At an officers’ school in Scotland (Association Mémoire du lycée polonais - Polish High School Memorial Association).

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Fighting
Reaching Britain

Reaching Britain

Chapters

1. Before
2. Origins
3. The participants
4. Daily life
5. ”A school unlike any other”
6. Fighting
7. Twilight
8. The aftermath
9. Today

One form of Resistance was to escape from France to Britain. This was attempted by more than ninety students and three teachers, and involved crossing the Pyrenees, and then travelling via Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Algeria etc. Several were intercepted. Those who succeeded joined officer training colleges and Polish divisions. They subsequently contributed to the liberation of Europe.

In a world at war, there was no question of the older high school students remaining inactive. Everything contributed to keeping them mobilised. The first form of resistance to the occupying forces was to escape from France to Great Britain, where the war against the Nazis continued. This required crossing the Pyrenees, and travelling via Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Algeria etc. More than ninety students and at least three teachers attempted the journey. Some were stopped and spent time at the Miranda del Ebro prison and internment camp before continuing on their way. Others were intercepted and deported to Germany or Austria. Others succeeded and joined officer training colleges and the Polish army (land, air and navy) in Great Britain.

6.3.1 “I set off.”

Escape routes (Les Villardiens, Ewa Valentin-Stączek)

—Stanislaw Kozlowski, student. Ewa and Yvonka Valentin 's account in Dans ce parc et dans cet hôtel, (In this Park and in this Hotel) reprinted in Des Résistants Polonais en Vercors (Polish Resistance fighters in the Vercors). PUG, 2011.

It was the beginning of 1944. I was a student at Grenoble University at the time. I set off with my high school friend, Zdzisław Stączek, first by train and then by bus to Bagnols-les-Bains. We stayed in a small hotel while waiting to leave for the border zone. Generally, these departures took place twice a week in groups of six to eight people.

First we had to get to Carcassonne. We were supposed to meet a man holding a Le Signal newspaper near the station news-stand. If he wasn ‘t there, we were to return to Bagnols, which is what happened the first time. On 25 March we tried again. This time the rendez-vous went as planned. We followed the newspaper carrier and boarded the train for Quillan. The stranger handed us over to the care of an energetic brunette who drove us out of the town. Afterwards, we had to climb a steep hill leading to some woods. The girl left us there, telling us that a Spanish guide would come and pick us up later that night. We set off with him into the darkness. After two hours, we were joined by another group of Canadian, British and American airmen, along with a few Poles who were older than us.

6.3.2 “We crossed the border without any problems.”

Stanislaw Kozlowski and Zdzisław Stączek in the streets of Barcelona (Polish Resistance fighters in the Vercors, Ewa Valentin-Staczek).

—Zdzisław Staczek, student. Ewa and Yvonka Valentin 's account in Dans ce parc et dans cet hôtel, (In this Park and in this Hotel) reprinted in Des Résistants Polonais en Vercors (Polish Resistance fighters in the Vercors). PUG, 2011.

That night we walked until five in the morning, climbing steep snow-covered slopes. We had to go up and then down again through water and snow, it was hellish. The guides let us rest until eight o ‘clock. We lit a fire to warm ourselves and dry our soaked gear before setting off again. Twelve hours later, we reached a hut that was too small for all twenty-eight of us. We split into two groups: the first would sleep while the second stood guard. Another hellish experience. The English were too exhausted. We were ashamed of them. When it was time to change shifts, we had to drag them out of bed; a struggle was inevitable. We hit the road again at seven in the morning, Another full day ‘s walk and we arrived near the border. The sky was heavy and it started to rain. We sheltered under a large rock and prayed that it wouldn ‘t stop: in weather like this, there wouldn ‘t be a soul outside. Our prayers were answered: we crossed the border without any problems and the rain stopped ten minutes later.

Once in Spain, after two days ‘ rest, we resumed our march and travelled in an overloaded lorry to Barcelona, with no fear of the Germans, and without a thought for Miranda del Ebro, the sinister concentration camp where so many of our unlucky comrades had perished. In Barcelona, our guides took us to stay in a Spanish woman ‘s apartment, and then to the Polish consulate to obtain clothes and papers. Life in Barcelona was like a fairytale: excellent food, comfortable beds, enough money… And freedom! On 28 April, we had to leave for Madrid, and from there take the train for Portugal and finally, at the southern border with Spain, embark at San Antonio on a large fishing boat for Gibraltar. At the customs checkpoint, we were given uniforms and a little money, but they took all our papers. After a week, we boarded the Ville d ‘Oran, bound for Oran. From there, we were transferred on a lorry which took us 30 km east of Algiers to an English camp for Italian and German military prisoners. Prisoners! The wind, the sand, the rain, the freezing cold nights, the baking hot days and the mosquitoes were relentless, not to mention the endless interrogations that made us curse the English as much as the Germans.

(Two months later, Zdzisław landed in Britain and was posted to the 16th Independent Liaison Squadron).

