Born: February 27th, 1919, Nakło Śląskie (Silesia, Poland)
Died: March 13, 2011, Canada
Burial: St. Catherines, Ontario Canada
Fates before joining 1st Polish Armored Division:
Paul (Paweł) during the Second World War escaped from Poland and made his way to France, arriving by ship from Yugoslavia. There, he joined the French forces and was stationed in Lyon, France. One particularly interesting detail is that he was a member of the Norway Merchant Navy during the 1940s. In recognition of his contributions to Norway, he was awarded the Norwegian War Medal in 1999.
Military service in 1st Armored Division:
Later, he found himself in England, where he became a part of the Polish 1st Armored Division and served in the 1st Podhale Rifles Battalion (1 Batalion Strzelców Podhalańskich) under this Division. He participated in battles in the Netherlands, Normandy, Belgium, and other locations as part of the Northern Campaign.
After War:
In Canada, he was the past president of the Royal Canadian Legion Polish Branch 418 and he, like many Polish veterans, was active in preserving the memories of many soldiers that were part of the World Wars.
author : Robert Stanczyk
source : archives of Orliński Museum, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
