that my grandfather, Zdzislaw Audycki who was born in 1924 in Radoszkowice (district Molodeczno), was also a soldier of the Section to the Disposition of the Supreme Commander of the Polish Army in England. His photo is alongside, taken in Polmont in 1943. >>>

Grandfather, deported in 1940 with the family to Siberia, in 1942 he joined the Polish Army. And with the Army arrived on the ship SS "Mariposa" in March 1943 to Greenock. Soon began his training as "cichociemny". Mainly as a radiotelegraphist, as you did, in training centre at St Margaret`s School in Polmont. At the turn of 1944 and 1945 grandfather served in the Branch 6 in London.

In 1947, my grandfather returned to Poland, where he lives to this day in Bydgoszcz.

He was very happy seeing photographs on your page, he recognized several people in the photographs, for example the brothers Siemaszko and Antoni Miszkiel. Besides that, grandfather has the same photographs as shown on your page of a column of soldiers marching in the streets of Polmont on Sunday.

I'm sure that you both must have seen each other in 1943 and 1944.

I enclose a few photographs from the archives of my grandfather.

I realize that the age and health condition do not allow you to frequent replying to emails, but if you could write a few words, you would do a great pleasure to my grandfather, who warmly greets you.

With best regards from Poland

Michael Rózynski

My reply and his answer in Polish:

Drogi Panie Michale,

Pisanie po polsku nie sprawia mi klopotu, tylko jest problem z klawiatura mego komputera, bo nie mam polskich znakow t.zn. polskich czcionek. Wiec czytelnik musi zgadywac co znacza niektore slow

A teraz pare slow do dziadka Zdzislawa:
Czesc Zdzisiek! Nasze przezycia w Polmont'cie w Szocji, i w Londynie dobrze pametamy i nie przypuszczalismy wtedy, ze kiedys jak juz bedziemy dziadkami skontaktujemy sie dzieki cudownemu wynalazkowi t.zw. internet. Przypominasz jak spiewalismy wtedy piosenke "Pamietaj o tym wnuku, ze dziadek byl w Tobruku". Tak, tak. To przyszla i na nas kolej aby byc tym dziadkiem. Wiekszosc juz poumierala. Jedyny, ktory najdluzej pisal do mnie byl Zbigniew Siemaszko z Londynu. On napisal sporo ksiazek po polsku o naszych dziejach w wojsku. Antoni Miszkiel umarl dwa lata temu w Kanadzie.

Twoje zdjecie umiescilem dla potomnosci na mojej stronie http://www.rymaszewski.iinet.net.au w Rozdziale nr. 15, jako Mail nr. 210.

Pozdrawiam Ciebie serdecznie, Badz zdrow! Trzymaj sie mocno.
Twoj cichociemny kolega.

Franek Rymaszewski

Drogi Panie Franciszku!

Pieknie dziekuje w imieniu dziadka, swoim, jak i calej naszej rodziny za odpowiedz. Wywolala ona niemale poruszenie, gdyz wszyscy zyjemy wojenna przeszloscia dziadka i zainteresowalismy sie Panska historia, pod wieloma wzgledami podobna.

Zanim oddam glos dziadkowi, dodam od siebie, ze autentycznie wzruszylem sie czytajac Panski list! Sam interesuje sie historia, hobbystycznie glownie w formie rekonstrukcji historycznej (ang. living history/historical re-enactment), badajac dzieje zolnierzy polskich w Szkocji i nie tylko. To niesamowite, ze po tylu latach dwoch kolegow z jednego oddzialu odnajduje sie za posrednictwem internetu!

A teraz, przekaz od dziadka Zdzisia.

Czesc Franek!

Dziekuje za Twoj list i za umieszczenie moich zdjec na Twojej stronie internetowej. Na jednym z nich (tym przed budynkiem St Margaret`s School) oprocz mnie jest wlasnie Antek Miszkiel. Pamietam, ze byl bardzo dobry z angielskiego i zawsze, gdy brakowalo mi slow, pytalem Antka, ktory mnostwo czasu spedzal nad podrecznikami do nauki tego jezyka.

Wsrod Twoich zdjec z Afryki odnalazlem mojego pozniejszego dowodce, kapitana Kosalowicza. Jestem pelen podziwu dla Ciebie, ile wysilku i przeszkod miales, by dotrzec do Wielkiej Brytanii. Milo mi rowniez widziec Twoje zdjecia w goscinnej, przyjaznej Australii.

Zalaczam Tobie kilka kolejnych zdjec z Polmontu, a takze-elektroniczna wersje moich wspomnien z czasow wojny (ufam, ze uda sie zainstalowac polskie czcionki). Mam ich kilka tomow, Tobie przesylam ten dotyczacy mojej sluzby w Polskich Silach Zbrojnych na Zachodzie. Mam nadzieje, ze zainteresuje Ciebie i moze wspolnie wspomnimy pewne wydarzenia i kolegow. Jest w tych wspomnieniach kilka niescislosci, ot chocby plutonowego Bialego nazywam Paskiem (pamiec wrocila dopiero po spisaniu wspomnien), ale wybacz-czas plynie nieublaganie, zaciera daty, miejsca, nazwiska, twarze.

Jedno ze zdjec to mecz, jaki rozegrala nasza druzyna z osrodka w Polmont, a takze ja z kolega Kowzanem z Wilna.

Zycze Ci przyjemnej lektury i chetnie przeczytam kolejny list od Ciebie.

Serdecznie Cie pozdrawiam, trzymaj sie Kolego!

Zdzisiek

27 marzec 2016

Drogi Franku!

Przeczytalem opis Twoich zyciowych przezyc na Obczyznie. Jestes dzielny i zasluzyles na miano „Obywatela Swiata”. Podziwiam Twoja przedsiebiorczosc i odpornosc na zyciowe trudnosci, jakie zapewne towarzyszyly w poczatkowym okresie emigracji.

Ja w ostatnim okresie (mego pobytu w Polskim Wojsku w Anglii) przed podjeciem decyzji emigracji do Kanady w 1947 roku, odnalazlem swoja „syberyjska” rodzine, w ktorej kiedys jako szesnastoletni chlopiec bylem glownym zywicielem na zeslaniu. To poczucie odpowiedzialnosci za matke, babcie i mlodsze rodzenstwo zdecydowaly o podjeciu decyzji powrotu do Kraju.

Trudne tu byly warunki zycia, ale cale mlodsze pokolenie razem zdolalo ukonczyc szkoly i rozjechalo sie po kraju zakladajac swoje rodziny. Z tego dziewiecioosobowego rodzinnego gniazda zostaly juz tylko dwie osoby – ja i moj, o cztery lata mlodszy brat, Janek. Kosci moich bliskich pogrzebalismy w roznych miejscach Polski - najliczniej na parafialnym cmentarzu, tuz przy legendarnym jeziorze Gople i na poznanskich cmentarzach.

Ja od 1950 roku nieprzerwanie mieszkam w przemyslowym miescie Bydgoszczy – 360 tysiecy mieszkancow. Przepracowalem trzydziesci osiem lat w jednej z fabryk (branza eletromechaniczna). Od ponad trzydziestu lat jestem w Bydgoszczy na emeryturze.

Ozenilem sie z poznanianka w 1951 roku. Mamy dwie corki w wieku: Joasia 63 lata, Danusia 60 lat. Kazda z corek ma po jednym synu. Sa po studiach uniwersyteckich. Tomek (40 lat) od dwunastu lat mieszka i pracuje w Londynie, a Michal (31 lat) od urodzenia mieszka i pracuje w Poznaniu. Jest historykiem i ma zamilowanie do tego przedmiotu. To jemu zawdzieczam odkrycie w internecie Twojego zdjecia marszu naszej kompanii, znanego mu i bedacego w posiadaniu moim.

Ja jestem czesto zapraszany do bydgoskich szkol na prelekcje zwiazane z historia walki polskiego zolnierza na Zachodzie. Naleze do kola kombatantow wojennych i do Zwiazku Sybirakow. Ale uplywajacy czas nieublaganie i nieustannie zabiera z naszego grona starych towarzyszy walki. Niewielu nas juz niestety zostalo.

Moja zona Lucia (88 lat) powaznie choruje, ale najbardziej dokuczaja bole stawow kolanowych. Ze wzgledu na stan zdrowia lekarze odradzili operacje nog. Zona z trudem porusza sie po mieszkaniu, poslugujac sie laskami.

Dzisiaj jest Niedziela Wielkanocna. Przyjechala do nas poznanska rodzina corki Danusi z zieciem Witkiem i synem Michalem (historykiem). W Londynie Swieta spedza wnuk Tomek ze swoja rodzina. My szczególnie mocno tesknimy za nasza piecioletnia prawnuczka Frania, ktora jest wlasnie z nim w Londynie.

W maju tego roku do Szkocji wybieraja sie moi wnukowie z moim zieciem Witkiem. Bedzie to kontynuacja wycieczki turystycznej, ktora rozpoczeli dwa lata temu. Juz wtedy byli w St Margaret`s School w Polmont, ale nie znalezli sladow po starych budynkach. Cala miejscowosc zostala przebudowana.

Franku, wybacz mi, iz mimo Twojego oficjalnego z nami pozegnania, ja do Ciebie nadal pisze i zaklocam Ci spokoj. Mam nadzieje, iz Bog da Ci jeszcze tyle sil, bys mogl ze mna (i z Michalem, bo on jest operatorem komputera) od czasu do czasu porozmawiac. Ja rowniez mam sporo starczych dolegliwosci i musze sie liczyc z faktem, ze kiedys na rozkaz Najwyzszego bede musial zakonczyc wedrowke po tym swiecie.

Konczac, pragne z okazji Wielkanocy, zlozyc Tobie i calej Twojej rodzinie najlepsze zyczenia zdrowia i pomyslnosci. I powiem jeszcze – jezeli bedziesz mogl, daj znac o sobie. Bede czekal. Do uslyszenia!

Twój Przyjaciel z lat wojny,

Zdzisiek

27 March 2016

Dear Franek!

I have read on your website the story of your life experiences in Exile. You are brave and deserve to be called a "World Citizen". I admire your initiatives and resistance to difficulties you faced at the beginning of your life as an emigrant.

About myself, during my final stay in the Polish Army in England, before deciding to emigrate to Canada in 1947, I discovered the whereabouts of my "siberian" family, of which once as a sixteen year old boy in exile I was the main breadwinner. This sense of responsibility for my mother, grandmother and younger siblings decided for me to make a decision to return to my Homeland.

There were difficult conditions of life here, but the whole younger generation has managed to finish schools and spread over the country establishing their own families. From this nine person family nest only two people are left - me and my four years younger brother, Janek. The bones of my relatives were buried in various places of Poland - most numerous at the parish cemetery just off the legendary lake Goplo and in Poznan cemeteries.

Since 1950 I continuously live in the industrial city of Bydgoszcz - 360 thousand inhabitants. I worked for thirty-eight years in one of the factories (electromechanical business sector ). For over thirty years I have been retired on superannuation in Bydgoszcz .

I married a girl from Poznan in 1951. We have two daughters aged: Joasia 63 and Danusia 60 years. Each of the daughters has one son. Both completed university studies. Tomek (40 years old) has been living and working in London for twelve years, and Michal (31 year old) lives since birth and works in Poznan. He is a historian and has a passion for the subject. To him I owe the discovery of your pictures on the internet showing the march of our company in Polmont, which I also posses.

I am often invited to Bydgoszcz schools to give lectures relating to the history of the battles of Polish soldiers in the West. I belong to the organisation of former Combatants of War and to the Association of Siberian Deportees. But the lapse of time is inexorably and constantly taking from our group the old comrades. Few of us, unfortunately, are left.

My wife Lucia (88 year old) is seriously ill, but the most troublesome is the knee joints pain. Due to her general health situation the doctors advised against the leg operations. My wife hardly moves around the home, using the walking sticks.

Today is Easter Sunday. The family of our daughter Danusia arrived from Poznan, with her husband Witek and their son Michal (the historian). In London, the Easter holidays are being celebrated by our grandson Tomek with his family. We particularly miss our five-year old great - granddaughter Frania, who is with him in London.

In May this year my son-in-law Witek is going with my grandchildren to Scotland. It will be the continuation of a tourist trip, which they have started two years ago. Then they have already been to St Margaret`s School in Polmont, but found no traces of the old buildings. The whole district has been rebuilt.

Frank, forgive me, that despite your official farewell to us, I still write to you and disrupt your peace. I hope that God will give you enough strength that you could talk with me (and with Michal, because he is the operator of the computer) from time to time. I also have a lot of old age complaints and have to accept the fact that once on the orders of the Supreme I will have to complete my journey through this world.

To conclude, on this occasion of Easter I am sending you and your whole family my best wishes of health and prosperity. And I will add, if you can, let me know how are you going. Until then!

Your friend from the war years.

Zdzisiek

A group of "cichociemni" (Polish for "Silent and Dark ones"), a secret unit of the Polish Army in England created to maintain contact with occupied Poland during World War II. Photo taken at their training centre at the former St Margaret's school grounds in Polmont, Scotland. Zdzislaw Audycki is fifth from the left squatting (kneeling) in the bottom row.

A football mach between Center's trainees and their instructors

Outside the former St. Margaret's School building in Polmont , the Training Centre of Polish "cichociemni" in Scotland - year 1944. From left: Zdzislaw Audycki is first on the left. Then Jarek Kolanski, Wilhelm Kowzan, Antoni Miszkiel and Zbigniew Nuckowski.

28 February 2016

PINSK, maybe you still remember?

Drogi Pan Rymaszewski

Before the war my mum, Zdzislawa Trojanowska, lived in Pinsk. She, and three sisters and a brother, survived the war. My parents didn't like talking about the war so I don't have too many details.

My mum was born in 1921 and my aunt, ciocia Maryla (Maniusia or Maria) in 1924. They died in 2013 and 2014. My mum went to the gimnasium in Pinsk. Their father, my grandfather, was an engineer 'building' ships in Pinsk.

Is there any chance you may have heard of any of them?

My uncle, Czes, was the oldest and a "Cichociemny", Litwos. I inherited his book from my mum. He also drove tanks at some time in the war. After the war he lived in USA. His daughter, my cousin, has researched his wartime activities and has much more information.

My mum was transported by train out of Pinsk to Siberia to 'break stones'. She was then cattle trucked to Afghanistan, through Kurdistan? to Persia, she traveled through Teheran, Pahlevi and Rehovot. She passed through Palestine and Egypt, from where she came by ship to UK where I live. Does this sound familiar to you or anyone?

Many thanks for your website. It gives me a lot of insight of what happened to my family.

Best wishes and good health,
Sto lat
George (Jerzy) Stodulski
____________________________________________

Dear George,

I do remember Pinsk, and the story of your mum's war experiences is very similar to mine. Young years in Pinsk, then deportation to hard labour (as you said "labour breaking stones") in Siberia, then travel through Russia to Persia, Palestine, etc. eventually by ship to United Kingdom.

In Pinsk the name of Trojanowska was familiar to me. Trojanowska went to my gimnazjum, but the girls went to separate building next door to boys building at Kosciuszko Street (now called Lenin Street in Belorus Pinsk). All gimnazium students often gathered together for various college celebrations and anniversaries or school sports activities. Pinsk was also an important river port with many boats and military navy river flotilla sailing around, and with boat construction works alongside river Pina, where the name Trojanowski was mentioned. That's all I can remember.

My Best regards and wishes.
Franek Rymaszewski

27 February 2016

Dear Pan Franek,

I have just lost my mother Janina Worboys (Zajiczek) and your web site has been a great comfort and education for me. I especially liked how you have recorded the family traditions for Easter and Christmas.

My mother was also deported to northern Kazakhstan after the arrest of her father Jan Zajiczek in Zlochiv by the Soviets. With her mother, brother, her grandfather, and her mother’s sister. They managed to survive the difficult times on a small farming commune not far from Chelyabinsk. After the alliance with the western powers the family escaped to Tehran and they were resettled in Polish camps in Uganda. Janina met and married my English father in Uganda in 1945 and the family migrated to Australia in 1959. Thank you so much for your wonderful legacy.
Sincerely
Sylvia Worboys

21 February 2016

Dear Mr Rymaszewski,

I have just come across your website whilst doing some research about the Polish Army in the Middle East during WWII, and would like to both thank you for and congratulate you on your wonderful contribution to Polish heritage with your well presented and fascinating website.

My father, Kornel, was born in Bydgoszcz in 1929 and, like yourself, deported to Central Asia in 1940. He was living in Kobryn near Pinsk when war broke out. He remained in the Soviet Union until 1941 when he undertook the same journey as you did via Iran to Palestine. My father emigrated to England in 1948 where he later met and married my mother, and where my sister and I were born. I now live in Sicily, Italy.

We sadly lost my father in 2008 but keeping his memory alive, as well as the memory of our Polish heritage and the memory of the great sacrifices made by Polish people all over the world to ensure the freedom of Europe, is very important to myself and my family, for which reason I am so happy to have come across your informative, welcoming and thought-provoking website.

You manage to keep the memory alive of a very sad chapter of Polish history whilst at the same time emanating a joie de vivre, positivity and love for learning and progress, not to mention an infectious smile, that reminds me of someone very dear to me. Reading your posts has been like having a chat with my father, someone who shared both your love of history and your love of life, and I'm quite sure the two of you would have got on very well!

I quite agree with your thoughts on the the need for an updated Australian flag and National Anthem, and particulaly agree with your choice of flag which I feel much more accurately and respectfully reflects Australian history and culture.

Many heartfelt thanks for your important contribution to the online world, bringing so many people together in memory of a sad chapter of history but with the aim of always moving forward towards a better future.

Your website is a gift to us all.

I hope that this email finds you well. I will continue to enjoy reading your website and look forward to updates.

Sending you a big hug from Sicily,

Con affetto,
Sarah Tober.

29 January 2016

Dear Mr Rymaszewski

I just chanced on your website while looking for photos of Polish people in Siberia. Congratulations on this fantastic website – what a wonderful presentation! It must have taken you a long time to complete. I can read Polish but rather laboriously so it was great to be able to easily read your information in English. I spent quite a few hours reading the accounts and viewing the videos and have returned to read some more on a number of occasions. I have found everything to be so extremely informative. Please pass on my congratulations to Mietek Rymaszewski for the amazing account of his war experiences – they brought tears to my eyes.

I am in the process of writing my mother and father’s story (Olga & Eugeniusz Wisniewski) so I have been doing some research about the mass deportations to Siberia and was please to find some excellent information on your website.

I realise you are unable to respond to emails but just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading all your articles. Thank you again for your marvellous website – there are many people who have no idea about the atrocities Stalin committed against the Polish people, and perhaps your site will be a way of informing them.

God bless you and may you live a long and happy life.

Sophia Gatti (nee Wisniewska)

Yokine, Western Australia

23 January 2016

Hello my cousins,
I received an email from a woman in ................... who found me on this World-wide Rymaszewski website. She has evidence of being the great granddaughter of my Great Uncle Adam.

My Gpa Telesfor and younger brother, Wilhelm both came to USA in early 20th Century. Their middle brother, Adam, stayed in Europe, eventually moving to St.Petersburg, Russia. Until now, I have only heard of his existence. In this email, there are accompanying photos of an Uncle I never saw before.

The woman, Snejanna Ivanova, asked my to introduce her and forward her email to you all.

Thank You,
David Rymaszewski

My Remarks:
The email and photos sent by Snejanna Ivanova to David Rymaszewski in the USA has been included with David's family history in Chapter 14 (Part 2) (click to go there)

11 December 2015

Dear Mr Franek Rymaszewski

I chanced upon your web-site today and noticed that there are some overlaps with my parents' history. (Web-site
rymaszewski.iinet.net.au/index.html)

But before I go into some detail, let me wish you and your family a sincere "Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku". Also a word of thanks for compiling such an extensive history of your family and the Kresy between the first and second world wars.

The reason for my email is that I seem to recall visiting a Mrs Rymaszewska in Wroclaw in the early 70's, a school friend of my mother, Eufemia Iwaszkiewicz (nee Rolewicz). It may be that the friendship was from the time of their deportation to Archangelsk, Siberia. They were fortunate enough to have been allocated to one of a group of ready made log cabins, newly vacated I presume, by some unfortunate people.

My mother's family, originally from Osiedle Ostaszyn (a small town between Nowogrodek and Baranowicze) in common with yours and many others, had been deported from Eastern Poland to Siberia. Aparently her deportation was via Baranowicze (a main railway point) where by a strange coincidence my father, Mieczyslaw grew up. But that is another story with further family connections to Nieswiez, Slonim, etc. that you also mention on your web-site, for another time.

I hope that my memory hasn't played tricks with me but even if it has, many thanks again for your web-site and wishing you a Merry Christmas from a chilly London, UK.
Regards

Casimir

Kazimierz Henryk Iwaszkiewicz

E: casimir.iwaszkiewicz@ymail.com
M: 0044-7841-286838

10 November 2015
Hi Franek,

My name is Christine Praniewicz, thank you so much for creating your wonderful website. We are trying to track down any information on our surname and have hopes that you might be able to push us in the right direction? Know of anyone who could help? My great grandpa Michal Praniewicz immigrated from Poland.

Thank you,

Christi
--
Christine Praniewicz
616.430.4365
____________________
Any reader who could help, please contact Christine

12 October 2015
Mr Franek Rymaszewski

My name is Richard Smolenski and I live in Matraville, Sydney. I have just seen your website it is very good.
I noted that your were in the Free Polish Army in England during WW2. My great uncle Brig-General Marian Jozef Smolenski was also in the England during WW2 and remained there until his death in 1982.

He never returned as did many thousands of the same. He would have been executed (by the Communists) if he had returned to Poland given his position in the Polish Army and my understanding of that role in counter-intelligence during that time (Special Section 6, Polish General Staff Commander-in-Chief, London).

My father Michal escape across the Communist control borders to Denmark after being released from a communist prison. He arrived in Australia in 1950 after being granted a political refugee status. After marrying my late mother (1927-2012) in 1951 he worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme where he was the fourth person killed (the first person of Polish background ) working on the Snowy in 1953. He is buried in Cooma.

I've been to Poland in 1976, then 1988 during the Communist rule, then 2008 in a free Poland, then last time 2012 and we still keep in contact with my family there. We hope to go again within the next 2 years.

Your website is very important in particular reminding the world of war crimes in Poland of not just the Nazi Germans but that of Russia. I hope it continues for many many years.

An author who you may know, Norman Davies who lives in UK has written many history books detailing those crimes in particular Katyn. A family member a cousin was murdered/executed there and it was via Norman Davies books and my own research with family in Poland confirmed it.
Regards

Richard Smolenski
Mobile 0417210869

10 October 2015

Good evening Sir and I have to say what an inspiring web site. The photographs are amazing, my father had a few of the same, which brings me to ask if you could just please excuse the asking, does the name Edward Jurczenko mean anything to you? I am trying to trace my Father’s footsteps from being sent to gulags from Stojanow, Radziechow, Tarnopol, his home village, to his arrival in England.

What excited me was the fact that he also joined Anders Army in February 1942 - 28th Infantry Regiment 10th division and was on some of the first boats to arrive in Iran in April 1942.

I wish I could ask him all these questions but he died in 2000 at age 77 years. I don’t speak Polish, my Mother was English and insisted we must speak English in England. How I dearly would have loved to speak Polish, but I think my Father agreed as times were very different in the 1950’s.

I salute your good age and wish you many more years on this good earth.

