Aquila Polonica - Poland WW2

01/31/2025

"A cache of over 500 artifacts from Auschwitz has been revealed after spending 80 years hidden in an attic.

"The vast collection including children's shoes, prisoner uniforms, suitcases of deported Jews, children's toys, and SS belongings were handed to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Subcamps Foundation (FPMP) by an elderly lady."

An incredible discovery even 80 years on, full story at TVP World:

The relics were collected after the war during efforts to ‘clean’ Auschwitz.

01/30/2025

"Human remains and a hand-gr***de from WWII have been found during excavation work at the Canadian embassy in Poland.

"Builders stumbled upon the grim discovery at an unspecified location in the embassy’s sprawling complex in the capital Warsaw on Friday.

"According to local media, an archaeologist and prosecutor were at the scene along with specialized police units and sappers called in to secure the gr***de."

A grim reminder of the history laying just beneath Poland's capital city, full story at TVP World:

Builders carrying out excavation work made the grim discovery on Friday.

01/29/2025

"A rare manuscript of 'Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op. 52' by renowned Polish composer Frédéric Chopin has been added to the collection of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw.

"Its rarity derives from it being an autograph – a music manuscript written in its composer’s hand. It is one of only two known existing autographs of the composition. One of those is kept in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, while the other for years remained in private hands.

"The museum has purchased the latter, which it is now displaying to visitors for a limited period of time."

A great find for Poland, full story at Notes from Poland:

Chopin Museum in Warsaw adds rare music manuscript to collection Jan 24, 2025 | Culture Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded throu...

01/28/2025

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given a firm green light to Poland’s long-standing requests to exhume the remains of tens of thousands of Poles killed during the Volhynia Massacre, Poland’s parliamentary speaker said on Monday.

"Speaker Szymon Hołownia said that Kyiv officially had approved the exhumation process earlier this year, and had been repeated ahead of commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

"The Volhynia Massacre, carried out by Ukrainian nationalists during World War Two, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 Poles in the then-Polish regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia."

Maybe the victims of this terrible tragedy can finally be properly laid to rest. Read about this step in the right direction at TVP World:

Kyiv officially approved the exhumation process earlier this year.

01/27/2025

On this day 80 years ago soldiers of the 322nd Rifle Division of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated the German concentration camp of Auschwitz. While 7,000 prisoners were freed, it eventually became known that over a million people had been killed at the camp as part of Hi**er's Final Solution. The date of the camp's liberation is now remembered as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"WATCH LIVE: Holocaust survivors, world leaders mark Auschwitz anniversary in Poland"
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3475913,watch-live-holocaust-survivors-world-leaders-mark-auschwitz-anniversary-in-poland

"UPDATE 2: Holocaust survivors, world leaders mark Auschwitz anniversary in Poland"
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3475848,update-2-holocaust-survivors-world-leaders-mark-auschwitz-anniversary-in-poland

"EXPLAINER: Why the term 'Polish death camps' is misleading and inaccurate"
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7789/Artykul/3475785,explainer-why-the-term-polish-death-camps-is-misleading-and-inaccurate

01/25/2025

"One man's daring mission to infiltrate Auschwitz revealed its atrocities to the world – this is his story.

"On 27 January 1945, prisoners at the main camp of Auschwitz watched as the soldiers of the First Ukrainian Front came and opened the gates under the mocking words of 'Arbeit Macht Frei' ('Work Makes Freedom'). After more than four years of terror, they were finally being set free.

"During its first year of operation, little was known about the camp's activities, until one man decided to risk his life to find out."

"To the guards and other prisoners, this man was Tomasz Serafiński, prisoner number 4859, a Jew who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But to a small group of an underground resistance group against N**i Germany, his name was Witold Pilecki, second lieutenant in the army, an intelligence agent, a husband and father to two children and a Catholic."

A good humanizing article about Polish hero and Auschwitz volunteer Witold Pilecki at the BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250113-the-man-who-volunteered-for-auschwitz

We continue to publish Captain Pilecki's firsthand report on his mission inside Auschwitz in English as our book "The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery", available here:
https://www.amazon.com/Auschwitz-Volunteer-Beyond-Bravery/dp/1607720108

One man's daring mission to infiltrate Auschwitz revealed its atrocities to the world – this is his story.

01/24/2025

"A man who worked for the 'underground forces' at the age of 14 in Poland when Germany invaded his country has celebrated his 100th birthday in Cwmbran House Care Home.

