• How and why we came to live here in the UK and Leicester

It all started with the outbreak of the Second World War 1939-45. Poland was invaded from the West by Germany and from the East by the Soviet Union and seized to exist as an Independent state. Members of the Polish Government had to flee through Rumania and Switzerland to France, but France soon capitulated and surrendered to the Germans, not wanting another blood bath on their soil as in the First World War. So the Polish Government moved to London.

The Germans took abled bodied men for compulsory work in their steel industries, women to work on farms, educated people, Jews and Gypsies to concentration camps on whom all sorts of medical experiments were carried out to the detriment of their health.

The Soviet Union operated an ethnic cleansing policy – deportation of thousands of families to the Siberian regions of Russia to work in forestry, mining and generally being left there to perish for lack of food, medical care, severe climate and no schools. Many high ranking army officers, doctors, lawyers and professors were imprisoned and consequently shot dead in well known execution places such as the KATYN FOREST. Many families were deported to KAZACHSTAN, the Soviet Union Republic where the climate and living conditions were more tolerable.

In 1942 the victorious German armies successfully invaded many countries and the Allies needed more men to fight. An agreement was made between Stalin and General Sikorski of the Polish Government to release Polish prisoners, what was left of them and to also release the deported families from the labour camps and other places. That agreement was called AMNESTY. The Polish Army, under the command of General ANDERS, himself a former prisoner in LUBIANKA Prison in Moscow, was formed. It was soon to be transferred across the Kaspian Sea to Persia, deliced, fed, uniformed in British Army uniforms with ‘Poland’ on the shoulders, retrained and soon sent out to fight on various fronts, i.e. Tobruk in North Africa, France, Narvik in Norway and Arnhem in Holland. The most important was the victorious battle of Monte Cassino in Italy which turned the course of the war for the Allies victory in Italy and the end of the war in Europe. Civilians who were also evacuated across the Kaspian Sea to Persia were dispersed to camps in India, Pakistan and Africa, mainly British East Africa for the duration of the war.

Polish Pilots joined the RAF and were renown for their courage and skill in battles with the German Luftwaffe, destroying 17% of German planes. At the peak of the air battles Winston Churchill spoke his famous words: ‘Never was so much owned by so many to so few’ – he must have also had the Polish Airmen in mind.

The Polish Navy, although small in terms of numbers of ships, took part in all major operations in the Baltic, the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Normandy landings. Polish destroyers and submarines escorted many British convoys in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and mainly to the Soviet Union to Murmansk.

When the war ended in 1945 the Polish Army came to England to be resettled or return to Poland. Poland was now a communist state (a satellite of the Soviet Union Empire) so returning back was unacceptable by many since many of the soldiers suffered imprisonment there. The choice was to emigrate to Canada, USA, Argentina or Brazil but many of us stayed in England since we fought the same common enemy together. We were therefore not immigrants looking for a better standard of living but political objectors to the communist system imposed on Poland.

In England the Army and RAF camps were empty, the American camps were also abandoned so these camps became the ideal places to house the demobilised Polish soldiers and their families who were coming to England slowly from India, Africa and Europe under the humanitarian policy of uniting families. Employment was fortunately available due to great reconstruction work necessary as a result of war damage and production for war effort. Everyone was proud to work with no paid holidays and basic wages. Those who registered for the National Assistance Board (Social Security) were first sent to factories to apply personally for a job and only if the employer refused to employ them they received a meager payment of £2 a week. That was repeated weekly until employment was found. Families and neighbours exerted pressure to work. To be unemployment reflected badly upon you. Young people joined university courses, although not always of their first choice, as priority was given to British ex-soldiers. These young people finished their studies often with distinctions and became leaders in many fields, not only in England but throughout the world. Children went to schools and  were praised for their talent to learn the English language quickly with many going on to University.

We started to rebuild our lives in a new adopted country. Most of us as naturalised citizens of our new Homeland. Communities settled in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and easily became integrated with the British population. The English language was learnt at work and at language courses, the best known was the lower and higher Cambridge Certificate.

 • Settling in Leicestershire

There were many military camps in Leicestershire, now abandoned, so families were housed there. Traveling to work in Leicester’s town centre was difficult as people did not have cars nor could they afford them. Soon they started to look at buying houses close to the town centre. A cheap and convenient area was Highfields. Polish people are generally Catholics so the religious needs were fulfilled by attending English Masses at the Holy Cross Priory in New Walk.

When a Polish Priest came to Leicester to look after our congregation, he organised Polish Mass at the Holy Cross at 12.00 noon after the English Masses ended. The Church was packed on Sundays. There were many weddings on Saturdays, soon many Christenings on Sundays and the community was growing by numbers; there were seven thousand of us then.

The Polish Saturday School was established as early as 1954, where children of all ages were taught the Polish Language, history, geography, religion and dancing. Soon ex-Combatants bought a house in University Road to use as their headquarters – they still own and use it.

The community and the priest also wanted to have their own church, so donations started, collections were made and after five years we had enough money to purchase an abandoned Methodist Church in Dale Street / Melbourne Road in the middle of the Polish population in Highfields. A Polish Architect, Mr. M. Weresz re-planned it somewhat especially the main altar area, the rest was left as it was with so much beautiful wood that we loved and the balcony doubled the sitting capacity. At three services on Sundays there was no empty seats and people had to stand at the back. There were many of us then and lots of children.

So here is the church, the hall for social functions and the club. Both centres: University Road and this present one were bought from community donations. We have not received any financial assistance from either the City or County Councils. In those days Government sponsored Neighbourhood Centres were unheard of. People of necessity relied on their own efforts to establish and maintain Centres for religious, social and cultural activities. This Centre is used by several member groups: the Choir known as ‘Halka’, Scouts, Girl Guides and the dance group ‘Polesie’ who perform Polish Folk dances not only for us but throughout the Country at English events. Senior members hold regular meetings here, which are important both as social opportunities and as a means of discussing their problems and needs as a Community. Ten years ago we started our Day Centre for the frail elderly. Social Services are supporting this project financially. We also have a Leicester-Polska football team – membership is extended to non-Polish origin also. But the very first Society was the Anglo-Polish Society initially established during the War to promote and strengthen friendly ties between Polish Servicemen and their English counterparts. Later it has proved to be a successful link between the Polish Community and the Local Government – Leicester City Council.

Now there are fewer of us worshiping here. The younger generation leave Leicester to take employment where it is available. There are also fewer children attending the Polish Saturday School. But the spirit of the Community is as strong as ever, now under the guidance of Father Tadeusz Kordys who came to us two years ago.

Copyright @2002