Kind regards

Anita Watson (Jurczenko)
_______________________________
Dear Anita,
Unfortunately I don't remember meeting Edward (who by the way was my age) because soon after arrival to Palestine the 28th Infantry Regiment was split to supplement other army units, such as artillery, tank corps, etc. and some even were sent to Britain to join Polish Air Force, Navy, Paratroopers, etc. who took part in war action in Western Europe. The rest joined Polish Second Corps in Iraq and later were sent to the war front in Italy. Majority who survived were demobilized in Britain after the war.
My best regards,
Franek Rymaszewski

21 September 2015
Hello Mr. Rymaszewski

I stumbled across your website while researching my Granny’s history. She was also taken from her home in Pinsk in 1939, along with her mother and seven siblings. Three siblings did not make the four years that they labored in Siberia. My Granny ended up in Lusaka, Zambia where my mother was born. Our family is now in Washington, DC. My Great-Grandmother’s name was Viska Zydb. Her husband was Mihal (Michal), and her children were Helena, Stasia, Wadzia (Wandzia), Zosha (Zosia), Edward, Julie (Julia), Czes (Czeslaw), and Marisia (Marysia).

Your website has been so helpful in my understanding of the horrors they witnessed and lived through. My Granny has passed, and her only remaining sister just passed away yesterday. They did not like talking about this part of their life, therefore our history is slowly fading.

Wow, 92! Best wishes for many happy years ahead!

Celeste Leich

21 September 2015

Dear Mr Rymaszewski,

Your website is wonderful, and I hope you and your family are very proud of your achievement.
The story on my mother’s side seems extremely similar to yours.

My Grandmother’s maiden name was Nadzieja Praniewicz and she married Bronislaw Mohylenko (Mohilenko), my Grandfather. My mother Janina was born in 1939. Before the War, they lived in Lachowicze near Baranowicze, before being resettled in (deported to) Siberia by the Soviets.

Bronislaw Mohylenko was active in Polish 1st Armoured Division, and commanded by General Maczek. After the War, he became a spy for the British Army and was sent to Berlin.

Bronislaw and Nadzieja settled in Chiswick, London after he returned from Berlin.
If you or your family have any information about my family, I would be very grateful.

Best regards,
Peter Niklewicz

21 August 2015

Dear Franek
I pray all is well with you considering your age etc.

I have been trying to research my mother's history and I came across your website!
I applaude your dedication to the building of your family history.

My mother was Gertruda Pobiedynska born 1918 and arrived with her younger sister Leokadia,
her father Napoleon Pobiedynski and mother Kamilia to Pinsk around 1925, living on the corner Pawlowska Street, Pinsk.

Her father was apparently the first to set up a garage and taxi service in Pinsk!
He too was taken by the Russians when the WW2 came to Poland but managed to escape some years later. But he was never to find his family again as he was killed on his way to Warsaw.
Nor was my mother as she fled from Pinsk and later was taken by the Germans!

I won't go into the history of my mother's family before & after her arrival to Australia in December 1949 as a WW2 refugee.

Take care and thank you again.
Ingrid Layton

31 July 2015

Hello Mr Rymaszewski,
I just found your website while looking for some information about General Anders' Polish Army, of which both of my parents: my mother's road to the Middle East was similar -- deportation from eastern Poland (near Nowogrodek) in June of 1940.

My father was a professional soldier and escaped after the fall of Poland through to France and then to Britain, before going to the Middle East and then Italy.

I especially appreciate seeing photographs of the camps and those of the army. These complete some pictures I have myself.

My parents too went to England after the war, then to Canada in 1957, where they stayed. My father died in 1995 but my mother is still alive and 90 years old.

Thank you for working on this web page. It is very interesting to people like me.

Please excuse me for not writing in Polish -- I can speak and understand, but reading and writing is more difficult.

My best wishes for your health,

Barbara Jachowicz

28 April 2015

Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,

A hundred thousand thanks to you and my compliments on the wonderful journey you have taken us on through memory and history. I have read many accounts of the 'Polish Big Bang' which scattered tribes through innumerable fates and fortunes in the 20th century.

As the Irish son of a Polish AK (Polish Underground Army) veteran in Lwów (the City of Lions), I have written my own family history based on my father's and cousins' memories, diaries, and letters; and in the process I have had the great pleasure of making contact with once-lost bloodlines across the globe. I have spent years (voluntarily) in former Soviet Central Asia and still come across descendants of Polish deportees there who know little about how their grandparents arrived there.

Poland is a great sea of stories and it takes a skilled navigator to chart a course through the many shoals of sufferings, adventures, and complexity and still arrive in port with a rich cargo of historical treasures and a sense of humour to boot. Well done!

I wish you all possible health and happiness.

Jonathan Korowicz

Polish Family History Website: https://jkorowicz.wordpress.com

 

 

19th September 1953.
Dr. Marek Stanislaw Korowicz (on the right) talking to Stefan Korbonski (the last chief of the Polish Underground) before the press conference announcing his appeal for political asylum in the US.

24 April 2015

Dear Sir

First and foremost I wish to commend you on the job you have done documenting your Family’s history and Polish Heritage. I came upon your site searching out my own path from my birth in a Polish military hospital in Trani, Italy where my mother was a nurse and wife to Kapitan Ludwik Ziemski who served as a field commander in the Battle of Monte Casino and later as a staff officer on General Anders staff. We lived in the England for a short time and fortunate for my Father’s decision we settled near Toronto, Canada where I am now retired after a very wonderful and successful career as a financial executive in high tech companies.

As I now have time on my hands I am the acting historian for the Ziemski and Zaluski family here in Canada. I found your site because I was researching the formation of General Anders 2nd Corps and the path that my family took from Siberian slave camps to get into his army and eventually to the Middle East. Out of the Zaluski and Ziemski families 11 members were deported including my father who was captured by Soviets while escaping the Germans in an effort to get the pre-determined destinations of either Rumania or Hungary. My Grandfather Major Wladislaw Zaluski made it to Hungary to work in Polish Intelligence and to be murdered trying to help indict senior Polish Officers who wanted to do like the French and make a deal with the Nazis. He was pushed under a train in Budapest carrying documents to an English agent to expose and indict a Colonel Stefera. For years we thought he committed suicide until an article in WProst magazine surfaced telling the truth.

I have a collection of pictures from my parent’s wartime photo album that contains two pictures that are on your site relating to the signing up of soldiers into Ander’s army in Russia. My parents died in 1990 in an auto accident.

Wieslaw Ryszard Ziemski

Photo of cpt. Ludwik Ziemski, Italy >>>

Below:
Cpt. Ludwik Ziemski leading the Polish Comany in Italy

 

19 March 2015

Dzien Dobry Pan Franek,

I understand that you don’t have time to answer many emails. But I am hoping that maybe there’s a miracle here and you knew my father Jozef Buko. He serve under General Kopanski, gen. Duch, and gen. Anders. He was the barber to the generals and officers at headquarters and also managed the Kasyno (officers mess). He fought in the Middle East, Tobruk, Palestine, and Italy.

If you did know him I can write more. If you didn’t I will just say how proud I am to be Polish even though born in DP camp in England and immigrated to USA at very early age, My parents instilled a love of Poland and its culture.
I love your website. Thank you for the work.

Tereska Buko
Vermont, USA
_________________________________________________

Droga Teresko! - Dear Tereska,
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately I haven't met your father. However I am inserting this email hoping also for a miracle that some reader of my website might have met him. From the names of his commanding officers I can see that your father had a very long and varied war experience. He escaped from the German and Soviet 1939 attack on Poland possibly through Rumania and Balkans, got to Syria in Middle East, where he joined gen. Kopanski's Carpathian Brigade, then fought in North Africa (Tobruk). Later moved to Palestine and Iraq. Eventually went through Italian Campaign with Polish Second Corps (Monte Cassino, etc.)
My Best Wishes.
Franek Rymaszewski

27 November 2014

Hello Mr Rymaszewski

By chance I came accross your very interesting story of your travels to Australia. What caught my eye was your trip on the "New Australia" (Empress of Bermuda) in September 1955.

I was then serving in the Royal Navy in Malta and was due to return home to the UK after my service there. As there was a large number of servicemen due to return home, the New Australia was called on its return from Australia, after you disembarked, to take us home. This was in October 1955. The decks and passages had all been painted on the way from Australia and we were instructed to wear canvas shoes all the trip. Who knows, I may have been in your cabin you had just vacated !! The ship as I remember was run by the Shaw & Saville line.

Hope this may be of some nostalgic interest to you. I am 83 years of age and live near to Newcastle upon Tyne in te UK...Hoping you are keeping well. Cheerio,

Peter McLaren

31 October 2014

Dear Pan Franek

I am so very pleased that I stumbled across your website. I hope that this email finds you in good health. I have something that I would like to share with you:

My father Wladyslaw Krasko, Lance Corporal, was in the artillery Polish II Corps under General Anders command. He was born in 1922 and passed away October 20th 2000. He was 78 years of age when he passed from a rare disease. I was only 33 years of age when he passed and my children, then aged 7 and 5 were always curious about the medals my father had in his home. My son even took his medals to school one day for show and tell.

My father rarely spoke of his wartime experience with our family but when he and his wartime friends got together (they emmigrated to Canada after the war and kept in touch throughout the years) they would talk about it so I did learn enough to know that your travels and his are very similar and some of your experiences such as in Africa are the same as some of his friends. He had mentioned the concentration camp in Siberia where he was and also of being placed with the Polish Army. He talked about Egypt, Palestine, Jerusalem, and Monte Casino and I know that somewhere in my mother’s house there are pictures of him and his friends at these places. The photo you have shown us with soldiers in the Dead Sea is similar to one I have seen in my father’s collection. I do know that he was involved in the final battle of Monte Casino and he has the Monte Cassino Cross medal among others. He was in the artillery and how he explained his role to me was that he positioned the cannon towards the target. I understand that there were thousands of Polish troops and that it is unlikely you knew my father and his comrades but I will mention some of the ones that came to Canada with my father. Karl Guralski, Pavel Charkowiec, Mietek Bialous, Jack Wakulicz, Antoni Kuczejko, Jashu Podmokly, Mikolaj Sciko. There are more but am not sure of the spelling. These men and their families became part of our extended family, I have a lifetime of memories of them.

The 14th anniversary of my father’s death was just over a week ago and my mother was feeling blue and started to go through some of his papers. She came across an envelope which contained a piece of paper outlining his wartime travels and the dates. I thought you might find it interesting so I have attached a scan below for you to read. It is all written in Polish.

Reading your account of the war and the role the Polish army played has helped me to understand my father’s experience better. It is very difficult to find books written specifically about this topic. I want to thank you for sharing this with us as it helps me to explain to my own children who are now 21 and 19 the sacrifices that were made during the second world war for our own freedoms today. We need to be thankful and appreciate what has been given to us as a result of efforts made by young men and women so many years ago. We owe our freedom to you and those who fought alongside you. Thank you so much.

As our remembrance ceremonies are just around the corner I will think about you and say a prayer for you as well as for my father and his many friends (those who perished and survived the war) who helped to allow us to have freedom.

Thank you and God Bless.
Annette Krasko, Ontario Canada

Annette Blythe annetta@blythe.ca

Remarks
by Franek Rymaszewski

The above notes is not a diary. Just a few dates with very brief description Mr Krasko considered as important to make a note of and remember. My translation of the brief notes is in bold print below. All the words that follow in brackets are my remarks or explanations.

25 February 1942 : Left for the army.
(After the so called "amnesty" Mr Krasko was released from the Soviet gulag in Siberia and begun his travels trying to get a ride in crowded by war refugees freight trains in freezing cold, hungry and starving, in search of the Polish Army being formed by gen. Anders somewhere in the south of Asian Russia.)

15 March 1942 : Stood at the commission in Lugovoy.
(After 20 days of travels across Russia Mr Krasko finally presented himself to the Polish Recruiting Commission and Army camp in Lugovoy.)

27 March 1942 : Traveled to Pachlewi. (Pahlevi)
(The exhausted, malnourished and sick Polish troops were taken by gen. Anders across the Caspian Sea to Persia which was located in the British zone. It was the only possible solution for the military and some families, because the Soviet Union could not or did not want to, provide uniforms, weapons, and supplies (food and medical), for the soldiers. Mr Krasko left Lugovoy with 10 Infantry Division the first transport of Polish troops on the way to Caspian Sea)

28 March 1942 : Admitted to hospital.
(Unfortunately Mr Krasko was so destitute, starved and sick that already on the next day he was taken to hospital before reaching port Krasnovodsk on the Caspian Sea)

28 April 1942 : Left the hospital.
(After a month in hospital Mr Krasko recovered sufficiently enough to be discharged)

2 May 1942 : To Kermine.
(He was taken to Kermine in Uzbekistan where there was one of Polish Army camps

5 August 1942 : From Kermine.
(Mr Krasko was included in another transport leaving Kermine for Krasnovodsk on Caspian Sea.)

18 August 1942 : To Pachlewi. (Pahlevi)
(Mr Krasko after crossing Caspian Sea from Krasnovodsk arrived in port Pahlevi in Persia (now Iran))

1 September 1942 : To Kanakin. (Khanaquin)
(With good food, sunshine, medication, etc, he recovered well and was posted to Khanaquin in North Iraq. In Khanaquin was located the Head Quarters of gen. Anders Polish Army in the Middle East.)

8 December 1942 : Left to (join) 5K.D.P. 8 P.A.L.
(Abbreviation of Army units : 5 Carpathian Division, 8 Artillery Regiment - ? )

12 March 1943 : To the 4th P.A.L.
(Moved to 4th Regiment of Light Artillery)

8 April 1943 : From Kanakin to Kirkuk.
( Mr Krasko's regiment was moved from Khanaquin to Kirkuk in North Iraq to guard and defend the oil fields while training in preparation for war action in Europe)

8 August 1943 : From Kirkuk to Palestine.
(The regiment was transported from Iraq through Transjordan desert to British Mandate of Palestine).

22-23 December 1943 : In Getsimania went to confession.
(In Palestine, in Jerusalem's church in the garden of Gethsemane at the foot of Mount of Olives Mr Krasko had the opportunity to go to confession (and communion) after 3 years (Soviet Russia, etc.). Polish army priests were the confessors).

28 December 1943 : To Syria.
(Troop movements and further training near Damascus in Syria before going to war front in Italy).

30 January 1944 : From Syria.
(Mr Krasko's regiment moved from Syria to North Africa.)

3 February 1944 : To Port Said by Suez Canal.
(The troops gather in Egypt's Port Said forming a sea convoy)

16 February 1944 : Left Africa.
(The convoy of troop ships, escorted by naval warships, sails across the Mediterranean Sea)

21 February 1944 : Arrived in Europe.
(Mr Krasko and units of gen. Anders 2nd Corps arrive on the shores of Italy. To ? port Taranto)

22 February 1944 : On land.
(Mr Krasko regiment disembarks on Italian land)

25 March 1944 : Left to the front. Kasala.
(Mr Krasko goes straight to the front line in vicinity of Casala)

14 April 1944 : Left the battle station.
(Mr Krasko's regiment withdraws after 3 weeks from Kasala front line)

19 April 1944 : Under Monte Cassino.
(After 5 days the regiment moves near Monte Cassino monastery hill)

11 May 1944 : We start the offensive.
(The Polish Army launches an attack on the hill)

18 May 1944 : Monte Cassino captured.
(The Poles seized the Monte Cassino and inserted Polish Flag on top)

2 June 1944 : Left Cassino.
(Mr Krasko left Monte Cassino and moved to Colesamito)

21 June 1944 : Left from Kolesamito and moved to the front line.
(Mr Krasko's regiment left Colesamito and took new position at the front line)

4 September 1944 : From Peizaro to Civitanowa for rest.
(After 10 weeks of action at the front line, the regiment withdraws to Civitanova for a respite)

2 October 1944 : Left to Rimini.
(After 4 weeks of rest moved to Rimini on the coast of Adriatic Sea)

11 October 1944 : Ready for the front line
(Taken new position at the Rimini front line)

20 January 1945 : Moved to Towerneli for rest.
(After 14 weeks of war action withdrawal to Tovernelli for rest)

11 February 1945 : To the front line at Brizighela.
(Again to the new front line further up north, now at Brizighela)

( 8 May 1945 : End of war between Allies and Germany - VICTORY IN EUROPE )
(14/15 August 1945 : End of war between Allies and Japan - VICTORY IN JAPAN )

29 August 1946 : I turned over thomson.
(Mr Krasko handed over to army stores issued to him his personal automatic tommy gun "Thompson")

_________________________________________________________________________________________

(The end of the war in May 1945 did not mean that Wladyslaw Krasko would return and settle in Poland. Poland came under Soviet domination and Mr Krasko by his own experience was well familiar what the life under communism looks like. Mr Krasko like his colleagues chose to remain in exile.

At that time the Canadian government offered to take some of the former Polish soldiers on a two-year contract to work on canadian farms. Wladyslaw Krasko decided to take advantage the offer).
__________________________________________________________________________________________

I have left the shores of Italy on 2 November 1946 at 5 p.m.

I arrived to the port Halifax on 11 November 1946 at 11 p.m.

I got off the ship Sea Robin on 12 November 1946.

I have started the work on 20 November 1946.

 

Polish 2nd Corps Soldiers and Mr Krasko boarding the ship Sea Robin in Naples harbour, Italy, leaving for Canada on 2 Nov 1946	They were the first group of 1961 soldiers that would arrive in Canada November 12, 1946, at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia

19 October 2014

Dear Sir,
I visited your site and I thought you might be interested in visiting the below site where so many of the brave Polish soldiers were buried (The Catholic cemetery in Tehran) .

http://doulabcemetery.com/en/details.asp?id=1478

Kind regards
Joseph Pandeli

__________________________________________________________________

From: Franek Rymaszewski

The correct address of the above website is: http://www.doulabcemetery.com/en/aboutus.asp

The website is in the process of construction. The list only contains some Polish names of Anders Army who died in 1942. However, it contains the following statement:

The arrival of the Poles:
In 1942 an estimated 120,000 Polish soldiers and civilians arrived on the Iranian shore in Bandar Anzali (formerly Pahlavi, Persia). They had been released from Soviet captivity and were to set up the Polish Army of the East under famous General Anders. Many were so destitute and starved that they didn’t survive the hardships of the journey and died upon their arrival in Iran or shortly thereafter.

The Catholic cemetery in Tehran, Iran (some graves of Polish soldiers)

27 September 2014

Dear Franek Rymaszewski

Tonight I stumbled on your war diaries and I would like to thank you for your fascinating account of your war years. I was intrigued to see my grandfather’s name in print, i.e. Michal Giejchroch. I write respectfully to ask in what capacity did you know him please? He was born in Pinsk in 1901 and died here in Auckland in 1961. I discovered his unmarked grave after ten years’ research but not until tonight have I found so much detailed information as appears on your website. I thank you.

Kind regards,

Judy Larkin


_________________________________________________________
From: Franek Rymaszewski
27 September 2014

Dear Judy,
In your email you seek information about Michal Giejchroch who was born in Pinsk in 1901 whose name apparently was mentioned on my website http://www.rymaszewski.iinet.net.au Unfortunately, Judy, I did not know Michal Giejchroch in Pinsk, nor in the Anders Polish Army where he served in the 2nd Corps according to your attached photo. I left Pinsk at the age of 16 when I was deported to Siberia by the invading Red Army, and left the Soviet Union with the Anders Polish Army two years later.

The only place on my website where the name Giejchroch is mentioned is Walentyna Giejchroch from Pinsk. It can be found in my Chapter 4 near the end under the segment describing my eldest brother Edward Rymaszewski. Edward is now dead (and by the way I am now 91). Well, Walentyna Giejchroch was the girlfriend of Edward just before the war in 1939, when everything collapsed, etc. Edward was also arrested by the Soviets. After his death I got copies of his photos from London, among them 3 copies of Walentyna Giejchroch which I included on my website. Many years after the war, when it was possible, Edward visited Pinsk searching for the traces of his past. He was very much in love with Walentyna and hoped to see her again. He told me that Walentyna practically saved his life, when she sent starved Edward in the Soviet gulag a substantial food parcel. But, alas, Walentyna was not there any more. He was told that she was shot by the Germans during German occupation of Pinsk. All I remember about Walentyna Giejchroch is that she lived in Pinsk alone with her mother only. As the name Giejchroch is not common, she or her mother might have been related to Michal ,Giejchroch but I cannot work out their relationship. My brother Edward was born in 1918 so I assume Walentyna was close to his age, may by younger, say 1920. Therefore Michal Giejchroch born in 1901, was 19 to 20 years older than Walentyna. So Michal was similar age to that of her mother. Anyway, I live detective work to you. That's about all.
Kind Regards and Best Wishes.
Franek Rymaszewski

______________________________________________________________________________________

From Judy Larkin
27 September 2014

Mr Rymaszewski, you are amazing! Wow! I thank you for sharing such well-recorded family history with us all. At best I hoped I might receive a reply from your son as I did see your note about advancing years. What a sharp mind you have! I thank you for replying so quickly, given your age and the volume of emails you must still receive.

I have pored over most of your website and the detail is absorbing. I have found the photos of “Vala”, and the resemblance to my mother, Walentyna Giejchroch is uncanny. As you say, it is an uncommon name. Michal was born in Pinsk and my mother possibly in Krakow in 1934 or 1937. I am fascinated to find this historical piece of coincidence and from information provided in your website I will communicate with War Records in the UK to gain an accurate record of my grandfather’s war history.

Interestingly, my overseas travels back in the seventies took me and my husband to Hadera (Hedera/Gedera), Monte Cassino and to England – unknowingly in the footsteps of my grandfather and then finally to Auckland where I discovered just 10 years ago he had worked nearby in a local sugar factory and was buried in an unmarked grave in Waikumete Cemetery. The headstone (perhaps with inaccuracies) is my salute and hopefully a beacon to the historically curious to research and remember the Forgotten Holocaust.

You are a brave man and you have lived your life well. I thank you for sharing.

From the war diaries of Franek Rymaszewski living in Sydney, aged 90 (27.9.14)
"Iraq - 25 September 1942 - Now we sit under tents. We are given packet of dates. At noon I got the nosebleed due to heat. In the afternoon we get an advance on our pay 800 Iraqi fils. I met here a man named Jan Mikitczuk from Pohost-Zahorodzki, who knew my father Michal Rymaszewski, and Michal Giejchroch, and Mr Labedzki from Pinsk.
(Jan Mikitczuk (Pohost Zahorodzki - poczta), Battalion of Railway Sappers, Construction Company, Polish Forces, Middle East)."

Kind regards

Judyta Larkin,

First Generation descendant of one of the Pahiatua War Orphans who arrived here on the USS General Randall in November 1944

4 September 2014

Szanowny Pan
Franciszek Rymaszewski

W archiwum NIAB w Minsku na Bialorusi jest sprawa "O metryce rodu Rymaszewskich" 1846 r.

Prawdopodobna genealogia rodu Rymaszewskich na podstawie metryk kosciolów Nieswieskiego i Bobowienskiego (ostatni zamkniety podczas buntu 1863 r. Sprawa 13564 O zniesieniu Swojatyczeskiego i Bobowienskiego rzymsko - katolickich kosciolów 1866 -1869 r.)

Wedlug danych z 1846 r.
1. Jakub
1.1. Józef syn Jakuba 1704 r.
1.1.1. Kazimierz syn Józefa 1723 r.
1.1.1.1. Józef syn Kazimierza 1773 r.
1.1.1.2. Jan syn Kazimierza 1776 r.

1.1.2. Franciszek = Matwiej syn Józefa 1725 r.
1.1.3. Benedykt syn Józefa 1733 r.
1.1.3.1. Franciszek syn Benedykta 1782 r.
1.1.3.2. Wincenty syn Benedykta 1796 r.

1.2. Franciszek syn Jakuba 1709 r
1.2.1. Antoni syn Franciszka 1735 r.
1.2.2. Filip syn Franciszka 1737
1.2.2.1. Samuel syn Filipa 1778 r.
1.2.2.2. Hilary syn Filipa 1781 r.
1.2.2.3. Tomasz syn Filipa 1782 r.


Pozdrawiam:
Zbigniew Wolocznik
__________________________________________________________________

My Remarks:
A part of Rymaszewski family genealogical tree based on birth records of Nesvizh (Nieswiez) and Bobownia RC Churches (an area of original roots of Rymaszewski family) sent to me by Zbigniew Wolocznik which he found in the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Minsk. I have included this information as a chart in my Chapter 12 (Part2) - ANCESTORS. Click here to see.

