CHECKENDON 1

 
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.
 

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

   
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.
 

Emilia with some of her friends in the camp

  Marysia Swiderska on left  
 

Emilia with friends enjoying one of the many dances held in the large Nissen hut

 
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.
 
In the mid fifties the family moved to the USA, where Emilia  now live with my husband Eddy, five children and 10 Grandchildren.
 
 

Emilia with mother Helenka and sister Basia in Reading before emigrating to the USA

 
  Page 1  Artical and photos submitted by Czesław Adamczyk
  Page 2   Current
  Home
 

Life in a typical Polish DP Camp Northwick Park

in Gloucestershire

List and Information

on other family CAMPS

Education

Polish Boarding Schools

Ships' Names and passenger lists

of  Polish DPs from Africa and Europe.

List of Polish Resettlement Corps Camps

.1946-1948

 

Messageboard and  

Guest book

Your

personal

STORIES

Archive

Guestbook

>

 Links