Tadzik's Story

I was born in the osada of Ułańska Dola near Targowice in Poland and at the age of 16 in 1940 was deported with the family to Jar Archangelsk in Russia. I worked there in the forest as a lumberjack till the amnesty in 1942.

Jurek and Leon rushed to join the army. I along with my father (Stanislaw) mother (Maria) sister (Renia) younger brother Mietek followed them in the same direction some time later. The journey was long and very tiring. We had lost contact with Leon and Jurek and lost Renia when on one of the train stations she got off the train in search of food.

As the people were looking for lost relatives I also went back to the station where Renia got off the train, but without any luck of locating her. We got in touch with her through the RED CROSS after the war ended and found out she had managed to return to Poland.

I joined the Polish forces in Jangiful near Tashkent in Russia. Soon after as a soldier I went to Persia (Iran) Iraq and Palestine (Israel).

In Palestine our division was joined with the Carpatian Brigade and 3 DSK (3^rd Carpatian Division) was formed.

I took part in all the battles in Italy including the famous battle of Monte Cassino. As the war ended in 1945 I unfortunately lost one of my best friends during the battle of Loreto. He was killed as he stood right next to me. I visited his grave and many other friend’s graves when I visited Monte Cassino in 1973 and also again in 1994.

After the war I settled in Manchester when in 1956, I married Halina (Cieslak).

We have two children Edward and Hania, one granddaughter Asia and three grandsons Krzysio , Adam and Antos.

When they were younger they loved listening to what they used to call ‘Dziadzio’s Army Stories’ especially at bedtimes when they could not get to sleep!

Now as they are older they are more interested in the many medals which I have and about the meetings I attend at the Carpatian Organisation in Manchester. I am currently Vice president and Secretary and I recently represented them on a visit to the POSK in London.