20 July 2014
Pan Rymaszewski,

I am writing to congratulate you on the amazing accomplishment of building your family web-page. It is a remarkably complete history that is generally unknown except by those whose families lived through those dark years. Thank you for taking the time to publish your materials on line.

My maternal grandfather (Jan Zmudzki) was with the Polish Border Patrol (KOP- Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza) in August 1939. He escaped the Nazis but was captured by the Soviets and imprisoned somewhere in Siberia. He managed to join Anders' II Korpus, serving in the 2nd AGPA (later called 2nd Warsaw Armoured Division). My father's parents came from Kuty (now Ukraine) and Baranowicze (now Belarus).

My family's story has many parallels with yours and as I looked through your photos, I was extremely moved. My grandfather rarely spoke of his experiences. I know very little of his time in Russia, except for cold, starvation, snowblindness, and misery. Although it was painful to see the conditions to which the communists subjected my family, I am grateful to have learned a little more about what happened to them and how they got to where they are.

There is no need to reply to this email or to include it on your website. I have attached a photo of my Dziadzia (granddad) Zmudzki in Italy in 1945 (he is on the far left with the crisply pressed trousers) on the random chance that you may have crossed paths with him. I don't know who the other soldiers in the picture are. Thanks again and I wish you health and peace.

Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
Stefan
___________________________
Stephen M. Rybczynski, Ph.D.
Biology Department
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI 49401

Dear Stefan,
Thank you for your email.
The reason why your granddad rarely spoke of his experiences in the Soviet Russia is similar to most of us who went through the Soviet Russia's Hell. Nobody would believe us, so why bother to try to describe how it was really there. The listeners would think we exaggerate. This is also the reason why I decided to learn how to build a website and leave a record for posterity instead of boring my children now.
Regards and Czesc.
Franek Rymaszewski

 

 

 

 

Year 1945.
Polish soldiers of the General Anders's 2nd Corps in Italy.
Pchor. Jan Zmudzki first on the left. (Pchor. = Podchoronzy= Acting Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

War time field Mass celebrated by Bishop Gawlina for Polish troops
on 22 November 1942

 

17 July 2014

Dear Frank,

I have recently discovered your amazing website.

My own parents were taken to Posiolek Vodopad in Archangelsk Oblast. My dad went on to fight at Monte Casino, and my mother ended up in Kondoa before joining the Polish Women’s Air force and coming to the UK.

I have always known that something monumentally awful happened to them and it has taken me a lifetime to prise the facts out of my mother; my father refused to relive and remember and has since passed away.

I am writing a book about their lives, to capture it for posterity in a cathartic sort of way. When I saw your photos of the crowded ships crossing the Caspian Sea, I cried.

If it is ever published, I should very much like to include these photographs, if you would allow me to. I would more
than happily acknowledge you in the credits, and it would mean so much to me.

With very best wishes,
Krystyna Powiecka

 

Dear Krystyna,
You may use my information and any picture of Caspian Sea evacuation in your book.
Thank you for acknowledgment of my website as a source.
Wishing you success in this work.
Best Wishes
Frank Rymaszewski

15 July 2014

Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
I hope my email finds you OK.

Dzien dobry.

Sometime ago I was researching my family history and sought information on the ship "New Australia". I found your website and was surprised to see that my family-(father, mother, my self aged 9, plus my siblings) was on the same voyage as you were in 1955. I was one of the naughty boys who were trying to slide around on the deck using the deck-chairs!

We remained on the ship until Fremantle, had our first excursion in Australia there, another in Melbourne to visit people my father had met during the war, then disembarked in Sydney. We lived with relatives in the northern coalfields town of Abermain, until my parents purchased a house in Kurri Kurri where our aged mother 94 still lives today. My wife and I now live in the lakeside town of Toronto.

My family came from the Borders area in the UK. During the war my mother was a bus conductress on Scottish Motor Traction (SMT) buses. She often mentions the very good manners and politeness of the Polish officers and soldiers stationed around Berwick upon Tweed.

Have you read the book about "Wojtek the Bear” by Aileen Orr? It describes the Polish efforts via Middle East, Scotland etc. and a special bear.

My occupation in the manufacture of lamps in Newcastle Australia, enabled me to eventually move off shore. During my 11 years out of Australia, I spent 4 years living and working in Poland. Lodz was our first home whilst I worked in Pabianice, then the second 2 years we were based in Pila. (Please pardon my incorrect spelling of both places, however I pronounce them OK).

During my time in Poland I continued my avid interest in the history of World War 2 , and visited many museums around Poland. I learned of the very tough times the people went through.

A Polish colleague from Lodz became a good friend, we have seen him very recently in Gdansk. His family name is Swietlicki, his grandfather was in the Polish army prior to the start of the war, and eventually followed the same path as mentioned in your website via Russia, to the Middle East and Scotland. As an officer and tank commander, he was severely wounded, losing a leg, at Monte Cassino. The officer returned to Poland after the war, was not treated so well by the Russian and Polish Communist authorities. However he survived, I believe, long enough to see Polish freedom again.

From my friend Ryszard I understand his family have a written history of their grandfather. I attach a photograph of the officer mentioned, my apologies that I do not know his name apart from Swietlicki. He is the officer on the left of photo with sword. I shall ask Ryszard for more data re the photo, I also have informed Ryszard of your website.

I wish you all the best, your efforts on the website are fabulous. It would be my pleasure to meet and chat with you, if you are willing.

Best Regards,

Robert Swan

 

Polish Officers prior to World War 2.
First on the left, with a sword is Officer Swietlicki

5 June 2014
Re: Second Lieutenant Leonard Szlamas, 1st Armoured Division
Re: Podporucznik Leonard Szlamas, 1sza Dywizja Pancerna

Hello Sir,

My name is Piotr Zenon Szlamas.
Last Saturday, May 31, my mother Halina Sawicka Szlamas, a survivor of Oberlangden passed away. She met my father, Leonard Szlamas during the liberation of the camp. Tonight while thinking of her, I was searching the web and discovered your site. I wondered since your life story so closely mirrors that of my parents, if you knew them. My knowledge of their time during the war is very limited, they never wanted to speak of it to their children. I applaud you for leaving such a wonderful legacy for your family and the Polish people.

My father Leonard passed away in 1981. From what I understand, they too lived in England for a time after the war, we think around Kent since my sisters birth certificate lists that city. They came to the USA in 1950 and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. I have been looking through many photos from Scotland, France, Italy, etc in a photo album my father made. I can only wonder if you are in some of the photos he has of his tank division. As part of the 1st armored division, my father was highly decorated, receiving the Virtuti Militari, and yet I am sad to say his children do not know anything about the events that led to these honorable awards.

I do wish you well, and would enjoy hearing from you if your health permits.

Sincerely

Piotr

pzs s talon469@hotmail.com

1 June 2014

Dear Franek,

I read the memoirs of Mietek Rymaszewski with great interest. My own grandfather was arrested in 1940 from Kobryn, Poland with his family then separated from the rest of the family which was sent to Archangel. He ended up in the Northern Railway camp like Mietek. He was never seen or heard from again. My mother, his daughter has been looking for information about him all her life. I only found out that he was sent there last year after searching for him for the past 35 years. His name appeared in a recently released archive. How can I get information about him? My mother is still alive and any information about what happened to him would ease her soul. She is 88 now and this would bring closure to a painful chapter in her life. One that I’m sure you can relate to. If you or anyone in your family has any suggestions I would be grateful to hear them.

With Deepest Respect,
Ryszard Jaworski

Rich Jaworski
Vice President, Duluth Children’s Museum
www.duluthchildrensmuseum.org

:"MEMOIRS OF MIETEK RYMASZEWSKI" Mieczyslaw has written a short personal account of his imprisonment by the Soviets, his hardships in Vorkuta gulags and survival. It is a separate, self-contained section of this website. To have a look at the contents and return here click on the image.

Note from Franek Rymaszewski

Has any of the readers of this email any suggestions of help to offer Rich Jaworski ?

27 May 2014

Hi,

Just letting you know that my daughter (year 6) is writing a story about Polish immigration to Australia. We have really enjoyed reading your story and it has provided great background information for those of us that have little knowledge about that time.

Thanks again

Wendy Walker

Sent from my iPad

8 May 2014

Hello,
My name is Krystyna (Nee Hellmich) Pottier. I came across your website while looking for information about the 2nd Corp, Polish Army.

My father, Dr. Stanislaw Hellmich, who was born in Warsaw in 1911, was a member of this unit in the Middle East. What I know of his war years mirrors closely your experience in being transported from Poland to the Soviet Union camps, and later travelling to the Middle East.

I was wondering if at any time you may have come across my father’s name.
I understand you may no longer be able to respond to emails, but I wanted to tell you that I found your website fascinating.

Best wishes,
Krystyna Pottier

When you don't give up, you cannot fail.
____________________________________

Krystyna Pottier
605 O'Brien Drive
Alberton, P.E.I.
C0B 1B0

(902) 853-4810
kpottier@pei.sympatico.ca
___________________________________

Dear Krystyna,
Unfortunately I have not come across name of Dr. Stanislaw Hellmich, but the 2nd Corps was a very large army stationed at many locations.

As you know all Polish Forces fighting in the West were moved to England after the war where they were demobilised. Most of them did not go back to Soviet occupied Poland, so they were resettled in England or emigrated, like I and your father did. The British Ministry of Defence keeps records of all Polish Armed Forces that served during the war under British Command, and also those that died on active service. You may wish to write to them to get some information about your father's war service. This is the address that I have. I hope it is still correct.

• Ministry of Defence — Army Records Centre, Polish Section
Bourne Ave., HAYES, Middlesex UA3 1RF, United Kingdom. Tel. + 01- 573 3831 (extention 22)

My Best Regards
Franek Rymaszewski

Image: (Polish 2nd Corps Badge) >>>

27 April 2014

Re: W.Anders, 1942 Krasnowodsk, "Andercowcy", tanker "Agamali-Ogly"
http://www.rymaszewski.iinet.net.au/6escape.html
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Ship of "Lenin" type: "Agamali-Ogly" has Azeri name of a prominent Azerbajani political leader. ??????? ???? ????? ??? — (1867 -1930)

• Ship in use from 1931 to 1971, built in Gorkiy on river Volga (now Nizhny Novgorod) , pic : http://fleetphoto.ru/photo/23634

• This ship was used in Soviet film made in 1941 about Socialist labour competition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzqqKnYEYIM and http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%. The black and white film was called "tanker Derbent". Heroic-Adventure Strip, telling about the Stakhanovite movement on the Caspian Sea in the late 1930 's, and about saving the sailors of the burning ship.

My Remarks:

• Above is a photo of cargo vessel 'Agamali Ogly' of the Soviet Caspian Flotilla
sent to me by Sergey A. Sergeyev

• This ship transported gen. Anders Polish Army in 1942 from Russian port Krasnowodsk
to Persian port Pahlevi (now called Resht in Iran) - see below, and my Chapter 6

5 May 2014

From Sergey A. Sergeyev : maily2k(at)mail.ru

Drogi Pan Frank
Correct name of Ural city in Sergey Romashevskiy mail is Perm.
Akmolinsk now Astana -new Kazakh capital.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0

Drogi Pan Frank
if possible pls change "@" in my adress your "letters" page for "(at)" or "dog", for spam protection reason .

Pozdrawiam ,
Sergey , RF

RMS Orion post war service (Ref. ORION in Chapter 6)
http://www.ssmaritime.com/orion.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Orion

• Built by Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow, Furness, England, she was launched on December 7, 1934 and completed in August 1935.(...)

• When she was finally released from active duties, Orion had carried over 175,000 soldiers and civilians and according to her log, she steamed over 380,000 miles.(..)

• She was chartered for four months as a floating
hotel at the “International Horticultural Exhibition in Hamburg, where she arrived on May 23, 1963. She offered accommodation for 1150 guests.

• At the conclusion of the exhibition on September 30, she sailed the next day for Antwerp where she was broken up by the Jos Boel et Fils scrap yard.

========================================
Sergey A. Sergeyev, RF, 5 May 2014

SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM : 1938 - 1974 Holland America Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlsvadXHTZc
http://www.ssmaritime.com/Authors-Thoughts.htm
http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/nieuwamsterdam2.html

• The company famed as having the “Spotless Fleet” - Holland America Line
and their finest liner ever - SS Nieuw Amsterdam. This ship was and
still is considered as the most beautiful ship ever to be built and the
most perfectly balanced ship!
======================================================
Sergey A. Sergeyev, RF, 6 May 2014

Russian bravery award Ushakov Medal for British veterans of the war time Arctic convoys http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Plymouth-war-veteran-73-year-wait-Russian-medal/story-21053158-detail/story.html
http://inosmi.ru/australia/20121103/201763517.html
==============================================
Sergey A. Sergeyev, RF, 7 May 2014

My Remarks:
This is a story of Len Fergus, a British Merchant Navy man, serving at ship "Botavon", awarded after 73 years a Russian bravery medal for dangerous wartime Arctic convoy to Murmansk in 1941 which was bringing tanks and war supplies to the Soviets.

And the next image below is from a link sent to me by Sergey A. Sergeyev, to Victory Day in London on 9 May 2013, when delegation of Russian Navy war veterans meets British Royal Navy and Merchant Navy veterans who took part in 1941-45 Arctic Convoys delivering essential supplies of food and munitions to northern Russian cities of Arkhangels and Murmansk, sailing through icy seas that were vulnerable to German air attack and German U-boats.

From Sergey R. Sergeyev
14 May 2014

List of Belorussians died in Monte Cassino battle.

http://www.kdkv.narod.ru/Monte-Cassino/Monte-Cassino.html

From book published in Minsk, 2004
180 names of Belorussians , Russians , Poles born in Belarus.
There is alternative list of 264 names, link on site .
==============================================

This website is in Russian and Belarus languages.
Contains interesting comments about gen.Anders Army

 

 

From Sergey R. Sergeyev
17 June 2014

W. Anders army memorial near Catholic Church (since 1912) of Tashkent, Uzbekistan

http://www.orexca.com/photogalleryfull/6902
http://www.orexca.com/rus/catholic_church_tasergey Ahkent.shtml

Sergey A.Sergeyev
maily2k(at)mail.ru

21 April 2014

Hello Franek Rymaszewski,

Just a short note to tell you that your website is fascinating and very informative. It certainly has helped me with Polish history and my quest to find my ancestors. I am 75 years old and just last week discovered that my grandfather was born in Lomza and emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800's. Beyond that we have no additional information regarding ancestors from that region and records are impossible to find due to the historical turmoil of Eastern Poland.

Thank you for your fine work. It will survive electronically forever in many parts of the World, unlike the regimes that caused it.

Sto Lat,

Frank Wondolkowski
U.S.A

3 April 2014

Franek,

I am a Rymaszewski, but my grandfather changed the name when he became an American citizen. I sent you some information a long time ago and it is already included on your website.

Thank you very much for creating the Rymaszewski family website. I did not know much about my father's family, but thanks to you, I have
learned more about my family history than I ever could have dreamed. Because of the information you posted, I was also able to connect with two long-lost cousins and we are working together now to fill in the family tree. I cannot tell you how valuable and wonderful that is.

In the near future, I plan to write a book containing the history of our branch of the family. It would be self-published through a print-on-demand service so we could control the content, plus we could print only the number of copies we need. That will probably be 10 copies or less. However, my Polish cousin (Leszek Rymaszewski) could translate the story, too. This book would be for the private use of our close family members only.

The reason I am writing is that I would like to include information about the early origins of the Rymaszewskis, but the only source I have is your website. I hope that you will allow me to copy some of the written parts and the pictures that appear on the site. If you do not want me to do this, please let me know. Otherwise, I will assume that I have your permission. It is my way of passing down the family history to future generations, just as the website is yours.

Thank you again!

Jill Rumoshosky Werner
Wichita, Kansas USA
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Jill,
No problem. You can use any information and pictures from my website in your book.
I assume you will acknowledge my website as your source in the book.
Wishing you success in this work,

Franek Rymaszewski
Sydney, Australia
3 April 2014
____________________________________________________________________
Dear Franek,
Thank you so much! Of course I will cite your website as the resource
for my information. I used to be a technical writer and I'm a great
believer in documentation.
Jill
___________________________________________________________________
Photo of Jill Rumoshoski in 2008 on the right.
See Email No. 100 below.

24 March 2014

Bardzo Panu dziekuje za tak pieknie przedstawiona historie Pana i rodziny.
Moj dziadek Eugeniusz Kaczanowski, syn Michala mial majatek w Paulinowie, niestety zostal zabrany przez rosyjskich zolnierzy w 1939 r. i slad po nim zaginal. Moja Babcia Maria szukala go cale zycie bez skutku. Babcia z trzy-letnia Mama uciekly do siostry w Makowie Podhalanskim. Babcia juz tez nie zyje. Moja Mama Teresa ma tylko pare zdjec. Dziadek mial siostre Zofie (pozniej Olewinska) i brata Jerzego. Jesli slyszal Pan cos o osobach o tym nazwisku bardzo prosze o informacje. Mieszkam teraz z Mama w Kanadzie. Bardzo ja wzruszyly Pana opisy i zdjecia a ja moge latwiej przedstawic rodzinna historie moim synom. Dziekuje jeszcze raz.
Monika Krolczyk
_______________________________

Droga Moniko!
Niestety nie slyszalem o wspomnianych osobach, chociaz szlacheckie nazwisko Kaczanowski jest, a raczej bylo, czesto spotykane na Kresach Wschodnich bylej Polski. Mam nadzieje, ze ktos z przegladajacych ten mail znal Pani rodzine i skontaktuje sie Pania. Zalaczam najlepsze zyczenia.
Franek Rymaszewski
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

My translation from Polish:

Thank you very much for such a beautifully presented story of your family.
My grandfather Eugeniusz Kaczanowski, the son of Michal, owned an estate in Paulinowo, which in 1939 was was taken over by Russian soldiers, and grandfather disappeared without trace. My grandmother Maria was searching for him all her life to no avail. Grandmother with then three-year-old my mother, fled to her sister in Makowo Podhalanskie. Grandma is also now dead. My mother Teresa has just a few family photos. My grandfather had a sister Zofia ( later Olewinska) and brother Jerzy. If you heard anything about people with this name please let me know. I now live with my mom in Canada. She was very touched by your descriptions and pictures, and I can better explain my family history to my sons. Thank you again.
Monika Królczyk
______________________________

Dear Monica,
Unfortunately I didn't hear about these people, although noble name Kaczanowski is, or rather was, often found in the former Polish Eastern Borderlands. I hope someone reading this email knew your family and will contact you. With Best Wishes,
Franek Rymaszewski

5 March 2014
Dear Franek Rymaszewski,

I write to you on the behalf of a Hungarian publishing house, Magveto. In April 2014 we are publishing a novel by Pal Zavada, a well-known Hungarian writer. The main scope of the novel is the 2nd world war, in which the author uses black and white photographs of the age. The writer has visited your site, and would like to include the following photo from your collection in his book.

I kindly ask your permission that we would acknowledge in the book.

Yours sincerely

Geza Morcsanyi

director
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Geza Morecsanyi,
You are certainly permitted to include my photo in the book by Paul Zavada. And thank you for acknowledging the source in the book.
Best Wishes with the publication.
Yours sincerely
Franek Rymaszewski

31 January 2014

Hi Franek
My name is Lisa Farrelly (nee Rubanowicz) and I hope you are keeping well. I have just returned to your site after a few years and it is still provides some emotional connection for me to Poland.

My Grandfather Jan Rubanowicz was also from near Pinsk (Newel , maybe 20km away) and apart from his parents names I know nothing more about my family tree. Jan had a family of three in Poland before the war and then a second family in England after the war and I am the English side, but living in Ireland since 1982 (I was only 11). I never met my Grandfather who died in 1962.

I was wondering if you remember my Grandfather at all as he was in the Army and went the same route as you through the war. I met Polish family through the internet over the last 15 years and their Grandfather also never returned (my Grandfathers brother Wiktor). I believe Wiktor had a restaurant in Pinsk - unfortunately when their Grandfather Wiktor didn't return they burned every photo of him, so the younger generation do not even have a photo of him. If you know of anywhere we might find photos like this please send on the link.

I really appreciate the time and continued effort you have put in to your web site, it has helped alot of people around the world.

Best Regards
Lisa Farrelly (nee Rubanowicz)
______________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Lisa,
Unfortunately, although the name Rubanowicz sounds very familiar, I cannot remember meeting anybody of that name in the Polish Anders Army during the war. I hope that somebody reading your email above, might happen to know more and will contact you.
My sincere best wishes
Franek Rymaszewski

17 January 2014

Dear Franek, I thank you for your great web site.
Your family history is like a carbon copy of the Wroblewski's.
My father was born in Pinsk in 1914. Joined general Maczek's First Armoured Division and the stayed in Glasgow, Scotland.
On this, the hundredth anniversary of his birth, I intend to follow the route that the Polish First Armoured Division took during WW2 from Scotland through France and Holland then to Wilhelshaven in Germany.
I also intend to go to Pinsk.

Thank you again for all the information you have shared with the world.
God Bless
Kazimierz Jan Wroblewski

(Sent from my I pad)

28 December 2013

Szanowny Franku!
Bardzo sie ciesze, ze wznowiles aktywnosc na Twojej stronie internetowej.
Zainteresuje Cie zapewne, ze w roku 2013 Rymaszewscy spotkali sie na V Zjezdzie Rodu na Bialorusi.
Moje sprawozdanie z wyjazdu mozna zobaczyc tu: https://sites.google.com/site/stronarodzinyrymaszewskich/v-zjazd-rodu/sprawozdaniezvzjazdurodurymaszewskich

W czasie spotkania wielokrotnie odwolywalismy sie do Twojej strony, z której wiadomosci czerpie wielu z nas, a i wielu - dzieki niej - moglo sie poznac. Zycze Tobie i Twoim bliskim duzo zdrowia.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski

Krzysztof Rymaszewski
r.krzysztof|skype4

My translation from Polish:

Dear Franek!
I am very pleased that you resumed activity on your website.
You will certainly be interested to know that in 2013 Rymaszewskis met for the Fifth Family Reunion in Belarus.
My report from the trip you can see here: https://sites.google.com/site/stronarodzinyrymaszewskich/v-zjazd-rodu/sprawozdaniezvzjazdurodurymaszewskich

During the meeting, we often referred to your website, from which many of us get information, and even many - thanks to the website- have met. I wish you and your family much health.
Cordial greetings from Poland.

Krzysztof Rymaszewski

Some members of the Fifth Rymaszewski Family Reunion at a signpost to the historic village RYMASZE in Belarus.

15 October 2013

Dear Sir:
Greetings from Canada. I will tell my Polish Canadian friends about your site.
Thank you for your site. Absolutely fascinating.
Ernest

ernestpayne32@hotmail.com

15 October 2013

Artykul opublikowany w Jagielonskiej Bibliotece Cyfrowej. Gazeta "NASZ DZIENNIK nr 167, Kraków dn. 18.07.1937
http://jbc.bj.uj.edu.pl/dlibra/plain-content?id=103639

Przesylam informacje o Pozarze w dniu 17 czerwca 1937.

Grozny pozar miasteczka kresowego
500 rodzin bez dachu nad glowa — Splonela synagoga i 200 domów

Warszawa 18.06.1937. (A) Ostatniej nocy wybuchl wielki pozar w miasteczku Kleck pod Baranowiczami. Ogien, który powstal w jednej z zagród chlopskich, rozszerzyl sie z niebywala gwaltownoscia i w ciagu godziny cale niemal miasteczko stanelo w plomieniach. Zaalarmowana okoliczna straz ogniowa pospieszyla na ratunek, lecz walka z szalejacym zywiolem byla beznadziejna. Okolo 200 domów spalilo sie, 500 rodzin zostalo bez dachu nad glowa. Wiekszosc domów nalezala do Zydów. Miedzy innymi spalila sie takze stara boznica, mikwa i jeszyboth,

Na miejsce pozaru przybyla specjalna komisja, która bada przyczyny pozaru, gdyz wsród ludnosci kolportowane sa na ten temat najrozmaitsze pogloski.