"He said: 'It’s lovely but it’s only a number. It’s a high number. It doesn’t mean anything to me just makes me feel old that’s all. It comes to all of us.'

"He shared his experiences of World War II when he started helping his country as a 14-year-old before joining the 2nd Polish Corps."

A Home Army and Polish II Corps veteran of World War II! Full story at Cwmbran Life:

Explore the extraordinary life of Stan Stuart, a man who joined the 'underground forces' at 14 years old during World War II and now lives in Cwmbran

01/23/2025

"Music written by concentration camp inmates will be heard for the first time in 80 years as part of a new documentary charting one man’s quest to piece together incomplete musical manuscripts stored in the archives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum.

"Titled ‘The Lost Music of Auschwitz’, the 90-minute documentary will air on Sky Arts on Monday, one week before the camp commemorates the 80th anniversary of its Liberation."

An amazing revival, story TVP World:

Incomplete scores written in the concentration camp have been recomposed using ‘musical detective work’.

01/22/2025

"War veterans and representatives of Warsaw city authorities gathered on Monday at the grave of Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, the legendary World War Two ‘Courier from Warsaw’. He died in Warsaw 20 years ago, on January 20, 2005, aged 90.

"The director of the Warsaw Rising Museum, Jan Ołdakowski, said in his remarks during the remembrance ceremony that Nowak-Jeziorański’s message of patriotism has lost nothing of its relevance.

"'After the fall of the 1944 Warsaw Rising, he firmly believed that Poland can never be alone', Ołdakowski stressed, recalling Nowak-Jeziorański’s lobbying for Poland’s membership in NATO."

A true hero and patriot of Poland. Full details at Polskie Radio:

War veterans and representatives of Warsaw city authorities gathered on Monday at the grave of Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, the legendary World War Two ‘Courier from Warsaw’. He died in Warsaw 20 years ago, on January 20, 2005, aged 90.

01/21/2025

"Genetic analysis of remains found at a medieval burial site in central Poland has confirmed their Scandinavian origin, marking the first evidence of Viking settlement in that particular Polish region.

"Researchers have described the finding as 'remarkable'. They hope it can lead to a better understanding of the presence of Vikings in what is now Poland and their relationship with the first Polish state, which was formed around the same time.

"The burial site in question dates to around the first half of the 11th century and is located in what is now the town of Lutomiersk, near the city of Łódź. It was in fact first identified in the 1940s, with subsequent excavation work uncovering human remains in graves lavishly furnished with artefacts of Scandinavian origin."

A very interesting historical find! Full story at Notes from Poland:

Viking remains at medieval burial site in Poland confirmed by DNA testing Dec 29, 2024 | History Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is fun...

01/19/2025

January 19, 1941: The Polish Navy receives the submarine ORP Sokół (Falcon) from the British Navy. Thus began the career of one of the ‘Terrible Twins.’

ORP Sokół was a brand-new British U-class submarine which was leased to the Polish Navy by the Royal Navy for the duration of WWII, along with its sister sub, ORP Dzik (Wild Boar).

On January 19, 1941 the Polish banner was raised for the first time over ORP Sokół, under the command of Commander Borys Karnicki. As Michael Peszke describes in his book “Poland’s Navy: 1918-1945,” the Poles and the British went out of their way to make this a big publicity occasion.

As the war progressed, ORP Sokół and ORP Dzik racked up such an outstanding record in sinking enemy ships in the Mediterranean, that the British dubbed them “the Terrible Twins.”

In November 1941, after Sokół had already begun its illustrious string of victories, Polish Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief General Władyslaw Sikorski presented the sub with a Jolly Roger flag, on which its exploits would thereafter be recorded.

Altogether, during her wartime service Sokół sank or damaged 19 enemy vessels of about 55,000 tons in total. All of the commanding officers of the boat, (Lieutenant Commander Karnicki, Lieutenant Commander Koziołkowski and Captain Bernas) were awarded the Virtuti Militari. The full patrol records of the ORP Sokół are stored at the National Record Office, Kew, England.

01/18/2025

"On this day, 80 years ago, Soviet and Polish military formations entered Warsaw bringing an end to years of N**i occupation—however, this did not bring liberation but a new wave of terror and repression."

A good read at TVP World about the so-called 'liberation' of Warsaw during World War II. It happened months after the Red Army stopped outside the city boundary and let the German Wehrmacht crush the Polish resistance forces during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising:

Free as Warsaw was from the N**is, January 17 ushered in a new wave of terror and repression.

