Remembering the Poles in Scotland in the Second World War: the Beginnings.
Saturday 22 October 2022 at 4:30 pm
Dom SPK / Polish Ex-Combatants’ House 11 Drummond Place Edinburgh EH3 6PJ
During the Second World War, large numbers of Polish soldiers – their homeland occupied by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union – were stationed in various parts of Scotland. This talk, delivered by Robert Ostrycharz, a passionate researcher and talented storyteller, looks at the lives of these exiled troops in a new and very different country, and their relationships with the people of the areas in which they were stationed.
The talk covers the following areas:
– The unexpected arrival of the Polish Army in Scotland in the summer of 1940 and their initial welcome in Glasgow and Coatbridge.
– Their move to tented camps in Lanarkshire where these soldiers also became neighbours of the local population.
– The first deployments of units in the defence of Scotland and their roles.
– The establishment and growth of friendly relations with the local Scots in whose towns and villages the soldiers were located.
– An outline of these new connections in the social, educational, and cultural fields.
– The key role of the choirs of the Polish Army.
– The support of Scottish individuals and organizations.
The Polish threads that were sewn into Scottish society in the summer of 1940 grew further when the army in October moved to the counties of Perthshire, Fife, and Angus. Here, under Scottish Command, they were entrusted with the defence of Scotland in the central sector of the east coast of Scotland. Whilst new relationships were soon formed in many towns and villages of these counties between the Scots and the Poles, earlier links were not forgotten.
The talk will be followed by Questions and Answers and refreshments including a glass of wine.
This event has been organised as a part of a series of lectures financed by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh.
As the number of seats is limited, please register using the following link: Book tickets here