Zywa pochodnia

Warszawa, 18. 6. (A) W Klecku obok Nowogródka wydarzyl sie onegdaj tragiczny wypadek, którego ofiara padla 13-letnia Liba Mahler, uczennica szkoly „Tarbut". Klasa, do której uczeszczala, miala urzadzic przedstawienie w zwiazku z zakonczeniem roku szkolnego. Mahlerówna w przedstawieniu tym miala wziac udzial. Przed wystepem swym chciala raz jeszcze przeprasowac swój kostium i w tym celu ogrzewala zelazko na maszynce spirytusowej. Nagle maszynka przewrócila sie, a dziewczyna stanela w plomieniach. Z niesamowitym krzykiem wybiegla na ulice, wolajac o ratunek. Przechodnie udzielili jej pierwszej pomocy, ale po kilku godzinach Mahlerówna zmarla w nastepstwie silnego poparzenia.

Straszny ten wypadek wywolal wstrzasajace wrazenie w calym miescie.

Pozdrawiam:
Zbigniew Wolocznik

My translation from Polish:

Serious fire of a borderland town
500 families without a roof over their head - the synagogue was burned and 200 homes

Warsaw 18.06.1937. (A) Last night a big fire broke out in a town Kleck near Baranovichi. The fire, which started in one of the peasants households, has expanded at an extraordinary intensity, and within an hour almost entire township was in flames. Alarmed local fire brigade rushed to the rescue, but fighting with raging element was hopeless. Around 200 houses burned, 500 families became without a roof over their head. Most of the houses belonged to Jews. Among other buildings, also the old synagogue burned, mikwa and jeshyboth.

A special committee arrived to the area of fire, which investigates the causes of fire, because among the population are circulating all sorts of rumors.

Live torch

Warsaw, 18. 6. (A) In Kleck near Nowogródek a tragic accident happened the other day. The victim was 13-year-old Liba Mahler, a pupil of the school "Tarbut." The class which she attended, was going to arrange a play in connection with the ending of the school year. Liba Mahler was going to take part in the play. Before the show she decided to press again her costume, and for that purpose she warmed iron on a propane (spirit) stove. Suddenly the spirit stove tipped over, and the girl burst into flames. With incredible scream she ran into the street yelling and calling for help. Passers-by gave her first aid, but Liba Mahler died after few hours as a result of strong burns.

This terrible accident sparked distressing impression throughout the township.

Regards
Zbigniew Wolocznik

7 September 2013

Hi Franek,

I hope you are well and remember our correspondence from 2006. I can’t believe it’s so long ago!

Can you please help me Franek? I’m now very close to having a book published (www.robinsonriley.co.uk) and I’m just checking through illustrations and copyright etc. I’m planning to use an image of one of the transport ships from Krasnovodsk to Pahlavi (photo attached) that appears on your website in the section 6: MY ESCAPE FROM STALIN.

Can you please tell me the original source of this image and if it is subject to any copyright, or if it is in the public domain?

Regards,

Ken Fedzin
Dewsbury, England

Previous correspondence with Ken (see Email No. 017)

From: Frank Rymaszewski [mailto:frym@iinet.net.au]
Sent: 15 February 2006 06:48
To: ken.fedzin@ntlworld.com
Subject: Jozef Rymaszewski Story

Dear Ken,

Thank you for your email. I appreciate your congratulations and compliments. I have included your letter in Chapter 15 - email no. 017 of my website (with very minor editing). Lets hope some readers will discover their Fedzin connection which will lead them to your website.

In my research I have come across both sites you have mentioned, however I am getting pretty old with limited spare time to be able to become a member. I am glad there are people like you who are active in reminding the world what happened in Kresy in the W.W.II. Our history must not be forgotten.

Your idea to include other people's recollections on your website is an excellent one, and I am only too pleased that you use Jozef's memoirs. The section you selected is just right and to the point. Perhaps, I think, you should mention where Jozef was deported from, because some readers may assume he was deported from Tersepol. As you know, Terespol is just outside Kresy where Jozef now lives. So the first sentence of the text the words "family was deported to Siberia " should read "family was deported from Nieswiez to Siberia".
Best regards and good luck with your website.
Sincerely ,
Franek Rymaszewski

image Krasnowodsk.jpg

8/9/13
Dear Ken,

I scanned that picture from some obsolete publication which I dug up in some library. It was an illustrated publication consisting of a lot of wartime events. The printing and illustrations were of poor quality. I do not think that anybody exists who could claim copyright. To be safe, may I suggest that you just mention my website as the source.

Kind regards and good luck with your book.

Franek

8/9/13
Hi Franek,

Good to hear from you and I hope you are keeping well. Sorry to have troubled you. I only realised after I’d sent the email that you were not as young as you used to be, so I really appreciate your reply Franek.

Thanks for the info re the image. I’d already typed in the citing of your website, just in case you didn’t reply. Also a follow up message to the Kresy-Siberia group returned opinion that the image was in the public domain.

My book ‘In Search of Staszewski’ is 99% complete now and I have a main-stream publisher who has agreed to publish it on a ‘self-published’ basis. A family folklore told of my Great Grandfather being an aristocrat, landowner and a Colonel who escaped Siberia, married a Russian woman and changed his name to hers to avoid detection. That is how we come to have the surname Fedzin. But there were no documents to prove anything. Research led me back to the 1863 January Uprising. The story also moves on to the deportation of my father’s family on 10 Feb 1940, ‘amnesty’, Anders, etc. Dad passed away in 2000 and we knew little about him prior to his arrival in England. I started the research shortly after his death and to say it’s been an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. I’ve been back to the village of his birth near Czortkow in the Tarnopol region twice. It was a wonderful experience.

I looked at some of the posts on your website and sent a message to someone here in England. No. 131 I think it was. Her story moved me as it had a familiar ring. I hope she replies. I found it incredible that some of the posts sent were from people whose family you knew. Amazing!

Anyway, enough already! Once again Franek thank you for the info, I’ll cite your website. I wish you all the very best for the future.

Kind regards, take care,

Ken.

 

5 September 2013

Dear Mr. RYMASZEWSKI,
I have written lately an article about the relations between Polish government and the Jews in Palestine in the 30’s. Among other topics, I mention in this article the fact that General Anders’ army arrived in Palestine in 1942. I wish to add to the article some photos of the Ander’s army, which you published on the Internet. I also intend to write another article, specifically about the Anders’ army and I wish to add to it some of the same photos. In view of the fact that I shall distribute these articles on the Internet in a non-commercial presentation, can I have your permission to use your photos free?

Thank you in advance for your prompt reply and I shall send you both articles when they will be ready for distribution.
Sincerely yours
Benjamin Gvirtzman

6 September 2013

Dear Ben,
Yes, you have my permission to use the photos from my website in your articles.
And I will be glad if you acknowledge the source of the photos at the end of your articles.
I wish you success at your work.
With kind regards,
Franek Rymaszewski

7 September 2013
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
Thank you so much for your prompt and positive reply. I am sending you the article in which I used one of your photos, so you’ll see the credit I gave you there. In the second article, which I have not yet finished, I intend to use more photos and there I’ll put a special paragraph mentioning your family presentation.
Anyway, I’m sending you here the first article and I’m sure you’ll find it interesting. Moreover, I wish to hear your mind about it.
I have only one request: Please do not send on the article, as I have not started to distribute it on the internet. This will enable you to change the credit if you wish to, before going on to the public.
Sincerely yours
Benjamin Gvirtzman

10 September 2013: I’m afraid I sent you by mistake a former version of the presentation, in which your name is missing from the photo of the Polish soldiers on the beach of Tel Aviv. Of course I corrected it and I’m sending you the last version of the presentation, with your name on the photo. Sorry… but as I did not yet distributed the presentation, no harm was done.
Yours
Benny Gvirtzman.

How Israel was almost founded in 1940
Pre-war Polish Government was trying to help the Jews gain control over the Land of Israel and establish an independent state there.

Presentation by Benjamin Gvirtzman
Downloadable File - 6MB   View  Download

11 August 2013
Query about website of Franek Rymaszewski

I am writing to enquire about the website http://www.rymaszewski.iinet.net.au/index.html

Is it possible to obtain permission to use some of the photographs from Franek Rymaszewski’s collection? I am writing a book about my father, another Polish WWII veteran.

Please let me know.
Many thanks,

Nadia Rupniak

11/8/13
Dear Nadia,

Since your book is published for limited private use and not for profit, Yes, you may use selected photographs from my website, provided you acknowledge the origin of photos in your book. Although I am now 90 years old, my website will last, an eventually will be maintained by my son Julian.

I wish you good luck in trying to preserve the stories of Polish WWII veterans.

Kind Regards

Franek Rymaszewski

12 August 2013

Dear Franek,

Thank you so much for your generosity. I appreciate it very much.

My dad told us very little about what happened to him and his family during the war. We grew up in England without any sense of pride in Poland or any understanding of the suffering of its people. It is only in the last couple of years that I have become obsessed with finding out what happened to him, and have visited my family in Poland several times. This year, several generations of my Polish family and I traveled to Ukraine to visit the villages and towns where my family lived. It was extremely moving.

Just as my English family knew very little about the events in Poland, my Polish family also knew very little about how we lived in England after the war, and the difficulties faced by the exiled soldiers who were no longer wanted there.

My grandmother and three brothers were deported to Siberia. Only one survived and fought with Anders army. Your photographs of life in the desolate Steppes and of released prisoners enlisting to join the army provide a unique record of those experiences that I have not seen anywhere before.

You have created a unique and important legacy that gives a voice to the people who endured the unimaginable and could not speak about it. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Nadia

28 July 2013

Dzien dobry

Pisze do Pana w celu rozwazenia pewnej kwestii. Emilia Rymaszewska byla moja ciocia. Miala brata Michala, który byl wojskowym i zginal w czasie drugiej wojny swiatowej, prawdopodobnie rozstrzelany, ona szukala go do konca zycia. I znalazlam na stronie panstwa Kielaków i na Pana stronie internetowej Emilie Rymaszewska, która miala brata Michala, wojskowego, prawdopodobnie rozstrzelanego. Zbieznosc imion moze byc przypadkowa, ale prosze porównac zdjecia. Nie zgadzaja sie dane, ale podobienstwo - przynajmniej dla mnie - jest uderzajace. Czy bylby Pan zainteresowany rozwazeniem tego tematu, jak to mozliwe?

"Moja" Emilia Rymaszewska pochodzila ze szlachty sokolatyckiej. Córka (prawdopodobnie) Julii i Jana. Miala brata Michala i Romana (albo Romualda, wolali go „Romek”, wiec wersja pelnego imienia moze byc rózna). Urodzona ok. 1908 r., zmarla na pewno w 1990. Michal, jak wspomnialam, byl wojskowym, myslala, ze zginal w Katyniu, szukala go tez w Charkowie, Miednoje i innych przez rózne organizacje, ale nie znalazla. Mieszkali w okolicach Baranowicz. Po wojnie wyjechala na Pomorze i tam jest pochowana. Nie bylabym tak zdziwiona, gdybym nie porównala tych dwóch zdjec. Bardzo charakterystyczne cechy sa identyczne. I Michal.

Moim zdaniem to beda raczej dwie rózne osoby, ale bardzo blisko spokrewnione. Czy ma Pan pewnosc, ze na tym zdjeciu z Czeslawem jest "Pana" Emilia? Trudno mi je odrózniac, skoro tak samo sie nazywaly ;-). Ta moja byla po mezu Tabor (wzieli slub po wojnie), wiec bedzie latwiej. Co Pan sadzi o podobienstwie?

Zalaczam zdjecie, na którym jest Emilia Tabor z dwiema innymi kobietami, w tym Stefania (nie znam nazwiska). Czy ta pani w srodku, to moze byc ta Stefania Siniakiewicz?

Nie wiem jak to uporzadkowac. Byc moze zgubiono jedna linie. Jak Pan sadzi?

Z powazaniem
Urszula Moszczynska

Two Emilias

Tabor family

Stefania Siniakiewicz

My translation from Polish above

Good day,

I am writing to you in order to consider certain issue. Emilia Rymaszewska was my aunt . She had a brother Michal, who was a military man and was killed during the Second World War, probably shot. She searched for him all her life. And I found on Kelak's Genealogy website and cosequently your website Emilia Rymaszewska, who had a brother Michal, who was probably was shot (executed). The same names may be coincidental, but please compare the photos. The particulars do not agree, but the resemblance - at least for me - is striking. Would you be interested in considering this subject, how is this possible?

" My " Emilia Rymaszewska came from the Sokolatycka nobility. She was a daughter of (probably) Julia and Jan. Her brothers were Michal and Roman (or Romuald, called Romek, so the version of the full name may be different. Emilia was born about 1908, died definitely in 1990. Michal, as I said, was a military man; she thought he was killed in Katyn, she was searched for him also in Kharkov, Miednoje and other places throgh different organizations, but did not find anything. The family lived in the vicinity of Baranowicze. After the war she was resettled in Pomerania and is buried there . I would not be so surprised if I had not compared the two pictures. Very characteristic features are identical. And brother Michal .

I think it will be rather two different people, but very closely related . Are you sure that in this picture with Czeslaw is "Your" Emilia? I find it hard to distinguish them, as well as their names. However "mine" Emilia had surname Tabor after her husband (they married after the war ), so it will be clearer. But what do you think of the similarity ?

I also enclose a photo of Emilia Tabor with two other women, including Stefania (I do not know her name). Could this lady in the middle be Stefania Siniakiewicz ?

I do not know how to sort it out. Perhaps one family line was lost. What do you think ?

Sincerely,
Urszula Moszczynska

11 August 2012

Dear Mr.Franek!
We have almost finished our documentary "Saved by The Hope", just have to "clean" a little bit an archive footage and make some translation. Anyway, we are greatly appreciate your permission to use some of the pictures from your website. Please find the link on YouTube attached and we are looking forward to hearing from you the opinion about this film. Have a great health dear Mr. Franek and we wish all the best for you and your wonderful family. Thanks a lot again!

With a great respect,
Natalia, Sergei, Anastasia Gaisenok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob53gljm5ro&feature=context-cha

My reply:
12 August 2012

Dear Natalia!
Thank you very much for your nice email. Thank you for letting me know about your film being ready so soon after it was published. I watched it twice non stop and Ilike it very much. It is perfect. The english narration is very good and to the point. The images are good and in the right places.The captions are good. I like it that you stressed about 1.5 million people being deported between 1939 and 1941. Because this figure is now being reduced by fake historians who re-write history of Soviet terror and atrocities.
Your documentary film will be valuable to preserve the truth about suffering of innocent people.

My best regards and wishes of good luck to you, Sergei and Anastasia.
Franek Rymaszewski

Natalia's documentary film: "Saved by The Hope"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob53gljm5ro&feature=context-cha

29 July 2012
Hello,
I would just like to thank you for your documentary on your family history. I too am trying to do my families Genealogy and was having a very hard time. We have always been told we are of German origin. Years ago my cousin found our Grandfather’s passport and found it was written in Russian. Other family members are tracing their roots and find many births in Poland and we have been finding it very difficult understanding how to put these pieces together. In reading your family’s history at this website http://www.rymaszewski.iinet.net.au/3maps.htm it gave me a better understanding of what was happening during the period that my ancestors were residing in Poland/Russia. What a horrible time those people had to live through.

Thank you once again for such a wonderfully put together article.
Char

5 October 2011
Szanowny Panie Franciszku!
Jestem pelna podziwu, jak wiele, wiele innych osób dla Pana pracy i wysilku wlozonego w tworzenie strony rodzinnej. Zainteresowaly mnie zwiazki Pana z Pinskiem i dlatego pozwalam sobie przeslac Panu zdjecie pozostale po moim tesciu - Kazimierzu Dubiczynskim (1922). Prawdopodobnie chodzili Panowie razem do szkoly, a moze i klasy, jesli nie z nim, to moze bratem Kazimierza - Jerzym (1924).
Ich ojciec Jan Dubiczynski byl w Pinsku obronca sadowym, zostal zabrany przez sowietów w 1940 r. i slad po nim zaginal.
Zdjecie przedstawia pogrzeb jakiegos kolegi szkolnego, widac, ze uczestniczylo w nim wielu uczniów - moze cala szkola? Wieniec niesie wlasnie Kazimierz (z lewej strony).
Z kolegów z Pinska tesc kontaktowal sie jeszcze z Edwardem Wiszniewskim (zm. w latach 90.) i Zbigniewem Dluzniewskim, architektem z Poznania
Pozdrawiam bardzo serdecznie i zycze duzo, duzo zdrowia
Maria Dubiczynska

My translation from Polish:
Dear Mr Franciszek!
I am full of admiration, like many, many other people for your work and effort put into creating the family website. I got interested in your association with Pinsk, and therefore I am allowing myself to send you a picture left after my father-in-law Kazimierz Dubiczynski (1922). Perhaps you both went to school together, and perhaps to the same class, if not with him, may be with Kazimierz's brother Jerzy (1924).
Their father, Jan Dubiczynski, was in Pinsk a defence counsel, he was arrested by the Soviets in 1940 and disappeared without trace.
The photo shows the funeral of some school friend, you can see that many students participated in it - perhaps the whole school? The first wreath is carried by Kazimierz (on the left side).
As to other colleagues from Pinsk my father-in-law was still in touch with Edward Wiszniewski (died in the 90s) and Zbigniew Dluzniewski, an architect from Poznan.
I send my sincere regards and wish you a lots of good health.
Maria Dubiczynska

Pre-war PINSK. Funeral of a school friend. The first wreath is carried by brothers Kazimierz and Jerzy Dubiczynski.

Droga Pani Mario!
Bardzo, bardzo Pani dziekuje za jeszcze jeden historyczny dodatek do mojej witryny. Ciesze sie tym jak kazdy kolekcjoner. Ten spis parafian z 1878 r. jest bardzo ciekawy. Umiescilem go, razem z Pani mailem w Rozdziale 12 (Part 1).

A do zdjecia z pogrzebu w Pinsku czesto zagladam bo przypomina mi wlasnie moje czasy. To jest jedna z glownych ulic, ktora prowadzi z miasteczka przez tory kolejowe (Brzesc - Pinsk - Luniniec) do przedmiescia w polnocnej czesci gdzie byly cmentarze - katolicki, prawoslawny i niemiecki (zolnierzy poleglych w czasie wojny). Cmentarz zydowski (bardzo stary) byl w samym miescie. Ulice byly brukowane. Nie moge sie nadziwic, ze ulica przchodzila przez tory i nie bylo zadnych szlabanow. Ale trzeba przyznac, ze wtedy bylo malo ruchu samochodowego, no i pociagi przechodzily bardzo rzadko o wszystkim znanych godzinach.

Teraz domyslam sie kogo to byl pogrzeb. Ze wzgledu na pore roku (sadzac po odziezy), oraz tak wielkie uczestnictwo uczniow i ilosc wiankow, to napewno byl pogrzeb synka Pana Reutt'a, wysokiej rangi znanego w Pinsku oficera Marynarki (Wojennej Flotylli Pinskiej). Chlopak utopil sie gdzies w rzekach i rozlewach Pinskich na jakies tam wycieczce.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam i jeszcz raz dziekuje.
Franek Rymaszewski

My translation:

Dear Mrs. Maria !
Many, many thanks you for yet another historic addition to my site. It pleases me as it would any collector. This list of parishioners from 1878, is very interesting. I inserted it, along with your email in Chapter 12 (Part 1) of my website.

And as regards the photograph of the funeral in Pinsk, I often look at it because it reminds me of my school times. This is one of the major streets that leads out of town over the railroad tracks ( Brest - Pinsk - Luniniec ) to the suburbs in the northern part where there were located cemeteries - Catholic , Orthodox and German ( soldiers who fell during the war ) . Jewish cemetery (very old ) was in the middle of town. The streets were paved with cobble-stones. I am surprised to notice and now remember it, that the street crossed the rail tracks and there were no barriers . But you have to admit, that there was little motorised traffic then, and trains passed two or three times a day at times well known to all.

Now I remember whose funeral it might have been. Due to the time of the year ( judging by the clothes ), and so great participation of pupils, and the number of wreaths, it certainly was a funeral of a son of Mr Reutt , a well known high-ranking Navy officer of Pinsk Military Fotilla.
The boy drowned somewhere in the rivers of Pripet Marshes during an excursion.
I cordially greet and thank you again .
Franek Rymaszewski

27 Aug. 2012.
Witam Pana serdecznie. Przesylam jeszcze jedno zdjecie z Pinska, tym razem ze szkoly, z roku 1932. Moze i Pan bywal w tej klasie z zurawiem? Pozdrawiam i zycze zdrowia.
Maria Dubiczynska

My traslation from Polish
I welcome you warmly. I am sendjng yet another picture from Pinsk, this time from school, from year 1932. Maybe you used to visit this class with a crane?
Regards and good health
Maria Dubiczynska

Year 1932. A class in one of four Primary Schools in Pinsk.

19 August 2011
Podziwiam ilosc pracy i wysilku wlozego w kreacje tych stron!
Natknalem sie na nie przypadkiem, szukajac zdjec z miejsc gdzie mieszkal w dziecinstwie moj ojciec.
Wspominal nazwy, ktore wystepuja w panskich wspomnieniach: Dawidgrodek, Luniniec, Pinsk, Radczyck.
Zupelnie mozliwe, ze panski ojciec i moj dziadek znali sie, rowniez mozliwe, ze i pan i moj ojciec chodziliscie do jednej szkoly.
Moim dziadkiem byl Waclaw Nowacki (zonaty z Janina) a moim ojcem byl Zbigniew Nowacki.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam!
Andrzej Nowacki

My translation from Polish:
I admire the amount of work and effort put into creation of these pages!
I stumbled on it by accident, searching for pictures of the places where my father lived in his childhood.
He mentioned names, which occur in your memoirs: Dawidgrodek, Luniniec, Pinsk, Radczyck (Radczyce ?).
Quite possible that your father and my grandfather have met, also possible that you and my father attended the same school.
My grandfather was Waclaw Nowacki (married to Janina) and my father was Zbigniew Nowacki.

My Best Wishes!
Andrzej Nowacki
Director, Project Management Office
Alberta Justice, Court Services
780 422 6428

16 August 2011
Dear Mr Rymaszewski,
I hope you don't mind but I would really like to say thank you for tall the work you have done on your website. My late father Zbigniew Latyszewski rarely talked about his life between Siberia in the late 30s and arriving in the UK in 1948. However, your website has made it possible for me to find out what his life must have been like during this terrible period.

I work at The National Archives in the UK, so if you need any copies of information we hold relating to your own family history feel free to let me know and I will do what I can to help. The records held at The National Archives can be searched at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/default.asp?j=1
I will keep my message short because I guess you must have many questions and queries.
Best wishes
Chris Kutler

17 June 2011
Dear Franek,
I would just like to say a big "thank you" for creating your webpage and sharing your story.

I'm a 27 year old from Sydney with a Polish father born in 1946 in Germany. The last couple of years I have dedicated time to researching my fathers family history and putting it all together and submitting a request for Polish citizenship for myself.
In this process I have uncovered bits of information about my family that have helped put pieces together.

My fathers family lived in Pinsk also, on Drzewna Street. I have attached your map with a pink star where my grandparents lived, so you would have been practically neighbours! They lived there until 1939.

Unfortunately we don't have nearly as many documents or photographs from the time as you do, my grandfather served in 84 infantry regiment, and was taken as POW, and my grandmother was taken to work on German railroads. They didn't have a lot when they left and over the years very few documents have survived. The family lived in Germany for some time (during which my father was born) and they boarded a ship for Australia in 1950. They never returned to Poland sadly, as my Grandfather died in the migrant camp here not long after arriving.

