Testimonies – Polish refugees in New Zealand

This is a memoir of Krystyna's time in Kazakhstan and her eventual coming to New Zealand as one of the Polish children who stayed at Pahiatua.

Dioniza describes all that the children learned from scouting, and how it helped them develop and grow.

Dioniza describes the different scouting groups that were set up at Pahiatua camp.

Dioniya describes what life was like at the Pahiatua camp, as well as the reaction when they learned about Yalta and that they would not be returning to Poland.

Dioniza describes the sea voyage on the ship, General Randall.

Already on the ship to New Zealand, Mrs Kozera the Chief Scout made plans to commemorate the Warsaw Uprising at a special campfire held in Pahiatua soon after the children’s …

Maria describes the holidays in New Zealand and the locals were good to the Polish children. She also describes how another child “diddled” her out of half a crown coin …

Maria explains the song in English.

Maria describes her stay in the hospital in Persia and talks about the lady who saved her from despair.

Maria describes the different ways in which the children would find sources of food while they were in Kazakhstan.

The New Zealand soldiers who cared for the children at the camp were very surprised at their bottomless appetites.

Describing how frightening it was to board the ship, and how they ended up crawling up. Also describes the voyage to Pahlevi.

On their first morning in Pahiatua, the children experienced rain for the first time in many years. They rushed outside to enjoy it.

Arriving in India, the children walked the kilometer or so to the camp. Walking beside each child was an Indian, who carried the child’s small suitcase. It was quite a …

One night, every child in the room witnessed what seemed to be a boy possessed by the Devil

Maria tells how her cousins were smuggled out of Poland by Jews leaving for Palestine, in thanks for having saved their children.

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

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

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 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 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 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.

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 …