Testimonies – Polish refugees in New Zealand

Maria sings the song the lady taught her in the Persian hospital. Full text of the original song, by Teofil Lenartowicz (words) and Ignacy Komorowski (music): “Idzie sobie pacholę Przez …

Wanda describes the family taking in a POW and night bombings as the Soviets moved through Poland attacking the Germans.

Wanda describes returning to her town, from hiding, after the Soviet/German frontline had moved through in 1944 during the reoccupation.

Wanda describes Soviet soldiers bailing her up with a gun to question if she is Polish or German during the reoccupation.

Wanda describes travelling across Germany to the British Zone following the Soviet reoccupation and then leaving for the UK.

Wanda describes the Germans banning Polish and burning books/documentation during the German occupation.

Wanda describes getting into trouble with the SS during the German occupation and being lucky enough to be released.

Bernadette describes how the Polish girls had to step onto the road when passing German girls during the German occupation of Poland.

Bernadette retells how a Polish man from the town was taken by the Germans and drowned during the German occupation.

Bernadette describes the reoccupation and the night that they were hiding in a house in the forest as the Soviets fought the Germans, with Soviet patrols moving in and shooting …

Bernadette describes their journey back to their town after the Soviet reoccupation and their encounters with some of the Soviet soldiers along the way.

Bernadette describes living under Soviet reoccupation and the return of her father.

Jan describes the Soviet soldiers smashing up pictures of Saints on the morning of deportation.

Jan describes seeing dead Polish soldiers in the open carriages after the train stopped during deportation.

Jan describes his sister dying on the sledge on the way to the Russian camp.

Jan describes how they managed to sneak loaves of bread after his brother is assigned to a delivery job during forced labour in the USSR.

Jan describes how he and his brother Tomasz kept up their health in Turkmenistan by catching and eating turtles.

Jozef describes daily life in Teheran and how he and his friends chased scorpions for fun

Jozef describes the crossing to Bombay and how incredibly hot it was on the ship

Jozef describes the crossing to New Zealand and how food was available to them around the clock. They were thrilled to take advantage of every morsel they could get.

Jozef describes the scene when they arrived in Wellington and got off the ship. They were amazed at the number of people who came to greet them.

Jozef describes their arrival at the camp in Pahiatua and how upset the adults were because it was surrounded by a barbwire fence. The camp had been a POW camp …

Jozef describes how he and his friends took to making wine from the berries that grew in abundance around the camp. The enterprise was not very successful.

Jozef describes being caught drinking the wine and being banned from being an altar boy as a result.

Jozef describes how difficult it was for him to leave the camp school and go to a native school in the area.

Jozef describes how incredibly lonely he was when he ended up alone on the farm, away from all his mates. Having a bike helped a bit because it allowed him …

Jozef contacts the Ministry of Defence in the UK and learns that they have his father’s possessions and that they will send them to him via Diplomatic post. Jozef is …

Jozef lists the items that were among his father’s possessions, including a letter that his father had written to him but never got the chance to send.