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Emilia was born in Poland, with the out brake of
WW2 her family suffered the same fate as hundreds of thousands of
Poles, deported to Siberia and who later escaped with General Anders army
to Iran. Emilia's father went on to fight with the 2 corps thorough the
Middle East and Italy, whilst the rest of the family ended up in Polish
civilian camps in East Africa. |
Emilia's father was an officer in
the Polish army under General Anders Second Corps, he come to the England
as war ended and Emilia thinks he was stationed
in a the camp somewhere in Nottingham. In 1948 Emilia, her mother mother and siblings came to the UK and were place in Checkendon
Camp in Oxfordshire, were they were reunited with their father. |
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Emilia and her mother standing in
the doorway of their Nissen Hut with her younger sister
Basia sitting in the chair. |
Emilia with her brother Janusz and
sister Basia.
In the background is a row of Nissen
huts and water tower in the |
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Emilia remembers that life was
very hard for her parents, bringing up three children in a Nissen
hut with no running water and all amenities, had to be shared with
near by neighbours, but for the children living in the camp and for her as a
teenage it was fun. She made many friends and joined the local
organisations in the camp children and teenagers entertained
them selves riding bikes, walking, singing and dancing. Emilia belonged to the camps choir and "Soladicja Maryjna" a young people
Christian organisation. There
were weekly film shows and dances, Emilia particularly recalls the
dances that were held in the communion hall were she met
many young people of her age. The dances always started with a Polonaise
and at 12:00 am Mazurek was in order. |
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Emilia with some of her friends in
the camp |
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Marysia Swiderska on left |
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Emilia with friends enjoying one of
the many dances held in the large Nissen hut |
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After living in the camp for about two
years the family moved out and rented a flat on a second floor in
Reading Berks above some stores on Hosier Street they shared
the premises with two other families in the same building but separate floors
they still shared the bathtub and toilet.
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In the mid fifties the family moved to the
USA, where Emilia now live with my husband Eddy, five children
and 10 Grandchildren. |
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Emilia with mother Helenka and
sister Basia in Reading before emigrating to the USA |
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Page 1
Artical
and photos submitted by Czesław Adamczyk |
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Page 2 Current |
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