Polish life in the Launceston community by Leon Kolka
World War II Involvement - Carpathian Brigade Polish service personnel made up the fourth largest allied force in World War II fighting for the freedom of their native land. They fought heroically and were renowned for their loyalty, courage and determination which they displayed in many military campaigns such as Monte Cassino, Tobruk, El Alamein and the Battle of Britain. The Polish nation lost a [...]
Maria Grygiencza (2.2.1904 – 28.5.1989) by Rita Cawley
A REMARKABLE AND COURAGEOUS WOMAN – one of the thousands of Polish displaced persons who arrived in Australia between 1947 and 1957. Maria Grygiencza was born 2 February 1904 in a small village called Stara Dąbowa, near Grodno, in the eastern part of Poland. Her parents were Jan and Wiktoria Szoka. Maria was the youngest of three children; her brothers, Jozef and Michał were a few years older than she. Maria’s mother, Wiktoria died when [...]