I have found it extremely difficult to locate a map of Pinsk in the 30's, so your map was a huge help, when I found it I sent it to my Uncle who pointed to where they lived!
I hope to one day visit Pinsk and walk around where my grandparents met and married and raised their children, so thank you for helping us locate the street, without your map I doubt we would have, given my Uncle has a deteriorating memory.

My father is also extremely grateful, he has found a lot of enjoyment in your webpage, as he didn't ever live in Poland but feels very Polish and is always interested in other people's experiences.

I wish you and your family well.
Kind Regards,
Rebecca Karalus

7 June 2011
Hello Franek,
I just wanted to say thank-you and congratulate on keeping such a wonderful initiative with your website ! My name is Magdalena Bednarska and I am a relative of Jerzy Bednarski your school friend that you mention on your website (the son of Stefan Bednarski - the bookstore owner). His younger brother Lech Bednarski was my grandfather (he passed away in 2006). My great-uncle Jerzy unfortunately died in the Warsaw uprising in 1944. I am now 30 and am planning a trip to Pinsk within the next 2-3 weeks. I too am eager to find out something about my family's past and came accross your website - what a treasure !

My childhood has also been sparked with various emmigration stories, but it was more to do with the Polish policitcal situation of the early 80's. My family lived in Auckland NZ for many years. I have since returned to Poland and now live in Warsaw.

Anyway... I just wanted to say thanks, your website is my starting point in my reasearch before my trip to Pinsk to explore my heritage.
Wishing you lots of health (duzo zdrowia !)
Best wishes
Magda

13 April 2011
Hello, I have recently confirmed that my father, Leon Szukis, was born in Pinsk, in 1920. He was sent to the Novosibirsk area by Russians, escaped to Persia and became a second lieutenant of the 3rd Karpathian anti-tank artillery. He fought at Monte Cassino. He left England in 1947 and came to Canada.
Would be interested if anyone from Pinsk knew his family. I am told his father, Piotr Szukis was a captain of a ship that sailed in the river Pina. Thanks for any information.

7 April 2011
Dear Pan Rymaszewski,
I want to thank you for creating your website. It means a lot to me to be able to read about your family history. My name is Tomasz Skulski and I live in Canada in a small town north of Ottawa where I work as a scientist for the Canadian government. My father was Stainslaw Skulski and my mother was Barbara Gergovich, both born in Poland (1918 and 1921, respectively). My mother passed away in 2004 and my father in 2005. Let me tell you a little about them and their families. I think their history has a lot in common with yours.

My grandfather was Leopold Skulski. He was mayor of Lódz and later went on to become prime minister of Poland between 1919 and 1920. At the outbreak of the second world war he left Warsaw with his wife and travelled to Pinsk. He was arrested in Pinsk by the NKVD and later taken to the NKVD prison in Brest where he was murdered likely sometime in late 39 or 1940. My father was in the Polish army and fought the Germans in 1939 in Poland. He was arrested by the Russian army in eastern Poland in late 1939. He escaped from the Russians by jumping out of a transport truck. He managed to make his way through southern Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia to France in 1940. He fought with the Polish army in France, and then later escaped through southern France to Spain with five soldiers. They pinched a small sailboat in southern Spain and sailed to Algeria, and then eventually made it to Gibraltar where he boarded a British ship and arrived in England in 1941. My father made his way to northern Scotland where he joined the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. He was a lieutenant and was awarded the Krzyz Walecznych while fighting in Arnhem.

My mother was a nurse during the war. She was sent by her father out of Poland on August 30, 1939. She travelled with her stepmother to France and she finished her high school in Paris in 1940. In the spring of 1940 she left France with her stepmother and joined her father in London. Her mother stayed behind in Poland and fought with the Polish underground in Warsaw. She was arrested and killed by the Gestapo in 1944. My grandfather, Wladyslaw Gergovich, was a colonel in the Polish army and head of the medical corp. During the Battle of Britain he sent my mother to work as a nurse in a Polish hospital in northern Scotland. This is where she met my father. My parents married in 1943 and had four children: Boghdan was born in Peebles, Scotland in 1945, Kalina and Jadwiga were born in London in 1950 and 1951, and I was born in Montreal in 1958. After the war my father studied mechanical engineering in a polytechnic in London. Originally they lived on Allen Road in London. Later my grandfather Gergovich and his wife Zosia bought a home on Hale Gardens in Ealing Common. They must have lived very close to your brother Edward, if not next door! My grandmother Zosia worked extensively with SPK and likely worked closely with Edward. I may have met your brother in 1991 when I visited my grandmother Zosia in London. In the late 1950's with recession in England, my parents decided to emigrate to Canada. My father arrived in 1957 and after a short stint at working in a factory in Montreal, started working for Kaiser as a technical designer/draughtsman. He would later work for DuPont (same as you), and then eventually Dominion Engineering.

So you see, your family history as recounted on your website means a lot to me. One day I hope to visit Poland and trace the footsteps of my ancestors. Thank-you once again for documenting this fascinating story. I hope this letter finds you in good health, and I wish you and your family all the best.
Sincerely,

Tomasz Skulski
Wakefield, Quebec

16 February 2010
Dear Pan Rymaszewski,
I am very sorry to see that your state of health has forced you to curtail some of your activities. I hope and trust that this is temporary and you will soon be back to full heartiness. Your family memoirs and personal knowledge are a phenominal contribution to scholarship, particularly the under-appreciated experience of Polish people at the hands of the Soviet Union.

My late father, Jan Halucha, and his brother, my late uncle Jakub Halucha, had experiences similar to those your site describes, and your details have done much to enhance understanding of what they survived. You can see some of their photos (including unidentified comrades whom you may recognize) in my humble album at http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=12349
There is also a small selection of July 1942 photos from the Polish military camp at Pietermaritzburg that you speak of, at
http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17749

Other special connections I found on your outstanding site:

- My father was in the KOP, so your information was very educational.
- Mietek's description of interrogation by the NKVD: my father lost a tooth when he was interrogated.
- Mietek's report of a hunger strike reminds me that my father spoke of the effectiveness of hunger strikes.
- Berries were a highlight of my father's recollections in the gulag, much as Mietek describes. My father and uncle were both at Pieczorlag (Piechorlag, Pechorlag).
- My father became sick and spent time in hospital, very similar to what Mietek describes.
- After my father recovered, he refused to work,. He was lucky that he had held on just long enough to avoid the consequences Mietek describes. Hitler attacked Soviet forces occupying eastern Poland in the nick of time, and my father got "amnesty".
- My father told an identical story about the Finns mining the ice to sink Soviet troops, and although it is possible that he heard the account indirectly it is also possible that he heard it from the same Russian veteran that Mietek describes, considering where they were imprisoned. This was particularly poignant to read.
- My uncle was released on Sept. 11, 1941 (his certificate is at http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=12392) and I thought that my father was released at the same time. However, your information about Mietek and Edward being released at different times and becoming separated has caused me to set aside that assumption. This is very valuable information.
- My father described being investigated for stealing a sheep along the route from Pieczorlag to the southern Soviet Union, and narrowly escaped by hiding the evidence. Mietek's description of the consequences of stealing food has given me greater understanding of the danger my father had faced, balancing horrendous hunger against the possibility of being sent back to the gulag and virtually certain death.
- The accounts of voyages from the northern gulags to the southern Polish military recruitment camps fill in many gaps for me, since I cannot recall my father speaking very much of this segment of his journey.
- My father and uncle were on the first transports to Persia, in late March-early April 1942, so may even have been on the same ship as Edward or you. It was not clear to me if Mietek got out at the same time or in August, so I will have to read your site again more carefully.
- My uncle stayed with Anders, but my father was transferred to the 1st Polish Armoured Division in Scotland, much like Edward. My father passed through Persia, Iraq, Palestine and South Africa (hence the album mentioned above) on his way to Scotland. However, I do not know what ship or route he took from Africa. All I know is that he arrived Aug. 28, 1942. Descriptions of similar trips on your site give valuable clues.
- Thanks to you and Bill Willcock (Your Email no.085), I have a much better idea of my father's and uncle's trips from Persia to Palestine.

By the way, my father was an ammunition truck driver in the 1st Polish Armoured Division, 10 Komp.Zaop. Among his officers was Supply and materials officer ppor Rymaszewski Józef. I could not find this 1PAD connection to Józef on your site using the Search function, but I wonder if he was a relative you may have known. Certainly, my father knew him - and it is even possible that they had conversations about other Rymaszewski family members my father may have met in the Pieczora-Workuta region gulags or en route to Persia.

I apologize for the length of this email, but you can see that your site has been a profound source of information that relates directly to my father's and uncle's own experiences. You probably cannot respond, but please do not let that trouble you. I understand that it may be a long time before you even read this - or that you can make it all the way to the end of such a long missive.
Your forever grateful fan,
John Halucha
Sault Ste Marie, Canada

27 January 2011
What a wonderful work! You have truly done an exceptional job. My father Ludwik F. Ziemski was a Captain in the Polish Army 2nd corps, 3rd Carpathian Division. He fought at Monte Cassino to survive and emigrate via England (after the DP camp in Italy) to England. He finally settled in Cambridge(Galt), Ontario, Canada. His brother, my uncle, Gabriel Ziemski also followed your path through Palestine as well. As a matter of fact there is a picture which I believe shows him. If I’m correct that is my uncle Gabriel Ziemski on the far left is standing beside you! Is that possible?

Chris Ziemski, 205 Main St. Cambridge, Ontario, Canada,
N1R 1X1
tel. + 519-621-6263

My Reply:
I am sorry to disappoint you, but he is not your uncle. His name is Jan Zator, a son of a Polish veteran who settled in Eastern Poland (Vilnius area), and later was deported by the Soviets to Siberia

On the photo taken in Iraq in October 1942 are, from left :

Jan Zator, Franek Rymaszewski, ? Lesniak, Jozef Zemojc, Wladyslaw Jurkiewicz, Piotr Romanowski, Stefan Sztyk. Sitting down, from left: Sianislaw Krolik, Jerzy Kozicki, Edward Czaczkowski.

17 December 2010

Dear Franek,

I have just discovered your site.
My dad made the same journey arriving in Scotland in October 1942.
I have often searched for info re his journey, this has enlightened me so much.

My dad was L/cpl Aleksander Stelmaszuk of the 24th Lancers, and then the 4th Regiment of the 10th Dragoons in the 1st Polish Armoured Division.

My dad is 1st on the left on the photo, after arriving in Scotland.

Stephen Stelmaszuk

14 December 2010
Szanowny Panie Rymaszewski,
Pana strona jest ogromna baza informacji. Bardzo ciekawie opisana, nie moge sie od niej oderwac.
Niestety w szkole nie uczono nas prawdziwej histori Polski.
Dziekuje
I serdecznie pozdrawiam, Renata Michalska

My translation from Polish:
Dear Mr Rymaszewski,
Your website presents a large amount of information. It is described very interestingly that I can't tear myself away from it.
Unfortunately, at school we were not taught the true history of Poland.
Thank you
And my best regards, Renata Michalska

10 November 2010
Dear Mr Rymaszewski, I have just returned from Poland where for the first time I was in contact by lucky chance with Maciej Saryusz-Romiszewski in Kraków (ref: Email No. 001 on your site). He suggested I contact you although I am not sure that we are related directly.

My maternal grandmother Maria Romiszewska from Warsaw married Gleb Lebedew and my father Jerzy was born in Minsk. My father's uncle Stefan Romiszewski became his legal guardian and he was raised in Warsaw.

We have lived in Melbourne since 1951 and am now on my own quest to learn about my family. I live in South Yarra and my telephone is 03 - 9820 1753 if you feel up to calling me. Your extraordinary website should be nominated for a World Heritage listing.

My best wishes to you and your family.
Janina Lebedew

5 November 2010
Hello, Mr. Franek!
I was searching for information on the Second World War. Accidentally found your site. It was very interesting to read the story of your
family. For many Poles, 20 century was very tragic. Our family Lukashevsky fled from the First World War into Russia. We are scattered all over Siberia. Many survived, but lost contact with each other.
Now, with the advent of social networking, trying to find the roots of our surname, already have friends namesakes, but we are separated by different countries. I wanted to ask you how you can learn about the names Lukashevsky in Poland and around the world? Is there such sites? I would be grateful for any information.
Artem Lukashevskij

My Reply:
9 November 2010
Hello Artem!
With regard to Lukashevsky name in Poland. If you change address of www.google.ru into their Polish site www.google.pl , and search for your surname spelled in Polish : Lukaszewski, you get many sites where this name is mentioned. However, I did not find any genealogical sites giving the origin of name and roots. There is a site www.moikrewni.pl , based on population statistics which gives information and a little location map, showing that there are 4384 persons named Lukaszewski and 4655 persons named Lukaszewska in Poland. Total 9039 Lukaszewskis. They are located in the centre of northern Poland. I also found, that in that area, there is a village called Lukaszewo (near Torun and Wloclawek). That's all.
To search America, Canada, etc. it is best to use address www.google.com , and search separtely for either Polish spelling: Lukaszewski, or Lukashevski, or ex-Russian Lukashevsky. There are also some, so called genealogical sites, which only search Death, Birth, Marriage Indexes, Ship Passenger lists, etc, asking payment for the service. They are only useful if you are searching for one particular person. There are no sites that would give you particulars of all Lukaszewskis. The families on my web site are those people who contacted me like you did, and send me details and photos. It took me 10 years to collect the material I have on my site. Wishing you success in your research, and my best regards.
Franek Rymaszewski

17 October 2010
Hello Pan Franek,
I hope my email finds you in good health.

I am emailing you to thank you for creating your website. Because of all your hard work I have been able to look at maps and history of Poland prior to WWII all in the one place instead of trying to scratch around and get a good picture from many different sites. Both of my adoptive parents were born in the Wilenskie (Vilno) region of Poland and it has been lovely to look at all the information you have posted on your site.

My father was born in 1921 and sadly passed away in 2006, however my mother born in 1924 is still reasonalby independent although suffers with some vascular problems. My father was captured and deported by the Russians during the war but finally ended up in Germany on a work camp where he met my mother who was taken from Poland straight to Germany. They both came to Perth Western Australia in 1949 on the Anna Salen, although they were supposed to go to Sydney or Melbourne, a strike detained them in the West and here they stayed. The only members of their families to live in Australia also.

I am acquainted with a man named Kazik and we met at the local dog park. He also experienced WWII, only he was 6 at the time and his brother and sister younger than him deported to Russia. He asked me today whether I thought any books had been written about his experiences and as he is not computer literate, I offered to search online for him. One thing led to another and I found your fantastic website. I think I will have to invite Kazik over for a few computer lessons or at least a browse around your site.

Congratulations and well done. Good luck and good health.

Regards
Veronica Treen
Perth WA

5 October 2010
Dear Mr Rymaszewski

I am currently reading the book 'Finding Poland - From Tavistock to Hruzdowa and Back Again' by the academic Matthew Kelly, which essentially recounts his Polish grandmother's experiences of deportation to Kazakhstan in 1940. The subject is of interest to me as my late father, Leszek Czeszejko-Sochacki and his family were also 'freely resettled' to the same part of the Soviet Union (bar my grandfather, Tadeusz, who was murdered by the Soviets at Katyn (Starobielsk)).

Dr Kelly's book has much to commend it, but one criticism I would make is that it lacks maps. As such, I have resorted to The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World to follow the path taken by his grandmother, and probably mirrored until arrival in Pahlevi by my father, his sister, Zofia, and brother Cieszek. Even with a magnifying glass I could not spot a port by the name of Pahlevi although I suspected that this may have changed subsequently if linked to the then Shah. So I Googled the word Pahlevi and after examining a number of interesting websites - none of which however informed me of any modification to the name - I alighted upon that created by yourself and covering not only your experiences in the camps of the Soviet Union but more broadly the history of the Rymaszewski family. At your site I found the answer to my immediate question i.e., today's name is Resht. Not only is the account of your journey fascinating, but so too are the photographs, map of the exit route from the Soviet Union, and the assorted other material. I look forward to further exploring the information.

Please do not worry about responding to this e-mail but do accept my congratulations on creating such an interesting on-line repository of information.

Richard Czeszejko-Sochacki
Flat 4
11 Avenue Crescent, London, W3 8ET, United Kingdom

Tel: 020 8248 7253 - From overseas: +44 20 8248 7253
Mob: 0753 010 0053 - From overseas: +44 0753 010 0053

26 September 2010
Dear Friends,
Please see below an invitation from Sophia Turkiewicz, Australian film Director, about a fundraising event for her documentary film 'Remember Me'. The fundraiser will be held at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation Sydney on Tuesday 12th October, 5.45-8pm. If you know of people who may be interested in supporting the film, please pass this information on.

If you’d like to know more about 'Remember Me' please call or email Sophia at the contacts below. And if you’re interested in viewing the trailer on the web, the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCwYWQQS_hQMany

Many thanks.
Louise Blazejowska, Sydney, Australia

 

27 August 2010 
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
My name is Gianluca Vernole, I write from a village near Casamassima Bari in Apulia, Italy.

My country holds the oldest military cemetery of the 2nd Polish Corps and during the war was home to the 5th Polish General Hospital, the largest in southern Italy where the wounded of the battle came adi Monte Cassino.

Puglia was the area in the rear of the 2nd Corps, general Anders chose my region to rebuild the Polish leadership exterminated by Soviet, bases were installed in many areas and Polish schools, I make a quick list:

Mottola - S. Basil: Headquarters, 390 ° Communications Company, Polish military recovery center enrolled in the German army
Casamassima: 5th Polish general hospital
Palagiano: 3rd Polish general hospital
Palagianello: 316 ° airline transport
Noci: sanatorium
Taranto: Base for landing troops and sanatorium
Bari: Base Polish platoon auxiliary liaison, drafting Polish newspapers
Trani: female college, hospital and refugee camp
Barletta camp
Lucera: radio station auxiliary
Fasano: Cichociemny Base
Ostuni: Cichociemny Base
Latiano: Command Cichociemny Base
Mesagne: Command Center radio communications with insurgents in Warsaw
Brindisi: 301 Base Squadron Polish aid to the insurgents who launched the Warsaw Casarano: Polish Military School
Maglie: Command Battalion rail
Alessano: Polish Military School
Matino: Polish Military School
Lecce: School of Agriculture
Castro Marina: Base 13 Artillery Regiment
San Pietro Vernotico: Polish Base
Grottaglie: Secondary airport for 301 Polish Squadron
Galatone: Polish armored unit base
Gallipoli: Polish armored unit base
Galatina: Polish command south Puglia
The large presence of bases in Poland did so within the 2nd Corps , Puglia was called "Little Poland".

In these years of research, long and tiring, I could collect many documents and testimonies of veterans and civilians who often fraternized with the soldiers.

I ask your help in disseminating my appeal to all family members of those soldiers who served in Puglia to rebuild a page of common history that has been long forgotten.

My research allowed me to organize an exhibition entitled "Puglia Poles from 1944 to 1946 ... a story in black and white" who found the consent of the Polish government in Italy.
Thanks for all you can do,
Yours sincerely Gianluca Vernole, Casamassima, Italy

My Reply:
Dear Gianluca,
I have published your appeal on my website as Email no.149, hoping it will be read by members of families of the former veterans of the 2nd Polish Corps in wartime Italy, or the veterans themselves, who may be able to provide some relevant information and documents. However, may I suggest that you contact the Archives of the Polish Forces in the West located in London. Their address is:
Polish Institute and gen. Sikorski Museum
20, Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT, England
Tel. + 01-589 9249

Best wishes in your research
Franek Rymaszewski

 26 August 2010

I have just found your very interesting website. My late father, Edward Josef NIKIEL, was the sole survivor of his family from Zdolbunow, Poland. At 18 years of age he was also sent to Vorkuta Gulag by the NKVD. I wonder if your paths ever crossed, or you knew each other. Like you and thousands of others he joined Anders forces, after a harrowing trek out of the USSR. Like you, he also travelled via South Africa to Kirkaldy in Scotland. He later joined the Polish navy and served until 1948. He married my British mother and stayed in England until 1968, after which the family emigrated to South Africa.

Incidentally, I could not believe my eyes when I saw the photo of "The Spotty Dog" in Cape Town. I live in Fish Hoek and see this landmark on Main Road, Retreat, almost on a daily basis. Yes, it is still there!! I was not aware of its age or history - a type of Road House, who would have guessed!!

I still live in hopes that I may one day find information on my father's family & be able to trace my NIKIEL / GIERCYK ancestry.

Kind Regards
Karen Geffroy (née Nikiel)
Cape Town, South Africa

 20 August 2010

What a wonderful website!
My mother was a survivor of a Siberian labor camp also in Kyrgyzstan, her parents and brother perished there.
She joined up with the Polish army too and ended up near Cairo where she met my father.
They were married before the end of the war there.
They were in the 320 Transportation Corps.
Their names were Leon Czarnecki and Genowefa Skawinska.
God Bless,

Andy Czarnecki
Production Manager, Audio Visual Solutions
F R E E M A N - 3325 W. Sunset Rd. Suite A | Las Vegas, NV 89118
Ph 702-352-1429 | C 702-491-8880
http://www.freemanco.com
andrew.czarnecki@freemanco.com

1 August 2010

Dzien Dobry Franek,
How wonderful to come across your website and the amazing archive that it contains.
My father Henryk Bajko was in Waszawa when Poland was invaded.
He escaped through the south and joined the Polish Army Corps in Syria.
He went through North Africa then to Italy being wounded at Monte Cassino.
He ended up in Wellington, New Zealand, playing an active part in the city's Polish Community.
He died when I was fourteen so I never got to find out much of his past.
Never the less I do have three albums of photos from his WWII experiences (very much like yours).
I have put the first one on the web and am in the process of working on the others.

If you care to take a look it's at,
http://henryk.bajko.net/

I hope you enjoy it if you do.
Many thanks again for your fantastic website.
Kind Regards
Michael Bajko

30 July 2010
Mr. Rymaszewski, thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail. I hope this finds you in good health at this time in your life. I am contacting you because I think my family surname is derived from yours but, I can not connect the two directly. I was told by several older relatives that my Great Grand Father Josef Rymarz immigrated from Poland to the U.S. (New Bedford, MA) in the early 1900's ending up in Pennsylvania. It was told to me that his sons changed the name from Rymarz to Remash. I am wondering, if this branch of my family fell out of your family's tree ? Do you think this is possible ? Thank you again for your time and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Joseph Remash

My Reply:
Hi Joseph,
No, it's not possible, because Rymarz, your real name, has a different origin and meaning. Rymasz, etc. derives from a locality called Ryma and is only 400 years old. But Rymarz is an old, medieval name, frequently occurring, and it was derived from an urban occupation of a "saddler" (similar to origin of Polish name Kowal, or Kowalski meaning "smith"). Your name change was caused by difficulty of pronouncing the ending "rz". It is pronounced in Polish as "zh" in Zhivago, but "sh" was chosen, being easier and close enough. There are about 1300 people named Rymarz in Poland today (pronounced Rymazh), and only 700 of my namesakes.
Wishing you all the best,
Franek Rymaszewski

27 July 2010
Dear Mr Rymaszewski,
Thank you so much for such a detailed and interesting website. My friend found it after searching for some information on Darwin of all things! He forwarded it to me, knowing my Polish background.

My Wujek, Edward Szanc, lived in Nowa Sol, and our family is spread around Nowy Sol, Zielona Gora, Kozuchow and Lublin. He has a similar background in that he fought with the Home Army in WW2, was sent to Siberia after the war, walked home, and luckily found his family. My other Wujek I didn't know, as he was shot by the Gestapo in Warsaw, and my Babcia fought in the Underground in Warsaw.
I have been back many times to Poland, with and without my Babcia, and loved every trip.

