Personal Details

	Name:	Stanislaw (Stan) Brodzki
	Maiden Name:
	Nickname/Pseudonym:
	Gender:	Male
	Date of birth:	1920-11-03
	Place of birth:	Poland, Warszawskie, Płock, Płock
	Did this person die during World War ll?:	No
	Date of death:	2013-7-4
	Place of death:	Canada
	Cause of Death:
	Fathers given name:	Leon
Entry ID: 117189	Mothers given name:	Apolonia
	Mothers maiden name:
	Given name of spouse:	Maria
	Maiden name of spouse:	Gwiazdoń
	Given name(s) of children:	Marek
	Description:	• Stanisław was the second son born to Apolonia and Leon Brodzki of Płock, Poland - he had an older brother Jurek (George). At the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Polish Armed Forces at the Military School in Lida. He was arrested by the Soviets, was interned in Lithuania, transported to prisoner-of-war camps in the USSR, and then released when 'amnesty' was declared for Polish prisoners in the USSR. • He made his way south to join the Polish Army that was being formed in the Soviet Union, and enlisted. He completed military training in Jalalabad, and was evacuated to Persia (Iran) along with the Polish Army. He served some time in Iran and Iraq before traveling to India, Pakistan, boarded the PO Dilwara and sailed through to Mombasa, Kenya, to the port cities of Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, arriving in Liverpool aboard the SS Britannic. • In 1943, he resigned from the Army and joined the Polish Navy. Assigned to the “ORP Burza”, Stanisław saw action in the Azores, along the African coast to the Belgian Congo, in the North Atlantic and at Gibraltar. In 1946, when promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant of the Navy, he began a courtship with Maria Gwiazdoń. • They married in April 1947, welcomed a son, Marek, in 1948 and immigrated to Canada aboard the SS Atlantic in 1952. The family settled in Toronto where Stanisław began a 32-year career with de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, until retirement in 1985. • After the war he received successive promotions from the Polish Government, and held the rank of Lieutenant-Commander at the time of his death. • Stanisław believed in giving back to the community. He spent almost 50 years with the Polish Scouting Association of Canada, and over 30 years with the Canadian Polish Congress. In addition to serving as Chair for two terms, he oversaw some key initiatives: the Congress’ 25th anniversary celebrations; construction of the Katyń monument in Toronto, organization of a Katyń exhibition and advisor for the Katyń video; fundraising for the John Paul II House in Rome and the establishment of a Chair of Polish History at the University of Toronto. The Canadian Polish Congress and the Polish Scouting Association of Canada nominated Stanisław for a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and presented the medal to him at a private gathering in February 2013. • Stanisław became involved in “Polonia of the World” in the 1970s: first as co-organizer of the Washington conference, then as organizing Chair of the Toronto conference in 1978. His involvement continued in subsequent conferences in Rome, Paris, London, Chicago and Warsaw. His long-time work of fostering ties between Poland and Poles Living Abroad after 1989 was recognized at the 4th International Gathering of Poles in 2012, Warsaw. • Stanisław was a member of the Polish Naval Association of Toronto and participated in all of the World Rallies of Sailors in Poland. He initiated the twinning of two ship-museums that fought together in the Second World War: the HMSC Haida and the “ORP Błyskawica”. The official signing of the Sister Ship Agreement took place in Gdynia, Poland in June 2006 and in Hamilton, Ontario in September 2007. The project continues to this day. • In 2012 at Gdynia, Poland, the Commanding Officer of the Polish Navy bestowed to Lieutenant-Commander Brodzki a medal for his contribution and dedication to the Polish Navy. People, projects and the cottage in Kaszuby, emails and telephone calls from around the world, stories, traditions and meals at his table with family and friends are what Stanisław loved the most. • Information in this profile was obtained from Stanislaw when he was interviewed for the Virtual Museum, as well as from his online obituary.

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Personal Situation at the outbreak of WWll

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Military Experience

Other Wartime Circumstances

Other Wartime Circumstances

Residence After 1945

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