6.3.3 “We were transferred to the Miranda de Ebro concentration camp.”

The Miranda de Ebro concentration camp (Public domain).

—Kazimierz Dębski, student. Our school, 2017, based on Nasza Szkola, 1998.

In July 1941, we crossed the Pyrenees to reach Barcelona. We only walked at night along the railway tracks. Unfortunately, after a hundred kilometres, we encountered a Guardia Civil post and ended up in prison in Girona.

Who could have imagined that basketball would make life in prison easier! A competition was organised in the courtyard of the former convent. We put together a team with two other Poles and kept winning. Our supporters gave us bananas and milk, which enabled us to survive in a period when food was scarce.

Our Eldorado did not last long, as we were transferred to the Miranda de Ebro concentration camp. We were preceded by two classmates, Olgierd Romeyko and Karol Zawilski, who had been faster than us in the race to prison. There was also Stefan Lewandowski and Zbyszek Spławiński who had left for Spain in the spring of 1941 without waiting for the baccalaureate exams. We were later joined at the camp by Bolek Wróbel, Franek Uhma and Kazio Vogelgerson. This entire group of Villardians remained there for eighteen months before being released.

Before that, Heniek Mikołajczyk and I nearly managed to escape. Simulating the need for an appendectomy, we were sent to the prison hospital in a place near San Sebastian. At night, in torrential rain, we made our way to the operating theatre – the only room without grilles on the windows – and jumped from the first floor into the street. In the morning, we were in San Sebastian. Unfortunately, we were arrested again outside the British consulate: at the hospital, we had asked for too much information from a former member of the International Brigades of Polish origin, who then revealed the purpose of our escape.

We were sent back to the camp without being operated on; we refused the operation, because there was no point if we could not escape. On the way, we tried to escape again by jumping off the train as it was leaving. But gunfire from the escort obliged us to surrender and accept being taken back to Miranda.

Meanwhile, Rysiek Mańkowski had joined an underground group that was digging a tunnel from the camp chapel, under the fences and railway tracks, to freedom. Only three Poles managed to escape. Did the Spaniards discover the passage themselves or had someone betrayed them? Rysiek ended up back in detention with us.

When the Germans invaded the free zone in France, some Villardians joined us in the camp. We regained our freedom in 1943 after a hunger strike by several hundred Poles. I left Miranda with the first group to be freed.

6.3.4 The Polish Army of the West

Polish Army soldiers in Scotland (Association Mémoire du lycée polonais - Polish High School Memorial Association).

—After the defeat in May and the armistice in June 1940, the Polish Army of the West, then based at Coëtquidan, struggled to reach Great Britain.

It was gradually reconstituted and in 1944, at the time of the landings, became the third largest Allied army after those of the USA and the United Kingdom, with almost 200,000 men.

In letters to their biology teacher, Zofia Lukasiewicz.
Graczykowski/Zagorrski Stanislav, former student.

For all sorts of reasons, it is difficult for me to write about my journey from Grenoble to London, which lasted almost seven months. Since I have been in England, there are no longer times when I feel discouraged, the way I used to France. I am currently being taught to fly and, if all goes well, should be starting my first flights this summer. I am also studying chemistry, so I’ll have something when this war is over.

I feel so close to Villard and especially to the people who did everything they could to instil some knowledge in our rebellious heads. The further I get in life, the more I realise that it was no ordinary school. Villard has given each of us something more than the knowledge acquired in a high school.

Wladek Rzegocimski, former student.

I lead the life of a schoolboy who attends lessons, eats his meals and thinks about a comfortable bed. These words sound strange: a future pilot spending his time like this. Today ‘s aviation has become so sophisticated that we poor earthlings have to take courses for a year before we can fly through the air.

By a curious coincidence, the Villardians have been grouped together and so in my room are Moczorodymski, Wiglinski, Regent, Herman and Proksa. Czech, Trybubzewski, Blawdziewicz and Okrasa, who are more advanced in their training, spend all their time looking down at the world from above. From time to time, in the evening, the Villardian gang gets together and we drink English tea. The conversation begins with current affairs and ends with memories of a time when we led a carefree life, full of youthful joy.

Zbiguiew Niemczycki, former student.

Most of my comrades are in the same division, but in different branches, ranging from infantry to technical services. We had to overcome a lot of difficulties, one of which was being accepted for officer’s training. But many have completed the course and some are even second lieutenants. Sokolowski and Kolarz proudly display their stars. Zglinski, Jakimowicz and Klimczyk are in the air force in England. They ‘re doing very well. Altheim and Grodecki have completed their artillery training and are in England.

Most of the Villardians are serving in the Polish armoured division and for some months now we have been in constant contact with the enemy. We have suffered heavy losses. The graves of our six comrades are scattered along our Division ‘s battle route from Caen to Breda. Many were wounded and are either being treated in British hospitals or have returned to their units. A handful of us are still on the continent, safe and sound. Despite all these trials and tribulations, we remain steadfast and proud to be Villardians.

6.2Resist

In the storm6.4