Thank you once again, I love the photos and all the traditional aspects of Polish life that you have included.
I wish you and your family good health and happiness.
Kind Regards

Janet Mackintosh

27 July 2010
Hello Pan Rymaszewski,
I hesitated in bothering you because I thought you were old, but now that I see you are only 87-88, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your website.
My mother very recently told me my father's story and it is eerie how close it is to yours.
He was Ryszard Turkiewicz born in 1925.
Unfortunately he didn’t share his life with his family and we found out only later.
It is great that you have shared and have such good recollection.
Thank you

Mark Turkiewicz,
ALHC, Penncorp Life Insurance Company
Assistant Vice President — Claims
Téléphone : 905 795-2300 55223

20 July 2010
Dear Mr Rymaszewski,
Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on such an impressive and informative website, the details and information you have included are priceless. Secondly, I would like to thank you for providing me with the only information I have on my Grandfather, Edmund Szalbierz. He was a Sergeant in your Special Unit and you have posted a photograph of him in your ‘Escape from Stalin’ section, under South Africa. This is the only photograph that my family knows to exist of him. I have searched extensively for any information on him and your website is the only lead that I have, and it has given me details of his life that I could never have dreamed of getting. The only part of his life I knew anything about was that he was living in Polmont, from around 1943, and met and married my dad’s mother there in August 1944. Her name was Mary Ann Cochrane, and she had my dad, also Edmund, in October of the same year. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t last and my dad never met his father and therefore has no details about him at all, where he came from or what happened to him during the war or after. I understand that this was obviously a very long time ago, but wondered if you had any personal memories of Edmund Szalbierz that you could share with me and my family? Your contribution so far has made us all very happy, especially my dad!
I hope this email reaches you in good health and happiness.
Best wishes,
Shiona Cochrane

My Remarks:
All personal details about Sergeant Edmund Szalbierz, that I knew, have been emailed to Shiona and her father.

24 July 2010
Dear Franek,
I just wanted to thank you so much for the lovely reply to my email. You've no idea how much this information means to me and my family, it's amazing to have this knowledge now! My dad especially is very grateful to you and is now looking into getting more information from the Polish Army. Thank you again for taking the time to reply to me, and for doing your website, without which I would have nothing on Edmund at all! Best wishes to you and your family,
Shiona x

8 July 2010

Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
Witam. Thank you for posting your very informative internet site. My father, Czeslaw Trojanowski, was also from Pinsk and his history parellels yours a great deal, although he was older than you when he was arrested in Pinsk and his family was deported to the Soviet Union. He eventually became a Cichociemny and fought in the Warsaw Uprising with the AK, where he met my mother, who was a hero of the Uprising. He and my mother told me very, very little and I am trying to piece together their story, with the help of my family, so that I can publish a book about their experiences. I have been doing a great deal of reading and research, and your site has been very valuable in enlightening me about a great many issues. My best wishes to you. Pozdrawiam. Wanda K. Mohr Ph.D
--
Wanda
http://mohrpa.blogspot.com/

7 July 2010

Dearest Franek:
as your admirer for the last ten years, and a distant relative, I would like to congratulate you/us to the 400th anniversary of Rymaszewskis.

My family past is documented for about 150 years, and hearsay adds about another 50.

I am 85 years old. Born in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) from Polish parents ..............
(To avoid repetition Eugene's family background has been inserted in Chapter 14 (USA)

......... In 2005 I retired again, at the age of 80. I underwent TWO quintuple cardiac by-pass operations, 32 and 22 years ago. For a while now, I have been assembling my biography with lots of pictures. With your permission, I share some with you monumental data base.

Wishing you many more years of health and productive work, I remain your deep admirer and distant relative,

Eugene John Paul Rymaszewski (Gene)

 6 July 2010

Dear Franek!

Congratulations on the 400 th anniversary of our family!
I wish you happiness, health and long life!
Thank you for your contribution to the history of the family.

Sincerely,
Alexey Rimashevsky
Chelyabinsk, Russia
06.07.2010

My Remarks:
Alexey's family history and photos are included on my website in Chapter 14 (Russia)

15 June 2010
Pan Rymaszewski,
Whilst I would love to find out more about my family history, that is not the reason I am writing to you.
My purpose is to congratulate you on a wonderful website you have created. I am sure your family is fully aware of the priceless and magnificent gift you have given to them.
My heartfelt thanks for letting us access your story.
Kind regards,
Czes

13 June 2010
I just want to thank you and the Polish people for being an inspiration to freedom loving people around the world. I am not Polish but the story of you and your people touches my heart. Thank you for the wonderful website.

19 April 2010
I just found your website today and was interested in your history of WWII. My Grandfather (Jan Rozek) was part of General Anders Army. He died in 1983 when I was 3 so I never got to learn his history. All we know is what my father knows. When I read your experience, I could only imagine what my Grandfather went through. Your children, Grandchildren, and your Great Great Grandchildren are lucky to have this website you made for them. Your stories will not be forgotten by them.

After April 10 (the crash of the Polish President), I became very interested to learn of my Grandfather since I know he spent sometime as a POW in Russia.

As for Anna from Houston who is looking for info for Polish Easter, I think she may like to know that there is a Polish Church in Houston. Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 1731 Blalok Drive, Houston, TX 77080-7327. I grew up going to church here. On May 1 & 2 there will be a Polish festival there.

Thank you for your website. My husband and I have enjoyed learning history of our beautiful Polska. I am very happy you were able to see your home country become free from communism.

Monica Gruszka

NOT USED

6 April 2010

Polish - American easter eggs "pisanki"

Panie Franciszku,
Nazywam sie Anna Werner, urodzilam sie w 1974 roku w Warszawie i aktualnie mieszkam w USA, w Houston w stanie Teksas. Szukajac informacji o koszyczkach wielkanocnych trafilam na panska strone i wciagnela mnie ona calkowicie.
Poniewaz urodzilam sie i wychowalam w Polsce i bardzo jestem silnie zwiazana z kultura mojego ojczystego kraju myslalam jak przekazac mojemu jeszcze malemu bo 2 letniemu dziecku rodzinne historie, kulture, tradycje, jezyk polski. Historia mojej rodziny jest rowniez zagmatwana (jak pewnie kazdej rodziny polskiej). Mam jednak swiadomosc, ze to kim jestem nierozerwalnie jest zwiazane z losami moich przodkow z miejscem, w ktorym sie wychowalam, z Polska.
Pana strona jest kompentium wiedzy o wspolczesnej historii Polski, losach polskiej rodziny w te historie chcac nie chcac uwiklanej. Przegladajac ja bylam wzruszona. Bardzo dziekuje, ze zachcial sie Pan podzielic swoimi osobistymi losami i ze opisal Pan polskie tradycje. Serdecznie pozdrawiam, zycze duzo zdrowia i radosci z wnukow.
Ania
PS. Wysylam zdjecie pisanek przeze mnie zrobionych w tym roku na
Wielkanoc.

My translation from Polish:
Mr Franek,
My name is Anna Werner, I was born in 1974 in Warsaw and currently live in the USA, in Houston, Texas. Searching for information about Easter baskets I came across your website and it totally absorbed me.
Because I was born and grew up in Poland and I am very strongly affiliated with the culture of my native country I was thinking how I could pass to my still little, 2 year old child the family histories, culture, traditions, Polish language. The history of my family is also complicated (as probably of every Polish family). But I know that who I am is closely connected with the fate of my ancestors, with the place where I was raised, with Poland.
Your website is a compendium of knowledge of contemporary Polish history, the fate of Polish families in these stories willy-nilly entangled. Trying to read it I was moved. I thank you that you were willing to share your personal experiences and that you described the Polish traditions. Best wishes, I wish you much health and joy of grandchildren.
Ania
PS. I am attaching a photo of easter eggs decorated by myself this year for Easter.

Alex in Krakow, visiting Poland	Frank Szuta at the war memorial

5 April 2010
Dear Pan Rymaszewski,
My name is Alexandra and I am Wieslaw's wife. When my husband showed me your website, I knew I recognised your surname - your brother, Edward worked with my father, Franciszek Szuta, at Sphinx Jewellery Ltd in Hammersmith, London and I used to go there sometimes when I was younger. My parents were here today for our Easter Sunday breakfast and had a look at the website too. My father remembers when Edward went to the Lachowicze area to find the house where you lived (in Pinsk), and the new owners were worried that they would lose their home, but when they realised that Edward just wanted to see the house, they were so hospitable and insisted that he stay the night.

My father was born in 1920 and was in the Samodzielna Brygada Strzelcow Karpackich and was also at Witley Camp. I have been to many events with my father and have attached some photographs. I will have to send a few emails with photograph attachments, as I am only able to send 5 at a time. These first ones are from October 2007, laying wreaths at the Australian War memorial in London. The Polish veterans from Tobruk and Monte Cassino met up with the Australian "Desert Rats" and then went to Australia House for refreshments. I had just retired from teaching, so luckily I was able to go too. (My father is the one standing on his own in front of the memorial). Serdeczne pozdrowienia od ojca i od nas -
Alex Rogalska

My Remarks:
Alexandra's husband Wieslaw Rogalski exchanged emails with me before, and he wrote "You may be interested in my brother's and my website
http://www.tweedsmuirmilitarycamp.co.uk/Index.html
http://www.tweedsmuirmilitarycamp.co.uk/LivngInTweeds.html - is the part about us ".

26 March 2010
Hello!
I was fascinated by your web site. I’m trying to put together a presentation based on my father’s just published World War 2 memoir (2nd edition) and was trying to find some 1940 photos of Pinsk when I stumbled across it. Stefan Waydenfeld, my father, along with his parents, originally from Otwock (not far from Warsaw) were refugees in Pinsk in June 1940 and like so many others were arrested and shipped off to a labor camp in “Siberia.” He tells his story of deportation, life in the labor camp, and the family’s travels and adventures following the “amnesty” and their search for the Polish Army centers. He ended up in England after the war and stayed. His book, The Ice Road, tells his story. See http://www.theiceroadstory.com

With best regards,
Alice Faintich

My Reply:
Dear Alice,
Many thanks you for your email. It was exciting to discover that your father wrote his memoirs in a book "The Ice Road", which I'll try to get, if I can, and read it. You see, I knew your father !   I met him when he arrived in Pinsk from Otwock as a refugee from German attack soon after the outbreak of war in September 1939. Unfortunately soon after, on 17 September 1939 Pinsk was occupied by the Soviet aggressor. When in October 1939 the schools in Pinsk were opened again, young Stefek Waydenfeld joined my class of Polish State College (Gimnazjum) in Pinsk. He was friendly and intelligent boy and we soon became friends. But seven months later, in April 1940, we parted when I was deported from Pinsk to Siberia (Northern Kazakhstan) in the second Soviet mass deportation.

Surprisingly, I have also met Stefan's father, Dr. Waydenfeld, in Iraq early October 1942. Like myself, he was in the Polish Second Corps in Quizil Ribat camp (next to Khanaquin) in North Iraq. He was the Chief Polish Army Medical Officer in the rank of Captain. He examined me in a medical tent when I was suffering from pleurisy (pleuritis) in my lungs as a result of Siberian experiences. Dr. Waydenfeld told me that they too, were deported from Pinsk in the third mass deportation in June 1940, taken to a labour camp in arctic Russia somewhere near Murmansk. They survived and escaped with the Anders Army. He told me that Stefan was at that time in a Polish refugee camp in Eastern Africa.

Best Regards
Franek Rymaszewski

22 March 2010
 Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
Without intending to, I have spent the past three hours rummaging through the various pages and links on your comprehensive website. I was particularly interested in an email from Desmond Brennan which mentions: " Since 1988, I have been to Poland many times, even studying and working in Krakow for a time in the 1990s. I have visited Dworzec (now Dvarec, Belarus) and Felsztyn (now Skelivka, Ukraine).

It is only a year and a few months ago and being able make use of the facility which the www offers, that I began to learn of and finally make sense of my own father’s badly shattered life. I had emailed the Polish Red Cross with an enquiry which they passed to their London colleagues. I was contacted and when it became clear that I knew nothing of his previous life, realised that searching for any relatives was a hopeless task. It was suggested that if I could locate my parents marriage records then that would give a place and date of birth. The current priest at the church they married in was able to send me these details and a confirmation of his baptism which gave his parent’s names, something I hadn’t known before (see attached image Debin.jpg) and the fact that he was born in Dworzec.

Our life with him was miserable because he was suffering from mental illness and was violent and unpredictable. About 1973, we ran away from him and a couple of years later, he disappeared. My mother didn’t want to learn about him and I was unable to apply for his military records without her permission.

Some time after she died, I was reading about displaced persons camps for Polish people stranded here in the UK after the war and was horrified to read of the appalling circumstances surrounding their experiences and arrival here in the UK. Many of the people’s stories reflected the same places that he had mentioned: Siberia, Persia (Iran), Palestine, Egypt.... although he had never explained it in a way that we as young children could understand. I read more and finally got a much clearer picture of what history lessons here in England had failed to show and I finally understood what he must have gone through and why he hated everything about Britain and felt bitter betrayal.

Ryszard Debinski in England, about 1947

I applied for his military records and they summarised his military service thus:

• The 3 Mounted Rifle Regiment in the 1939 September campaign in Poland, 1.IX.1939 – 17.IX.1939.
• Deported and held in the former Soviet Union in 1940 (exact date(s) and place(s) of his deportation within the former Soviet Union not recorded).
• On the basis of the Sikorski-Maisky agreement of 30th July 1941 released from there to join Polish Armed Forces which were being organised in 1941 – 1942 on the former Soviet territory. Enlisted in the Polish Army on 16.II.1942 and was posted to 7 Infantry Division. Together with the Polish Army units, crossed the Soviet-Iranian border, was evacuated to Iran, thereby came under the British command with effect from 1.IV.1942. Via Iraq was transferred to Palestine, arrived on 2.V.1942. On the reorganisation of the Polish Army in the Middle East was transferred to 2 Rifle Battalion, 3 Carpathian Infantry Division, 2 Polish Corps. 8 British Army on 24.V.1942. Transferred to 23 Infantry Battalion, 2 Polish Corps Troops Base, 8 British Army on 21.X.1944 and to 8 Rifle Battalion, 3 Carpathian Infantry Division, 2 Polish Corps, 8 British Army on 27.XI.1944.
• Served in the Middle East – Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt – 1942-43 and in Italy – 1943-45, when together with 2 Polish Corps was transferred to the UK – exact date of arrival not recorded.
• There is a small detail in the papers from the Records office, once again completely unknown to me:
  Name Debinski R. ATTESTATION OF
  There is a section after various bits of stuff: Name, Address and Relationships of Next-of Kin. Hand-written is (as far as I can tell): Wojek – Pulawski Julian 316 Komp. (could be Korp) Transp Rednel (Rednal?) Airfield near Oswestry, Shropshire
• The MOD (British Ministry of Defence) records Polish section were able to tell me that in 2002, his Polish wife Teodora – nee Horbaczewska - had made an enquiry about him via the Red Cross. The news that he had married in Poland was not a surprise but he had never revealed anything detailed about his past and I was devastated that somebody had been looking for him after all this time. They also told me that he had died in 1980 in a mental institution – very sad. It later transpired that Teodora was the source of this information so her Red Cross enquiry must have turned this up, I guess.

There is a period of approximately 5 years before he met my mother in about 1952, that is a complete mystery. Interestingly, unlike any other Polish soldier that I have met since, he never had any involvement with any of the Polish communities that were usually within travelling distance of wherever we lived. Maybe that was due to his poor state of mind.

A chance correspondence on the internet led me to a website called "Index of the Repressed" - This is what I have been able to find out from http://www.indeks.karta.org.pl : The following were deported from Bialystok Oblast to Arkhangelsk Oblast in 1940. They arrived 28.02.1940 to Malyje Izby.
- Debinski Ryszard, father's name Bronislaw, date of birth 1912,
- Debinska Czeslawa, father's name Ryszard, date of birth 1938, died 12.11.1940,
- Debinska Emilia, father's name Konstanty, date of birth 1877,
- Debinska Filomena, father's name Bronislaw, date of birth 1902,
- Debinska Teodora, father's name Jan, date of birth 1920,
- Debinski Jaroslaw, father's name Bronislaw, date of birth 1921, died 05.02.1941

I have read so many sad stories and I just wish we had been able to know all this and help him instead of our young lives being lived in fear and our adulthood in continued ignorance – until recently, that is. Thanks to the informative efforts of people like you, I have been able to unreservedly forgive him although he isn’t here to know it; I haven’t been able to find the same forgiveness for the people who were responsible for the whole, terrible tragedy of that period.

Thank you once again and I hope this finds you in good health
Celina Fagg nee Debinska

21 March 2010
Dear Pan Rymaszewski
I am a descendant of Polish/Ukrainian immigrant parents. I am researching the World Wide Web on Polish Armed Forces, DP Camps, etc. I have researched many sites, like yours, that have helped me to put together pieces of the puzzle - fragmented bits of information my mother provided me with long ago but not in any great detail. I am most interested in finding out who I am and where I came and sites like yours is of great importance to me and all future generations of WWII veterans.

I commend you for devoting your spare time to write about your life experience during WWII. You site helps to educate the next generation of the war veterans (that would be me), and generations after, on the Polish Armed Forces. What a remarkable story. From reading your story, I better understand what my parents went through during the Great War. I just recently learned that my father was in the Polish 2nd Corps and fought, under British command, at The Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy. So, needless to say, I’ve been researching like crazy!

I really enjoyed reading your site and the photos and songs. Yes, may you live 100 years! Sto Lat!
Best regards and warm wishes,

Donna Zacharczuk
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA

 2 March 2010

Polish Officers Stationed in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, WW2
I am enclosing a photo of my parents with a Polish Officer they billeted during WW2 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. According to my parents this Officer, who they were very fond of, returned to Poland after the war but disappeared into Russian hands. I do not know his name, but you never know, it might just be someone who may be recognised by one of your readers,
Best Wishes,
Alex Morrison.

My Remarks:
Please contact Alex or myself if you recognise this Polish officer.
Czy ktos rozpoznaje tego Polskiego oficera, ktory stacjonowal w Szkocji w Kirkcaldy podczas wojny i kwaterowal u Szkotow?

28 February 2010 
Dear Mr Rymaszewski

What an interesting website you have. I am an old radio-man and enjoy preserving radios used during WW2. I have managed to acquire an AP5, which I am very fond of. I have B2 and Norwegian " homemade" OLGA.
Do you know if it is possible to find an AP1 ?

Many thanks for you time
Ragnar Otterstad
Lunde i Telemark, NORWAY

My Reply:
Dear Mr Otterstad
I regret to say I have no idea. My picture of AP1 comes from the website of some Polish museum which I cannot find again. AP1 was an early model produced in 1941 by the workshop of the Polish Army in London for use of Polish soldiers dropped from England into occupied Poland to join the underground Homeland Army (Armia Krajowa). If any of these conspiratorial transmitters are still around they will be in Poland. Perhaps you should try to contact existing branches (and their museums) of Polish "Armia Krajowa" in Poland.
Yours sincerely
Franek Rymaszewski

Sue Ryder in 1959	Baroness Ryder of Warsaw, CMG, OBE, who died in October 2000

27 February 2010
Hello Mr Rymaszewski!
I stumbled upon your website whilst trying to research a family history of one of Sue Ryder’s patients back in the 60’s. I was very interested to red that you played crucial part in the war in London with the MI6.

Sue Ryder in her book Child of my Love recalls her time in London FANY and Special Operations and had great affection for the Polish young men that she met before they went out on raids etc.

I am curious about your time there and wondered if you ever met Sue Ryder or if you can point me to anyone who will remember her during that time or indeed, during her relief work in Poland and Europe after the war? I am very grateful for any snippet you may help me with.

Best wishes
Els

Els Tompkins, Legacy and History Team
Sue Ryder Care, York House, Back Lane
Aughton, York, YO42 4PG, East Yorkshire
direct line 01757 288668, mobile 07810 856863
http://www.suerydercare.org

My Reply:
Dear Els,
Unfortunately I have not met Sue Ryder in London or knew anybody else who might have. All our operations connected to MI6 (Special Operations - Polish section) were done in great secrecy. Personnel of various sections and their activities were conducted in different locations for security. Even if I have seen Sue Ryder anywhere I would have not known who she was. Perhaps you would like to contact the gen. Sikorski Polish Institute and Museum, 20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT. Tel. 01-589 9249 which keeps archival records of the Polish Forces in the West. Your email has been posted for information of others who might be interested and would help. Good luck and Best wishes.
Franek Rymaszewski

25 February 2010
Szanowny Pan Rymaszewski,

I have just read through part of your excellent website. Well done! I am very impressed with what you have done. I've forwarded the link to my mother, who was born in a Siberian labour camp in 1941. Her parents, siblings and most of the rest of her family were taken from south-eastern Poland by the NKVD in 1940.

Dziadzio (Stanislaw Pola) and Babcia (Waleria Pola nee Bielak, originally of Dworzec village, between Nowogrodek and Slonim) had been teachers in the Nowogrodek district in the 1930s. Dziadzio, a reservist officer, was drafted into the Polish Army and took part in the September 1939 campaign fighting the German invaders. He was captured, escaped and made it back to his family behind Soviet lines. With life for Poles so dangerous then in those lands, he took Babcia, my aunt and uncle to the family farm where he grew up in Felsztyn, near Sambor, believing they would be safer there from Soviet actions. It was from Felsztyn that most of the family was rounded up by Soviet goons and deported in February 1940. Babcia, who had been out of the house when the Soviets came and missed the dragnet, arrived home to find all her family gone. A neighbour said they had been taken by the Soviets. Babcia went to the NKVD and demanded to be transported to Siberia to the same place her family had been sent. The Soviets sent her to a labour camp in northern Russia instead, and it took her a long time to track down Dziadzio and the children and make her way to the labour camp they had been sent to near Yurga in Omsk oblast.

After Barbarossa and the Soviet "amnesty" for Poles, Dziadzio joined Anders Army and was able to bring Babcia and the now three children out of the USSR on transports via Tashkent to Iran. From there Babcia and the children were sent to refugee camps in India, while Dziadzio went to Iraq and later fought in Italy. In 1947, Babcia and the children were shipped to Britain, where Dziadzio had also been sent. Babcia and Dziadzio lived the rest of their lives in Britain and Ireland. Neither ever saw Poland again. Both are buried in the town in Ireland where I grew up, and where my parents still live.

Since 1988, I have been to Poland many times, even studying and working in Krakow for a time in the 1990s. I have visited Dworzec (now Dvarec, Belarus) and Felsztyn (now Skelivka, Ukraine).

Anyway, congratulations again on your work.
Warm regards,
Desmond Brennan

21 February 2010

Dear Franek Rymaszewski,
My name is Kenneth Rybarczyk and I am an active committee member of the Sikorski Polish Club in Glasgow, Scotland. Today, I printed out sections 5 (Pinsk under communist Tyranny) and 6 (My escape from Stalin) from your website to show my 88 year old father, Julian, who lives some distance away and does not have any internet access. He too experienced the Soviet deportations from eastern Poland and spent 2 years in a communal farm in Kazakhstan. He was completely engrossed in your story for the whole day, pausing from time to time to read out passages of particular interest which had evoked some memory or which he could add some further information to.

My sincere thanks and congratulations to you for posting your story and sharing it with others.

My father has recently completed writing about his own experiences in Siberia and his time in the Polish Army. It is available to read at http://www.rybarczyk.co.cc and you may find it of some interest.

I actually came across your website while I was typing out his story. I was looking for some suitable images to help with illustrations and I must confess to using one or two from your site. I had assumed you had found them elsewhere and I very much hope you don't mind their inclusion in my father's story. He tells me that your image of Korsakovka was the typical layout of a communal farm in Kazakhstan and could just as easily have been of Kus-kuduk where he was. He has no photographs at all from Siberia so I was really struggling to find anything even on the internet.

I am currently planning an event in our Sikorski Polish Club to mark the 70th anniversary of the mass Soviet deportations from eastern Poland. Our speaker will be Martin Stepek who has done much research of his own family's history. We have applied for the Siberian Cross Award (ZESLANCOM / SYBIRU) which has relatively recently been made available by the Polish government, for 5 of our members which will include both Martin's father and my own father. The award will be presented at our event by the Polish Consul General (Edinburgh) and we hope to have some media coverage which will help to remind us all of this tragic and often overlooked part of Polish history.

