Born: April 28, 1904 in Kiev
Died: June 11, 1997 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Buried: Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Family: wife – Halina (nee Wojcieszonek); children: Bohdan, Teresa
Military status: major
Fates before World War II:
Romuald Witalis Wojciechowski was born in Kiev, April 28, 1904. When Polish troops, under Pilsudski, came to Kiev to get Polish citizens and descendants out before the Bolsheviks took over, the family moved to Wilno (Vilnius), Poland. Romuald, (Romek to all who knew him) finished his studies, but had to remain with the family for a few years to help them settle before continuing his studies. He then studied Mechanical Engineering at the Warsaw Polytechnical University where he completed his master’s degree. Romek was a proud member of the university cadet unit. He also organized a students’ club from the region of Wilno. After graduating he taught at a technical school in Lida (nowadays Belarus). In Lida he met Halina Wojcieszonek, whom he married on April 24, 1934. Their son Bohdan Wieslaw was born on January 29, 1935.
Romuald’s first job in the industry was as a mechanical engineer in the steelworks in Częstochowa. He next became Chief Mechanical Engineer at the steel mill in Katowice. Because of his cadet service at university, he was a lieutenant in the army reserve, and in 1939 he was called up for duty.
During the war:
After the fall of Poland in September 1939, he went through Romania, across southern Europe to France, with other members of his military unit. The group assembled with others near Vaucluse to begin training. When France fell, they had to leave or be interned. To get to Scotland the Polish troops commandeered a train from somewhere near Vaucluse and took it to Biarritz, on the west coast of France. Despite protestations from French (Vichy) authorities, they commandeered a ferry to take them to a British ship laying at anchor outside the nearby port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The British were no longer permitted to dock in France. The ship transported them to Scotland, where they again began to reform a Polish fighting force. In the meantime, his wife Halina and son, Bohdan, along with other family members, were taken by Russians (who occupied Eastern part of Poland from 17 September 1939) from Wilno to Kazakhstan.
Romek was part of the initial formation of the Polish Armed Forces in Scotland. As an engineer, was assigned to the Armored Division, maintenance section. After landing in France during the invasion in 1944, he oversaw tank repairs and maintenance on the field of battle. The Polish troops were incorporated into the Canadian forces and fought at Falaise and then along the shore of the channel. Through Belgium and the Netherlands, they proceeded to Wilhelmshaven (Germany), where they were when the war ended. Romuald ended the war as a Captain.
Postwar fates:
Halina and Bohdan managed to get out of the USSR and reunite with Romek in Scotland. Romek tried to establish a career in Scotland after the war, but the situation was not promising due to a lack of jobs and a lack of interest in foreigners as employees. A daughter, Teresa, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. The family debated about returning to Poland, but received word that friends, former officers, were not being well received, some were imprisoned. A friend from the Warsaw Polytechnical University, who already lived in Canada, suggested he could help Romek find a job and settle in Canada. Romek and his family arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in November of 1952. He began working for Link Belt Limited, where he remained until his retirement and as a consultant for some years after retirement.
He attended meetings and reunions of the First Armoured Division in Canada and the USA, but was not involved in the running of the organization. He was promoted to the rank of Major during these years. He belonged to the Polish Engineers Association of Toronto (SIP), which was affiliated with Polish engineering societies in Canada and the USA. This way, he kept in touch with many old friends. At one of the meetings, after retiring, an old friend, Leon Kowalczyk, also a Warsaw Polytechnic graduate and member of the First Polish Armoured Division, from Detroit, Michigan, suggested that Romek and Halina spend a winter in Bonita Springs, Florida. At the end of the first winter, Romek and Halina bought a small house in Bonita Springs, which they called their “winter cottage”. That was the beginning of many happy winters in Florida, reconnecting with fellow veterans and graduates of the Warsaw Polytechnical University, as well as entertaining visits from their children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.
Romuald died in Toronto, at age 93, on June 11, 1997, after a brief illness. His beloved Halina had Alzheimer’s by then. Halina passed away on April 27, 2003. They are both buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario, just north of Toronto.
author: Bohdan Wojciechowski, Canada