01/17/2025

"'We should know this story to prevent its return,' says FM Sikorski during visit to Cold War Museum

"The exhibit, which is open only on weekends in January, houses a map of Soviet plans for an invasion of Western Europe, which Minister Sikorski declassified in 2006 when he was Poland's Minister of National Defense."

We should not neglect the lessons that history has to teach us. Full story at Polskie Radio:

The exhibit, which is open only on weekends in January, houses a map of Soviet plans for an invasion of Western Europe, which Minister Sikorski declassified in 2006 when he was Poland's Minister of National Defense.

01/16/2025

"An upcoming event in southern Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the N**i German Auschwitz death camp will focus on victims, not politicians, the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum has said.

"'I will not allow this commemoration at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum to become a platform for political, diplomatic or legal debates,' Piotr Cywiński said in an interview with Onet, a Polish news outlet."

Full story at Polskie Radio:

An upcoming event in southern Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the N**i German Auschwitz death camp will focus on victims, not politicians, the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum has said.

01/15/2025

"303 Squadron: These Polish Fighter Pilots Won the Battle of Britain

"Having already been 'blooded' in combat through the not just the invasion of their own homeland but their contributions to fight against the invasion of France in 1940, they actually had more combat experience than most of their British counterparts and they employed superior tactics."

An excellent read at National Interest about the RAF's most successful fighter squadron during the decisive Battle of Britain, that happened to be made up of Polish veteran pilots:
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/303-squadron-these-polish-fighter-pilots-won-battle-britain-214381

If you want an even more detailed account of their heroics from their own accounts, then check out our book "303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron" by Arkady Fiedler:
https://www.amazon.com/303-Squadron-Legendary-Britain-Fighter/dp/1607720051
And its book trailer:
https://vimeo.com/963582010

Having already been “blooded” in combat through the not just the invasion of their own homeland but their contributions to fight against the invasion of France in 1940, they actually had more combat experience than most of their British counterparts and they employed superior tactics.

01/14/2025

"A group of Polish diplomats who aided Jews during World War II have been posthumously awarded the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal by US President Joe Biden, the Polish foreign ministry has announced.

"It said Biden on December 12 signed an act recognising 60 diplomats from 28 countries, including five from Poland, for their efforts to rescue Jews from N**i persecution during the Holocaust.

"The Polish honorees include Aleksander Ładoś, who led a group of Polish diplomats based in Bern, Switzerland that fabricated passports for Jews to save them from the Holocaust."

Well deserved honors for the recently uncovered Ładoś group, who saved thousands of lives during World War II! More info at Polskie Radio:

A group of Polish diplomats who aided Jews during World War II have been posthumously awarded the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal by US President Joe Biden, the Polish foreign ministry has announced.

01/13/2025

"Possibly the greatest footballer in Poland’s history, but now largely forgotten, Ernest Wilimowski’s story is one of glory, betrayal and the upheaval of Central Europe’s tragic 20th century.

"There is nothing football fans hate more than a traitor. Think of Barcelona supporters throwing a pig’s head at Luis Figo during a match after he moved to arch-enemies Real Madrid. Or Tottenham Hotspur fans burning an effigy of Sol Campbell when he ran down his contract and moved to North London rivals Arsenal on a free transfer.

"But it would be hard to find a greater example of betrayal than that of Ernest Wilimowski. After being the Polish national team’s star player in the 1930s, during World War Two he switched allegiance and played eight matches for N**i Germany, which was brutally occupying Poland."

An interesting read about one of Poland's greatest footballers, whose career took a massive controversial turn as a result of World War II. Full story at Notes from Poland:

Traitor or legend? How one Poland’s greatest footballers ended up playing for N**i Germany Jan 7, 2025 | Culture, History Keep our content free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non...

01/11/2025

"Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the decision to begin the exhumation of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) from World War II. The first exhumation efforts are set to start in the spring of 2025, confirmed the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"On Friday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Paweł Wroński announced that exhumations in Volhynia will begin in the spring, in accordance with Ukrainian law and after the signing of the relevant documents by the National Memory Institutes of both countries."

Hopefully big progress on this painful episode of history, the victims deserve dignity. Full story at Polskie Radio:

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the decision to begin the exhumation of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) from World War II. The first exhumation efforts are set to start in the spring of 2025, confirmed the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.