Thank you again for posting your story.
Kindest regards,
Kenneth Rybarczyk
(The Sikorski Polish Club, Glasgow)

24 September 2010

Dear Franek,
The Sikorski Polish Club (Glasgow, Scotland) has in it's possession, a number of ink sketches drawn shortly after the war by a survivor of the Siberian deportations. I thought they may be of interest to you and you can view them here..
http://www.sikorskipolishclub.org.uk/Siberian_sketches/mywebalbum/index.html

The originals will be on display at our event next month to mark the 70th anniversary of the deportations.

I also attach a copy of a book written by the late Wladyslaw Bednarek (translated from Polish to English and still in uncorrected form) who was chairman of our club for many years and held in very high regard by Scotland's Polish community. I hope you find it of interest.

Kind regards,
Kenneth

2 February 2010

Dear Pan Rymaszewski,
My name is Halina Procyk. I have just stumbled across your website which is absolutely marvellous. I am 22 and I am a postgraduate history student at Royal Holloway, University of London in the UK. I'm using this year to trace my own family history which is very very similar to your own. My paternal grandfather Tadeusz Procyk, his wife, Kazimiera, and his son, Leszek, were released from the USSR and travelled across Iran, Iraq, Syria and reached Palestine as part of Anders Army. In 1948 they moved to London. Most of this information comes from my dad. There is so little written about people's individual experiences during these times; a lot is military history accounts. Sadly they died before I got the opportunity to speak to them about it which sadens me greatly. Your account, however, gives me a greater insight of what occurred.

I'm using this year to look at the life of Polish deportees from the Soviet Union through photographs. It's more personal than military history accounts. I have some of my own through my own family. Some of them are amazing. Unfortunately, I do not have enough for a thorough project. If possible, I would like to use your account of your experiences as first hand material in my project. If it is not too much of an intrusion, I wonder if you would allow me to use your photographs to highlight different aspects of this experience from military training to religious activities. You have fantastic photos of the boat journey to Pahlevi port and of the Women's Auxilliary Sevice. Everything I use will be creditting you and your website and this is not for publication, just internal marking.

I understand if you don't want this, I just thought I would ask because I have trawled across the internet and your site has made these days of searching worth it. Thank you for sharing it.
Halina Procyk

My Reply
Dear Pani Halina,
Your have my permission. I understand your problem very well. I remember the time and effort required to research and produce my own postgraduate thesis while I had a family of 3 children and had to go to work. My education and normal life was interrupted for many years in consequence of my deportation and slavery in the Soviet Union.
You may use whatever material from my website you think is suitable for your purposes, text, maps and photos.
Good luck with your project.
Franek Rymaszewski

31 January 2010
Email is in Russian

My translation from Russian:

Dear Friend !
I have the honour to inform you that my book came out, titled:
"Pinsk Military Flotilla in memories and documents (1940-1941)"
by Valeriy Spichakov
(details at http://www.pinsk-flot.narod.ru/ )

The book can be dispatched by registered mail (weight 0.870 kg)
to your address (please inform by a separate mail) after advance payment
- in Russia, 750 roubles (book) + 275 roubles postage (total 1025 roubles);
- in Ukraine 200 hryvnas (book) + 10 hryvnas postage (total 210 hryvnas);
- in Lvov by hand 200 hryvnas.
- in Poland 25 US dollars + 15 dollars postage (total 40 US dollars)

by Postal money order:
For Spichakov Valeriy Alexandrovich
PO Box 5064, Lviv - 53
Ukraine, 79053

28 January 2010
Hi Franek,
I added a quote from Bob Hoover's book, "Forever Flying" to my Polish Soldiers page. He writes re: a British hospital in the Arnhem war zone. I'm sure that also would have been in it many of your comrades in arms.

http://www.scottishheritage.net/polishsoldiers.html

Hope all is well with you.
Scott

My Remarks:
See also previous email from Scott Reekie: No. 53 below

25 January 2010
Gday Franek,
My name is Albert Dyminski, I live in Shepparton, Victoria. My Father's name is Wladyslaw Dyminski from Warsaw, Poland. His father's name is Stanislaw Dyminski and his father's name is Antoni Dyminski. Thank you for your search and family history.
I am trying to find the origin and history of the Dyminski clan from Poland. Can you assist please with some web sites etc.
Best Regards
Albert Dyminski.

My Reply
Hi Albert,
I am publishing your search in the hope that some of my readers will email you who knew Wladyslaw Dyminski from Warsaw and his relatives, or know anything about Dyminski clan. As I explained in my "Contact" message, I am not able to assist with family searches.

You should use "Google" to search for "Dyminski" only (without extra words) at first. That way you will get more websites where that name is mentioned. Try also "google.pl" instead of "google.com.au" which will give more websites in Polish language (If necessary, use a link to "translator" in Google menus) . I found hundreds of Dyminskis that way, and when I clicked on Polish version of Wikipedia I found an article that in the 12th century lived Kazimierz (or Casimir) Dyminski, a duke of Western Pomerania with capital called Dymin. He also called himself a Prince on the Dymin (hence the origin of the surname Dyminski, I presume). So it looks like Dyminski is a very old historic "clan" with many, many descendants. Keep surfing and send some emails to other Dyminskis in Poland asking them about family history.
Best wishes in your research.
Franek Rymaszewski

29 January 2010
Gday Franek,
Thanks bloke. I have found the Dolega clan links to Dyminski in Polish but not in translation to english. Our family crests are similar with an arrow pointing down from inside the horse-shoe.You have given me heaps of ideas.Congratulations on your website. Awesome bradco. Best wishes fom Alby Dyminski.

19 January 2010
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski:
In your most interesting and informative website I have found three photographs relating to your visit to Pitcairn Island: A color photo of the ship Willem Ruys, a color photo of the island, and a black and white photograph of the island with Pitcairn longboats coming to meet the ship. It would be a significant addition to the Pitcairn Islands Study Center to have copies of these photographs which relate to this ship's call at the island half a century ago. Is it possible that you could send me scans of these photographs for inclusion in the Study Center? Were it possible that would be greatly appreciated. We are privileged to be stewards of the largest collection of material about The Bounty Saga, which includes Pitcairn Islands, of course, in the world. You might wish to take a look at the Study Center website to become better acquainted with who we are. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Herbert Ford, Director
http://pitcairnstudycenter.org

20 January 2010
My Reply
Dear Mr. Ford,
I am attaching scans of the photos requested by you for the collection of the Pitcairn Islands Study Center. All pictures were taken on 25 June 1959, except the image of the ship Willem Ruys which comes from their contemporary advertising brochure.
I have included additional photos taken just prior and after the one on my website, and an excerpt from the ship's bulletin.
I had a look at your Study Center website and find it of excellent quality, absorbing and easy to navigate.
With Best Wishes
Franek Rymaszewski

21 January 2010
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski:
Many, many thanks to you for these fine pictures of your Pitcairn visit. They are greatly appreciated, and make an important addition to the Pitcairn Islands Study Center. It is good that you’ve been able to visit the Study Center web site. We’re just now in the process of making some major additions to it in the interest of a more complete telling of The Bounty Saga.
Again, thank you Sir, and may naught but the fair winds blow for you in the days ahead.
Herb Ford
Pitcairnstudycenter.org

18 January 2010
Hi Franek,
VERY, VERY nice web site. You have a lot of wonderful information and documentation.

I am involved in a documentary about the Soviet deportations of Poles, the "amnesty", and the evacuation to Persia. The story is about survivors who ended up in Seattle, Washington, USA.............
.............
If you're interested, our web site is : http://aparatfilms.com/
My Mother is Krystyna Balut (née Martusewicz).

Dzienkuje
Grazyna Balut Ostrom

My Remarks:
In her email, Grazyna also asked me for permission to use in her documentary a photo from my web site of a ship packed with Poles evacuating from Russia on the Caspian Sea.

Her documentary film is called "A Trip to Nowhere". The film sheds light on the forced deportations of over 1.8 millions Poles to the frigid Soviet labor camps of Siberia during World War Two. The survivors, afraid to discuss their pasts until Poland regained its independence in the early 1990's, now share their stories of survival, courage and heartbreak through candid interviews and vivid, animated recreations.

8 March 2010
Hi, This e-mail is to let you know that status of our project to document the deportation of Poles to Soviet labor camps during WWII.
Web sites:
We now have two websites:
http://siberianexiles.org/ This is the web site that has the journals, photos, events, and historical timeline (ie we moved this historical information to another domain)
http://aparatfilms.com/ This is the web site to promote the film our LLC is producing. Note that there is a sneak peak on the web page.

The documentary:
"A Trip to Nowhere" is nearing completion. We are targeting an April 1st release date.
In November 2009 we had an art exhibit at UMASS Boston, and showed an early version of the movie. Both the art exhibit and movie showing were very warmly received. Gala night included several local survivors and Polish veterans - who were very touched.

We've submitted the documentary to eight film festivals.
Grazyna Balut Ostrom

6 May 2010
Hi, We had a screening of our documentary A Trip to Nowhere" at the University of Washington, Seattle, last Thursday. It was written up in the Nowy Dziennik, in English.

http://www.dziennik.com/news/english/10547

Grazyna Balut Ostrom

12 January 2010
Dear Mr Rymaszewski

I read with great interest your website and it reminded me of my family and their similar experiences to you and yours. My father (Michal Zajko) grew up in a similar area to you (Bielin) and went to Gimnazjum in Drohiczyn and after being arrested and deported to Siberia on 10 Feb 1940 spent from March 1940 to Dec 1941 in Nucho Ozierskoye Camp in Archangel Oblast. The family travelled across Russia finally arriving in Kenya via Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Persia and Tanganyika (amongst others) in September 1943 where he joined the RAF. His brother (Jan) joined the Polish Armoured Division that fought through Italy including Monte Casino. After the war the family has ended up spread across the globe with my father's family here in the UK, my uncle (now deceased) and his family in Italy (he married the Italian nurse who looked after him when he was wounded) and another uncle and aunt in Australia (near Perth) and their respective families. Some of the family never made it out as his father died in transit and elder brother (Basil) was presumed killed in action in the early days of the war although exact location of both is unknown.

It took me many years to get my father to tell me his story and it was only the arrival of his grandchildren that persuaded him to do so. It is I think a much forgotten or unknown part of history and there are so many deeply moving stories of survival and valour that should be told. Certainly many of my friends including my wife who have visited Poland over the last few years have been surprised and moved by the events in Poland between 1939 and 1945 including the Warsaw Uprising (excellent museum now open) but I think it is only recently that the Polish Government has really recognised what happened to large numbers of its citizens - my father was sent a "deportation medal" recently.

Whilst I appreciate that for the individuals concerned these are events that they may prefer to forget but I think it is important not only for the younger generations but also the wider community to understand some of the events and individual experiences however difficulty that may be.

Kindest regards
Robert Zajko

My Remarks:
This email is self explanatory. It is yet another example of the fate of countless Polish families affected by the Soviet Russia's tyrannical occupation of Poland as a result of the World War Two caused by the Soviet assistance to Nazi Germany in 1939.

8 January 2010
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,

I found your website while researching Polish customs and cuisine. We adopted our daughter in August 2008 at age 16 months from Czestochowa (pron. Chestahowah), Poland. She is now a precious little girl, 32 months old. It is very important for us to keep her heritage alive. We met a wonderful (Polish) couple during our 6 week stay in Poland. We remain in touch and call them our Polish family. We are their American family. Our best friends in Tampa, from Poland (last name Zajac immigrated here in early 1970's from Legnica), encouraged us to adopt from Poland - and so we have close Polish family nearby as well!

Ironically, while I was reading your site I saw an email you posted from Alexey Rimashevski in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Our 5 yr old son was adopted from Chelyabinsk ! What a small world! We spent 6 weeks in Chelyabinsk in May/June 2006. Our son came home at age 21 months. We still remain in touch with someone in Chelyabinsk for our son's heritage.

I am so sorry to read your story as a young boy and man. It made my heart sad. When we were in Poland we went to Aushwitz and Birkenau. As my husband snapped a few pictures, it felt wrong. Pictures could not and will never do justice to the injustice that was done there. You endured many lifetimes of pain in a few years. For your service, I say thank you.

We hold our children's heritage and history so close to us. Their lives are to be celebrated! I enjoyed reading about how you are celebrating and keeping your heritage alive. While you may not have much to fall back on in the way of paperwork, documents, and the close ties family brings....You have created this and are creating this for your future generations. When your family many, many years from now sit down to recount their history, all roads will lead to you.

At 86 years young, I pray for you, God's health and happiness for many more years to come! Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Katie Meyer, Florida, USA

PS - the Polish song sung by your children, is this Poland's version of "Happy Birthday"?

My Remarks:
The Polish song "May you live a hundred years!" (Sto Lat ! = 100 years !) is indeed sung on everybody's birthday. And there is no equivalent song in meaning to "Happy Birthday" as such. However, Polish families, living in English speaking countries, do sing both songs (as we do), first "Happy Birthday" in English, then "Sto Lat" in Polish.

 29 December 2009

Hello Frank & family!
Belated Christmas greetings from England. Also to wish you all a Happy New Year and all the best for 2010.

I haven't looked at your site for a while and am amazed at how much more information there is now. I'll see if I can get any more information about us from my Rymaszewski family in Poland - I've lost touch with them too!
I know I have some very old black and white pictures of my family in Poland before 1939 - my father Czeslaw took them on his home made camera - when I find them I'll scan them in and post on to you.

Our family surname is 400 years old in 2010 and it looks like there will be another reunion in Poland, I wonder if I can get to it somehow? Also wondered if anyone had been to Ryma in Belarus - think I might have a try myself this next year.

All the best from
Henry Rymaszewski

My Remarks:
Henry Rymaszewski, born and living in England, was one of the first visitors to my website in year 2000. He provided information about his family which has been included in Chapter 14 and in Chapter 12(1) . See also Chapter 13.

Ryma does not exist any more. It was the name of a landed property, of an estate, not a geographical name of a locality. The nearest place to it, or possibly on it, nowadays, is a village called Rymasze (Rymaszy, Rimashi) near Kopyl in Belarus. There are no Rymaszewskis living in Rimashi at present.

29 December 2009

Dear Sir:
My name is Andrzej Lis. I am a son-in-law of Edward Pawlowski (Mala Plotnica) who is the son of Emilia Rymaszewska; she was the daughter of Boleslaw Rymaszewski.

My father-in-law is now 79; lives with his wife Danuta (maiden name Dabkowska, her mother was of Roganowskis family, connected to Domaniewskis) in a vilage Sierakowko, near Pila, in Poland. Their home phone number : 48 67 256-7211; or, cell number 48 512-379-222. Theirs two sons live in Chicago. Here is one's of them phone number : (773) 505-8111. If I may be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to write to me, or call at my cell (mobile) number 48 508 457 495.
Sincerely, Andy Lis.
Thank you for your time taken to read my message. God Bless.

My Remarks:
3 days later, on 1 January 2010, Andy Lis send me more information about his connection with Rymaszewski families. This information was added to "My Relatives in Malkowicze" in Chapter 4.

18 December 2009
Dear Franek,
I recently discovered your website and to my amazement and delight found a photograph of my grandparents, Mr and Mrs Rusiecki photographed with your father at Easter in about 1926. My father is Franciszek (Franek) Rusiecki and he was born in Hancewicze in 1924. Do you remember him at all? He has a younger brother Lutek who also lived in Hancewicze. My Father now lives in Nottingham, England with my mother and they have been married for 61 years. Lutek lives in Warsaw, Poland. My father has two younger brothers Leon (who sadly died about 30 years ago) and Jerzy who lives in Connecticut, USA.

My father does not have access to the internet so I've have printed off your pages about Poland and have sent them to him.
I thank you for this wonderful photograph of my grandparents - I have never seen them looking so young and handsome. I wonder who took the picture and who else is sitting at the table?

Best Wishes
Teresa Bretman (Rusiecki)
La Masure, Chanu 61800
France

My Remarks:
The photograph of Teresa's grandparents visited by my father
in Hancewicze at Easter 1926 is located in Chapter 4.

 15 December 2009

My Remarks:
Vitaliy Rimashevski sent me an email in Russian in which he provides details of his family in Belarus and a photo. I have included all this information on my website in Chapter 14 (Belarus)

7 December 2009

Hi there,
I was wondering whether you would know anything of the Zawadzki family living in Wejherowo, Gdansk in around 1920 - 40s. (i.e. between the two wars). If you do not, I'm hoping maybe somebody else may? My father was Jan Zawadzki, who was Catholic and lived in the Wejherowo area of Poland during the beginning WWII. He was born August 19th 1920 and his mother was called Maria. He left home before the war started at a young age (around 14 - 16) to join the forces (possibly RAF or Army) to get away from his stepfather who was a German (name unknown). I do not know if he has any brothers/sisters. I would love to hear from anyone who can help. He came to England, as he was stationed here during the war and after being demobbed settled in Uxbridge in Middlesex. He never talked of his childhood and never kept in contact with his mother. I would love to know if he still has family surviving. I have heard from somebody that he may have been forced to fight for the German Army and then ended up in a POW camp in Scotland, England. Do you know anyone who may be able to help me find my ancestors?
Linda Summerfield (previously Zawadzki)

My Remarks:
Hi Linda, I am publishing your appeal in a hope that some of my readers knew Zawadzki family in Wejherowo, Gdansk (Danzig) area before the War and will email you.

There were many thousands of young Polish men in Poland under German occupation who were conscripted into the German army during later years of the war. Those sent to the Western front all joined the Polish Army after deserting to the Allies or being taken prisoner. They were sent to Scotland for training but later were demobbed when the war ended. You may want to write to the Ministry of Defence to check whether your father was in the Polish Army. They keep records of all Polish Armed Forces that served during the war under British Command (and also those that died on active service). Ask them specifically in advance if they have any record of his parents names and address in Poland (eg. next of keen). That might help you in your further search.

• Ministry of Defence — Army Records Centre, Polish Section
Bourne Ave., HAYES, Middlesex UA3 1RF. Tel. 01- 573 3831 (extention 22)

 6 November 2009

Hello, Franek!
My name Alexey Rimashevsky, I from Russia, Chelyabinsk.
Thanks for your site.

Also what I know before – my grandfather Ivan, son of Iosif (Jozef) Rimashevsky, was born of Belarus, Kopyl region.

My Remarks:
Alexey sent me later some family photographs and more information about his family, which I have included on my website in Chapter 14 (Russia)

By the end of November, Alexey also sent me a picture of Rymaszewski coat of arms which he has ordered for his family. It was made by the masters of metal and engraving in the city of Zlatoust famous for these crafts. Zlatoust is 160 km west from Chelyabinsk. Alexey also placed an image of the arms on the website http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9572/88015132.jpg

29 October 2009

Hello, Franek,
My name is Basia. My mother went through the almost exact experience you have, except her brothers and father were with the English airforce. I have pictures for you, which I will scan and send you later. I am at work now. My mother lived in Skalat, Poland. She returned home on the way to school one day by order of the Russian Army. She said she had very limited time to gather things, and when she ran next door to tell her aunti, she witnessed her family next door brutally murdered by the "Kozaks".
She has a very good memory of what occurred, however, doesn't remember now how she wound up from Siberia on foot to India on a ship. I have a copy of the ship's pass. I think it was the Miss Bombay. I also have photos of soldiers, perhaps you could recognize some of them. My Uncle's name was Czeslaw Bawor, my grandfather, Jozef Pytlak. My family is very small.
I hope to continue to share information with you, and want to thank you so much for such a fabulous website. I will cherish it.
I have to go now, however, Sto Lat! and may God Bless you and keep you safe, warm, happy, and stronger!
Best regards,
Basia Nelson

Owner - Mockingbird Music Co., Inc.
http://www.mockingbirdmusic.com

28 October 2009

(Email in Polish:)

Sz. Pan Franciszek Rymaszewski ! Przesylam Panu zdjecie mogily Franciszka Rymaszewskiego 1934 na cmentarzu katolickim w Kijowcu, Bialorus.
Pozdrawiam:
Zbigniew Wolocznik 2009.10.27

My Remarks:

This photo was sent to me by Zbigniew Wolocznik. See his previous Email No.062 below.

Mr. Wolocznik maintains a website (in Russian, Belarus and Polish) containing albums of old family photos and other historic material dealing with his place of origin Kleck and the past history of former Polish Borderlands (Kresy). It is constantly updated with new interesting photos.

http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/Zbiwol1961/

The grave of my namesake, Franciszek Rymaszewski, found on a small forgotten catholic cemetery at a place called KIJOWIEC formerly in Poland now in BELARUS (located near ? Antonówka and ? SARNY in the former Polish province of ? WOLYN). There are no Poles there any more and not many catholics. It looks like somebody tried to save the grave by marking it with a cross and a board giving name and the year of death 1934. Probably no other details were legible.

 28 October 2009

Thank you for a fascinating website. I am researching on the Anders Army for
a possible drama project for young people here in England.

Thank you for such a rich and deeply personal memoire which is of great use
to historians, researchers and even playwrights.
Best wishes.

Mike Levy
Keystage company (Heritage and History through Drama)
http://www.keystage-company.co.uk

25 October 2009
Dear Franek!
Happy Birthday!

Take personally congratulations from our family!
We are wishing to You: health, patiences, good luck and success!!!
And also, we are thanking to You for your all job, that you made, for our family's memory!

Sergey Rimashevsky and all my family.

My Remarks: Sergey's very interesting family history is presented on my website in Chapter 14 (Ukraine)

23 October 2009
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,

I was searching for photos/images of Polish Christmas cookies when I came across your site! I was trying to photocopy a picture of a Polish Christmas table setting when your site popped up! Now I am having a hard time exiting, but I will be back to finish looking at all of it. What an amazing life and story you have! The part of your work that I am most grateful for thus far is the 19th Century Poland history you wrote about (under the rule of foreign powers). I have always been overwhelmed at trying to figure it all out, but you narrowed it down in such a way that I could finally grasp hold of what happened in Poland (and have more of an understanding of what happened to my relatives). I will now use that piece of information to try to explain my family history in a geneology book I am writing for my family members.

I am a newer member of Ancestry.com and have just recently found out that my great grandmother was Polish. I am hoping that you or someone else that will read this message might be able to offer me some advice on how to look for information about her. I have exhausted all searches for her on Ancestry.com and did find some information, but I need to find a way to get a hold of documents or records from Poland. Here is what I know about my great grandmother so far:

Her name was Martha Makowsky/Makowska/Mosakowska (I have seen all 3 surname spelling variations for her)
She was born in Warsaw, Russia in 1856.
She departed on the ship Sorrento from Hamburg, Germany on Dec. 31, 1892 and arrived in Niagara Falls New York on Jan 1893.
She arrived in New York with her husband and 3 children and soon after they all settled in Hamilton, Wentworth County, Ontario.
Her Husband was: Herman Adolf Behnke born in Berlin, Germany about 1857 (occupation: butcher)
Her Children: Frida, Max, and Otto Herman (they also called him Arthur)

I know Martha spoke German because she taught my father to sing the German alphabet when he was a little boy. Martha may have had a sister or cousin living in Hamilton, Ontario also, named Annie Mossakowska. If anyone could point me in the direction of where to search for more information about Martha I would greatly appreciate it. I don' have the faintest idea where to look for her.

Thank you sir for your wonderful site that you have shared and created. God had a purpose for you before you were born!
Sincerely, Angela Behnke-Hopkins
E-mail: hoppyandangie@comcast.net

My Remarks:
Martha Makowsky's name in any Polish or Russian contemporary documents was spelled as Marta Makowska.

25 October 2009
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,

Thank you for your quick response. I forgot to add that my great grandfather's surname in Germany was either Bohnke, Boehnke, or Bohmke (all 3 surname spellings have been found on border crossing documents from Hamburg, Germany to Niagara Falls, New York). However, once he and his family arrived in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, they started using the surname Behnke. So my great grandmother Martha Makowsky/Makowska/Mosakowska when married and living in Germany (or Poland under Russia) was Martha Bohnke, Boehnke, or Bohmke. If you could add this last bit of information to my 1st e-mail I would greatly appreciate it.

I loved reading about the holiday traditions your family made a priority to share with each other. It made me think about the life my great grandma Martha must have had with her family at one time in Warsaw, Russia (Poland). You made memories with your family that will be treasured. You fulfilled the purpose God had intended for you here on this earth. You can be proud knowing that, and take comfort in that, when one day it is time for you to say good-bye to your loved ones and friends. God must love you very much to rescue you, and then make you a mouthpiece to share with others about your extraordinary life experience. You will be in my prayers sir, and I wish you good health. Thank you for your labor of love to your children and to the world, about Poland and your roots.

Sincerely,
Angela Behnke-Hopkins
e-mail: hoppyandangie@comcast.net

21 October 2009
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,

In 2005 I wrote you a letter telling you about my grandfather, who was arrested by the NKVD in Pinsk in 1939 and never seen again.
I did get some details wrong about his service which was in the National Police (he had been the deputy head? ) "Zastepczy Naczelnik Komendy Glownej na Polesiu". No matter. The real story here is that as a result of this email, which you posted on this site last fall, I was contacted by a cousin, who is likely the only living member of my Dad's family in Poland - and knew my Grandmother, Father & stories about my Grandfather.

I just returned from a trip to Warsaw where I spent many an afternoon with my cousin Krzysztof and gathered before unknown family information - all of which gave me a great deal of pride in my family. I learned how to use the archives there and can't get wait to return to spend many hours there looking for more.
Many thanks to you!!!   Your site made this happen.
Anna Robaczewski
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada

My Remarks:
See also Email No. 013

14 October 2009

Hello Franek,
What a wonderful thing you have done to help all of us who have shared similar backgrounds and experiences, to work together to preserve the historical record for future generations. I came across your website during my research on our family history. I have many historical photos and documents from Poland and from wartime Germany during which time both my mother and father were in labour camps in Germany before they migrated to Bonegilla, Australia in August 1950.

We live in Melbourne. My father was born in Severynow, Poland, in 1921. His name is Janek Julian Kocz, one of 5 children of whom 3 are still living. His parents were Jozef and Julia (nee Kolodziejczyk). My father was orphaned by the time he was 9 years old and when war came he was in a very difficult situation. I have his original documents from Poland and from Germany including identity passes and ‘Arbeitzbuchs’ and also documents from the International Refugee Association from after the war. I was born Czeslawa Ludmila Kocz in Pinneberg, Germany on 19 July 1949. My mother was Alexandra (nee Naidjon) who was born in Wasilkowka, Ukraine. My parents met in the labour camps and married in Germany in 1945. Last year we re-established contact with the Kocz family in Europe and are looking forward to a reunion next year. (2010). We have always had a wide circle of Polish friends. These include people by the names of Jasik, Grobelny, Klim, Szczesniak, Barczak, Wasiak, Romanowski, Wolski, and others – all of whom shared similar experiences. I am doing a lot of work to document my parent’s history which is representative of so many people who settled in Australia from Germany after the war. Your website is a feast of information. I am hoping to do a doctorate on the subject of this migration and to publish a useful historical record. Currently I am just doing a lot of reading and background research and making contact with those who share similar interests. I am happy to share anything I have that may be of interest (photos and documents) but mostly I wish to congratulate you on your work which is so valuable and hope that you are still keeping well.
Warm regards,
Czesia Piccinin (nee Kocz)

Note: “Tesha” (see email signature) this is the name that the nuns gave me when I started school – they obviously could not manage Czesia or Czeslawa.

Tesha Piccinin
Learning Systems Consultant
155 Pelham Street, CARLTON VIC 3053
Tel +61 3 9345 1813 | Mob +61 (0) 488 917 339 | Fax +61 3 9348 2513 | Email tpiccinin@redcross.org.au
http://www.redcross.org.au

Polish soldiers installing transmitting antennas in Chipperfield

My Reply
15 October 2009
Re: Chipperfied Lodge

Dear Andrew
The wartime setup at Chipperfield was part of Polish Forces radio communication activities located at Kings Langley in Barnes Lodge, which was connected by teleprinter with Polish Army General Head Quarters in London's Hotel Rubens for forwarding telegrams and messages. We were engaged in continuous 24 hours radio watch and contact (in Morse Code) with large Polish Underground organization providing intelligence to Polish Government in Exile in London as well as to British War Office. In Barnes Lodge was installed radio receiving equipment and receiving aerials, and a number of radio receiving and transmitting workstations, where I and other radio telegraph operators worked, while actual transmitters and transmitting aerials were installed mile and a half away in Chipperfield. There, in Chipperfield special crew tuned our transmitters to the required frequencies (changeable for security reasons) as requested by us in Barnes Lodge over direct phone lines.

I have only been to Chipperfield once to see the transmitters and meet the crew. On the left hand side of the road there were two brick and concrete huts. One hut contained six to eight made in the USA 3 kW "Halicrafter" transmitters, and the other hut, I think, housed power generating units. A large house on the right, the Chippendale Lodge, served as living quarters for the crew attending to the transmitters (also at night) and a Technical Platoon doing equipment maintenance and repairs. There was also a team there dealing with erection and maintenance of the radio aerials. I attach a picture of those soldiers on a pylon pole. This is the only photo from Chipperfield that I have. So the Lodge was adapted as sleeping quarters, cooking and dining area, some offices and equipment storage and repairs workshop. In early years of the war there was also one radio transmitting station there but it was later moved to growing Barnes Lodge.

This area of outer London was within range of German rockets, the so called Flying Bombs (V1) which in August and September 1944 flew over Chipperfield and Kings Langley quite often. During its horizontal flight such a bomb was giving out a specific noise, similar to an old motorcycle. Only when the sound disappeared, the bomb begun to fall. Fortunately most of them flew somewhere north. It happened only once early morning, when most personnel in Chipperfield Lodge were still asleep, when V1 bomb fell on the right side of the main road from Kings Langley close to Chipperfied Lodge. Luckily nothing serious happened, only in the corner rooms of the Lodge closest to the explosion all windows felled out. Neither the two huts containing powerful transmitters on the opposite side of the road nor the antennas located on nearby fields were damaged. Later, the new German rockets V2, which without any warning were falling vertically, were more well-aimed, but they were usually dropped in central London and not in outer areas.

This is all I can remember in this matter.
With kind regards and best wishes for your research
Franek Rymaszewski

29 August 2009
Dear Mr. Rymaszewski
Hello!.. I stumbled on your websight like so many others have and have been reading it with rapt interest for several hours now. I am so pleased that you have taken the time to write down your memoirs. They are so valuable to persons like myself, children of Polish soldiers, who couldn't talk about the past. I am interested in the Anders army, since my father, who was born in Brest, was a one of the German deserters who joined up with this army. He never spoke much of his life before coming to Canada, but I did know that he had been in Palestine, Egypt, and at Monte Cassino. I think he was with the British 8th (Army), 5th (Polish) division. My father died in 1993 , at 69 years of age. I always wanted him to write down some of his history. He didn't. He was afraid of something. I don't speak polish, have been to Poland, and met up with some of my father's younger brothers who were infants and toddlers when they were separated, so some of my father's story is a mystery to them. I do know that the Russians killled my grandmother in the woods. My father who was 16, at the time was in a German prison camp beyond the woods. My grandmother would, a couple of times during the week take him laundered clothing, and some food to eat, since she knew that the germans were not feeding them all that well. Usually the German soldiers would escort the polish mothers who had sons in the prison camp through the woods for their saftety, but on this particular night they didn't want to because of some social event for the officers. My grandmother did not want to stay overnight because she had young children at home and wanted to get back to them... it was the last time anyone saw her alive. Her mutilated body was found a week later. It was at this time my father decided he would join the german army, to take revenge on the russians. My father's name was Stephan (Stefan) Kudaka. I know that after he emigrated to Canada, where he met my mother, and where all 7 of us children were born he was always grateful for the peace that exists in this country... that none of his children would have to experience the things that the children of his generation in Poland had to go through. I remember how he always made sure that we had plenty to eat. He didn't want anyone ever to go hungry in his house, and that went for his family and friends. He said he starved in the war, and that is actually the one thing he would talk about. I learned about the events leading up to the death of my grandmother when I went to Poland. My father would only say that she died in the war. I never knew he was ever a german soldier. I was shocked to find that out. I only knew he had been a British soldier. Perhaps on this website, some one might know the Kudaka family in Brest (Brzesc). I would love to know if I have relatives in the area... My grandmother's name was Alexandra, and I think her maiden name was Belbas, or something like that. I am not expecting you to do any research for me. Again, I would like to express my gratefullness for the work you have done on this website.
Sincerely Yolanda Lawrence

My Remarks :
The story of Yoel Bursztyn's father, Moshe Szymon Sawicki, and his family in Poland in Radzilów (with photographs), as well as how he came to Israel with the Army of General Anders, can be found on website: http://www.radzilow.com/bursztyn.htm

2 August 2009

Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
Thank you so much for your website. I did not know much about my grandfather's family history before he came to the United States, but you have now given me more information than I ever thought was possible.

This is what I know about my branch of the family -
My grandfather, Joseph Frank Rumoshosky (originally Rymaszewski), was born around 1891 and lived in Svidichi, which is near Kapyl (Kopyl). His father, Frank Rymaszewski, was the landowner who lived in the manor house. Joseph was the oldest son and due to inherit the estate. When he was in his early 20s, Joseph fell in love with Agata Suchnat, the daughter of one of the tenant farmers in the village and they ran away to America together in early 1914. They were married in New York State and my father, Adam Joseph Rumoshosky, was born on October 31, 1914. Sadly, Agata and a younger son, Frank, died at a very early age, leaving my grandfather and father alone, so they relocated to an area near Groton, Connecticut. Joseph remarried twice and outlived all three wives, finally dying around 1963. We do not know exactly when and why the family began using the current spelling of the name, but it was before 1918.

A few years after Joseph left for America, his younger brother, Frank, inherited the estate. However, the Bolsheviks took the land from them and sent the entire family to Siberia.

I know that, in the early 1970s, my parents corresponded with some cousins who still lived in Belarus and the cousins even came to visit them in New York, but they did not maintain contact after that time.

Adam married Rose Marguerite Pappert on August 1, 1942 and had four children. He died in May, 2007 at the age of 92.

Tim Adam Rumoshosky (born 10/30/48) - living in Arizona
Jill Marguerite Rumoshosky (born June 12, 1951), now Jill Rumoshosky Werner, living in Kansas
Beth Marita Rumoshosky (born November 30, 1953), now Beth Minasi, living in New York
Edward Tim Rumoshosky (died in infancy)

My brother did not have any children and my only child died at age 15, so the only descendants left in the U.S. are Beth's children, Craig, Kristine and Philip Minasi. The name of Rumoshosky will end with my generation.

I would be very happy to hear from relatives and can provide more accurate birth and death dates, if I need to. An internet search of the name "Rumoshosky" will allow someone to find my brother and me even if we've changed addresses.

Jill Rumoshosky Werner
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A.
jill@wernerstudio.com or jrwerner@cox.net

Young Jill Marguerite	Jill Rumoshosky Werner in 2008 http://www.wernerstudio.com

Current internet search finds Jill Rumoshosky Werner, his great granddaughter, as a fine artist at Werner Studio in Wichita, Kansas (see photo >>), and Tim Rumoshosky, his great grandson, as proprietor of the Bridge Center of San Mateo.

P.S. Later, Jill discovered more information about her family on my website. Her grandfather's brother Waclaw, deported from Svidichi with his family by the Bolsheviks, was later executed by them accused of "espionage" simply because he had a brother (Joseph) in the USA. Waclaw's grandson Leszek Rymaszewski now lives in Poland.
See Email No.077 below for details and links.

21 July 2009
Dear Mr Rymaszewski,
Dzien dobry. I hope you are well.
Thank you for such a detailed web site. Your story is most interesting.

I live in King's Langley, very close to Barnes Lodge. I am very interested in the use of this house during the war and would be very grateful for any more information or photographs you may have. I am thinking that it will be of interest to the current inhabitants of King's Langley - maybe I can write it up for our little village paper.

My particular interest is also in the footpath that ran by the side of the house as this has been closed to the public since the war due to 'national security'. I am thinking it is maybe safe to reopen it and, in the process, explore your interesting story of the work undertaken there during the war. I don't expect you will have recollections about the footpath of course, but information about your work, recollections of King's Langley and any photographs would be very welcome indeed. Did you live and work at Barnes Lodge? Did you meet up with the locals? How many of you were there stationed there?

My interest in this story was revived at the weekend because I went to the Polish Day at Bletchley Park.
Here is a link to the web site with photographs from the day.
http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/calendar/futureEvents/EventGallery2009/polishevent.rhtm
with best regards from King's Langley,
Susan Bailey

My Reply
26 July 2009
Dear Susan,
Sorry for the delay in answering your email. I am getting rather slow and inefficient as old age and health problems are creeping up. I managed to scan some photographs for you. They show Barnes Lodge and some resident Polish soldiers, all radiotelegraph operators who worked there. We formed a special radio intelligence unit of the Polish Army H.Q. in London that kept contact with other Polish soldiers parachuted from England into occupied Poland to join the Underground army. More details are on my website in Chapter 7.

There were six, later eight separate radio communication workstation in Barnes Lodge, each station had a receiving and transmitting equipment (US made), cable connected to large transmitters (and pylons) located in nearby Chipperfield. I cannot remember how many of us were stationed there. I guess about 40 - 45 men, who were working and living in Barnes Lodge, of which half were actual wireless operators. We had to be on full 24 hour alert, making sure that no message would be missed. The odd times of those messages were due to the risk and danger our secret radio operators were exposed in Poland. Our sleeping quarters were rather cramped. The senior officers, however, were billeted in private homes.

Despite the fact that all the buildings in Barnes Lodge were occupied by the Polish soldiers, the vegetable garden was taken care of by Mr Percy Rush, a pre-war gardener who lived there in a little house at the entrance to Barnes Lodge grounds from the road then known as A41. He was paid from our unit's budget and was figured in our register as a "civilian clerk". And, as before the war, he was bringing to our kitchen the gathered vegetables which added a variety to our board. Another civilian who visited us daily except Sundays was a young local girl called Sylvia, very nice and pleasant girl in her very early twenties. She served the meals in our dining room. I don't remember her last name.

With regard to meeting up with the locals, we had irregular routine because of the 24 hour work. So in a our time off some men slept, few bought bicycles on which they explored the neighborhood, some boys made friends with local girls of course, and two to three resulted in marriage. Some soldiers went to pictures in Hemel Hempstead, but most often to the big Odeon in Watford. There, at intervals between screenings a huge electric organs appeared, rising from the cellar, and some Dandy played popular melodies, equally traditional English, or Scottish, as well as hits from the movies, and the public sung them with great keenness.

Other guys went to the pub in Two Waters or was it Two Towers, but most often to the Old Fellow's Arms in Apsley. Many went to a dance on Saturday night in some local hall in Apsley. These dances were very popular and the hall was always very crowded, so we called the place "Murder House". The females attending the dances were usually working girls from a nearby Dickinson's paper factory. More choosy guys traveled to Saturday night dances at Watford Town Hall. However, they had male competition there, as most attending men were well paid American Servicemen.

As far as the footpath is concerned, there was a pathway, slightly inclined uphill, that led from the road to the side of Barnes Lodge where a yard, storehouses, etc. were. Just before that, the footpath had a branch to the left leading to the porch entrance of the Lodge, visible on one of the photos (shown here on the right). The pathway was firm and wide enough for the Army lorries to drive on.

That's all I can remember or write on the subject. I hope it will help you with your article in the village paper.
With Best Wishes.
Franek Rymaszewski

Email in Polish:
5 June 2009
Witam, ..... moze ktos z odwiedzajacych Pana strone bedzie znal odpowiedz na pytanie jak trafili z Palestyny (wyjechali 2 czerwiec 1942) do Anglii marynarze ORP Slazak Henryk Nawrocki i Jan Bielawski, którzy 5 wrzesnia 1942 roku dotarli do obozu rozdzielczego Auchtertool w Szkocji......
Pozdrawiam,

Andrzej Drabczyk
http://www.szorka.eu

Original email in Polish

My Remarks :

Andrzej Drabczyk asks any visitor to my website who might know the answer to the question: how and which way, on what troopships, etc. traveled his uncle Jan Bielawski (and his friend Henryk Nawrocki).

They were both members of gen. Anders Polish Army evacuated from Russia to Palestine in 1942. They left Palestine on 2 June 1942 going around Africa by sea transport to complement Polish Armed Forces in the UK.

They arrived at the Polish Reception camp in Auchtertool, Scotland on 5 September 1942. A week later they joined Polish Navy in Britain and served on Polish warship "Slazak". (Liverpool). See photo >>>

Jan Bielawski remained in England after the war, got married and died there in 1959.

22 May 2009
Subject: Romuald Dabrowski Polish Armed Forces

Dear Sir.
What a great website and so much information.
I was wondering if anyone knew my late father Romuald Dabrowski who enlisted in the Polish Army (in Russia) on 07.11.1941 and was posted to the 5 Infantry Division (5.ta Dywizja Piechoty). Together with the General Anders Polish Army units crossed the Soviet - Iranian frontier, was evacuated to Iran (then Persia), thereby came under British command with effect from 15.08.1942. Via Iraq was transferred to Palestine.
On the reorganisation of the Polish Army in the Middle East was posted to 14 Wilenski Rifle Battalion (14.ty Batalion Strzelców Wilenskich), 5 Kresowa Inf. Div. (5.ta Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty), 2nd Polish Corps (2 Korpus Polski), 8 British Army (8.ma Armia Brytyjska).
With effect from 11.01.1944 transferred to the Polish Army Reserve Depot. Served from 1942 till 1944 in Iran (Persia), Iraq, Palestine.
My late father remained in Palestine (now Israel) and started a new family.

With the help of the Brittish and American Red Cross I was reunited with my father's family in Poland in 2001, met my 2 half brothers, my aunt and 18 close family members, which I am still in contact with.
A book has been written about my family. http://www.paulawesselmann.com
Thank you again.
Nadia Larsen,Tucson AZ U.S.A.

25 May 2009
And here is the oldest picture I have of my father, back in the middle with two, I imagine and am guessing, friends : Michael Lekhowitz and Raman Panyasook. This will be in Palestine/Israel. Maybe someone will recognise these other two men as their family member.
Thank you again
Nadia

My Remarks :
I note that Romuald Dabrowski, born on 9 January 1914 in Dawidgródek, Eastern Poland (not far from Pinsk) was discharged from the Polish Army in Palestine and transferred to Reserve in 1944 still during the war as an invalid. The document below is a Membership Card of the Polish Association of Invalids issued soon after the end of war in January 1946, which served as an Identification Card of War Invalids approved by Anglo-Polish Invalid Commission in Tel-Aviv and entitling holder to benefits.

In this picture taken in Palestine (Israel) Romuald Dabrowski from Dawidgródek is in the middle. The other two men who could also be discharged invalids are Michal Lechowicz (or Lachowicz) and Roman Panjasiuk (or Panasiuk).

19 May 2009

Pan Rymaszewski,
(FR: Pan = Mister in Polish)

I found your website and I think you have a picture of yourself with my grandfather, Dr. Mieczyslaw Dehnel. Our family is Polish, from Warsaw. On my mother's side (Dehnel) my grandfather was a doctor and I believe a Major in the Carpathian division. (FR: It was independent Carpathian Brigade in North Africa in 1941. Later in 1942 it was joined with gen. Anders army in Palestine and Iraq arriving from Russia and became Carpathian Division that was sent to war front in Italy).

He spent time in a prison camp in Hungary (FR: after escaping there from collapsing Poland in 1939) and then escaped to Palestine (via Lebanon/Syria). He was in North Africa (Tobruk). After that he went to Monte Cassino in Italy, was wounded and went to England. He ended up in Canada. My mother and father emigrated to Canada in 1959.

My father was in Krybar in the 1944 Powstanie (FR: Warsaw Uprising) - he was boy scout in the "Szare Szeregi". His father was a doctor who perished in the Uprising.

I have included your photo, it looks like my grand dad is the 3rd from the left – the dark guy :-).
Thank you,
Jan Mieczyslaw Piros

My Remarks :
21 May 2009
The photo mentioned above, of Polish soldiers in Iraq taken in October 1942 can be found in my Chapter 6. The 3rd guy from the left, standing next to me, had a surname Les´niak.

22 May 2009
In reply Jan (Jasiek) Piros wrote " Bardzo Dzienkuje! (Thank you very much!) It seems my grandfather looks much like Lesniak. I have included a picture from Tobruk" >>>

26 April 2009

Dear Franek

I found your excellent website whilst researching information about the 'Polish Rats of Tobruk'. You, or your visitors, may be interested in my website http://www.ssasturias.net which has a section devoted to the immigration to Australia of Polish Soldiers after the war.

The ship SS Asturias brought many displaced persons to Australia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The site has passenger lists and includes the names of 591 Polish soldiers who were brought to Australia, and several photographs that may be of interest.

Kind regards and best wishes

Vicki Doherty, Melbourne, Aus.

My Remarks :
Vicki Doherty's website http://www.ssasturias.net is well presented and easy to navigate. It will be of interest to people looking for relatives or friends who emigrated to Australia.

The photos showing ship's life will bring memories to many people who themselves traveled by sea on migrants ships after the war.

World War 2 - Polish and Australian Soldiers in North Africa 1941- 42
(Photo courtesy of Mietek Drelich)
Royal Mail Liner "Asturias" - 1949

10 April 2009

My Dear Mr. Rymaszewski,
I just wanted to say that by mistake I stumbled upon your site. Before the year 1970 I could have cared less about the war in Poland. But things change and in that year, after meeting 16 year old Helena, freshly transplanted to my city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, from her homeland of Poland, I have grown to take an interest in her (now my wife of 36 years) ancestory. She really knows very little history outside of her parents stories which were very few. In 1978 I took her back "home", still under Russian rule. We also got into Aushwietz and I , for the first time began to see what a horrible thing war was. Since those days, I had discovered being a baby-boomer was to be a want-for-nothing spoiled generation (me anyway). I promise you Sir, I have changed since that '79 trip to Poland and started to read about WW2 and also ask many questions of my father who really didn't like talking about it at all. After I found your site Helen and I have spent countless hours reading about your family and life and many times you brought tears to her eye's. She has scoured the pages looking for names she may recognize, but , nothing yet . Her family has always lived in the south/east near small towns like Sanok, Lesko and Przemysl . I am in awe Mr.Rymaszewski, of the love and passion you have put into this site of yours, I don't think there is anything anywhere to compare the heart you show . Helena (Drahusz) and I wish you a very sincere thank you for what you have created and hope you are feeling well these days.
Larry and Helena Blacklock

6 April 2009

My Remarks :
Tomek Wisniewski runs a website named Bagnówka, which includes thousands of photos, postcards, texts and maps dealing with pre-war Eastern Borderlands of Poland (Kresy Wschodnie) up to and including 1939-45 war. It is a very interesting and useful collection of historic material. He sent me the following links :
http://www.bagnowka.com
http://www.szukamypolski.com
http://www.youtube.com/bagnowka7

4 April 2009

Dear Franek
I know that you are not able to answer all e mails.
I am Helen and I am a biography writer, I am writing the story of Stefan Lach. He is 94 years old and lives in South Australia. In 1939 he was taken at the railway station in Lwow by the Germans and transported to Germany and spent five years in German labour camps. He is wanting me to write his story before he dies so he can leave his story for his family and anyone else who would like to know about it.
Stefan worked in the cellulose factory in Niedomice (in Poland) and was forced to flee with other factory workers. Sadly like many of you he lost contact with all friends and colleagues and feels that all died at the hands of the Russians.
Your stories need to be told, even though we hear about your plights we don't always appreciate the absolute horror that went on unless we have been there or are told through web pages such as yours or biography's such as Stefan's.
So I commend you for your great web site.
Kind regards
Helen Maczkowiack