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A short history of the Skotny Family -
information contributed by Beata Hanks. |
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Grandfather was granted 16
hectares of land round about 1923/24. This land was just south of the
small town of Cuman a few kilometres north west of Rowne, the Osada was
called Jagiellonów (Dubiszcze) - the correct address was Osada Jagiellonow,
Luck, Wolyn. They lived there until 1938 but moved to Osada Stepanówka,
Zdolbunów because the land wasn't good (my uncle Kasik said it was too
sandy). |
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My grandparents were Michał and Rozalia
Skotny, they originaly came from Czyżki, a village on the outskirts of
Lwów which, before WW2, was
part of Poland. They had
10 children, Stasia, Andrzej, Mietek, my mother Ludka, Tadzik, Marysia,
Kazik, Franek, Marian and Joasia. Andrzej was killed fighting in
the Polish Resistance, we never found out were he was buried. Luckily the
rest of the family survived the ordeal of war, deportations and exile. |
The journey to
England was traumatic and harrowing it started on the 10th of February
1940 when the NKVD ( Soviet security service, precursor to the better
known KGB) carried out mass deportations of the Polish
civilian population to the depths of Siberia. On that day over 100,000
people were displaced. People including my grandparents were given 1hr. to gather up their
belongings, whatever they could carry, and were taken to railway stations
where they were crammed into cattle trucks just like animals. Men, women, children,
young and old, had to endure extreme cold, hunger and fatigue while
being
transported into exile in various parts of Siberia, many did not
survive the journey. |
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After a three week journey our family
arrived at Szyczenga, Wołogodskaja Oblast. On March 3rd that year my
grandmother gave birth to her last child Jadzia. I cannot imagine how it
must been for her when you consider the comforts we now have when we have
our children. They
lived in primitive accommodation and all had to work in the forest just to earn enough
to survive. The men were chopping down trees and the women and children
hacking away the branches. This went on for nearly 19 months. |
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With the German attack on the Soviet Union in
June 1941, came a short window of hope. General Władysław
Anders organised a Polish Army in Russia and all able bodied men
and women, and in many cases families, that were able to reach recruitment
centres signed up and left Russia through Iran to join our British
allies in the middle
East. My Grandfather, my mother Ludka and uncles Mietek, Tadzik and Kazik
also joined the Anders army ready to fight for their
freedom. |
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Seated are my grandparents Michał and Rozalia Skotna nee Lecyk with their
children. |
Marian the youngest son
standing by my grandfather, behind him is Marian, , Marysia |
Mietek. Ludka my mother,and
Stasia. The two girls are Jadzia and Teresa. |
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Franek Skotny, Marysia Baran nee Skotna, Mietek Skotny,
my mother Ludka Nikiel nee Skotna,
my grandmother Rozalia Skotna nee Lecyk, Stasia Bogacz nee Skotna, children Jadzia
born in a labour camp Szyczenga and Teresa, Stasia's daughter,
born in Africa. |
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My mother and two of her brothers joined Gen. Anders' army
as cadets (Junacy) and were sent to Palestine. Mum eventually was promoted to
Sergeant in the WAAF and stationed at RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire.
Her brother Mietek fought at Monte Cassino and, until his
death in 2007, carried a bullet near his spine as a memento. |
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With the Polish army came thousands of
civilians, women, children and the elderly, all making a bid for freedom.
They were dispersed into Displaced Persons camps throughout Africa and
India. My grandmother with the younger children Marysia, Franek, Marian
and Józia were sent to Africa and spent the rest of the war in a refugee
camp called Tengeru in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). |
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Rozalia Skotna with her daughter
Stasia Bogacz and Stasia's son Zbyszek. In the background is their
Nissen hut. |
Stasia Skotna and her brother
Kazik Skotny |
Marysia Skotna. Standing in
the nissan hut door is Stasia Bogacz nee Skotna and my "Babcia"
grandmother Rozalia Skotna. |
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My grandparents and the younger children
sailed to England from Mombasa on the Empire Ken arriving in Southampton
on 4th December 1948. They were housed in a Nissen hut at East Moor camp in Yorkshire,
on the photos you can see the huts the family lived in, and
eventually settled in Leeds. |
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Andrzej Skotny in East Moor Camp. |
Stasia Skotna nee Stanisławska
with her first baby Andrzej and nephew Zbyszek Bogacz. |
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Every six weeks or so, my parents would take my sister
and I to Leeds to visit the family and, oh boy, was it rowdy. The food was
non stop, the songs were non stop the joy at being together was only
tempered by the underlying sadness of the lost years. My one regret is
that I did not listen closely when they talked about the deportation to
Russia. |
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Plan of East Moor Polish Camp |
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Please Note: This is an approximation of the layout drawn from memory |
Below are residents my uncle Kazik remembers living on
the various sites. |
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Site 3 |
Winnik |
Dmoch |
Fąfara |
Chawliczek |
Bobek |
Litwin |
Sokołowski |
Dul |
Choleksy |
Wierciński |
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Site 5 |
Dytrych |
Sachanek |
Pakuza |
Trojanowski |
Wojsa |
Baran |
Bogacz |
Stanisławski |
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Site 6 |
Onofriankowa |
Smoliński |
Szwargiel |
Portecki |
Uryń |
Wilk |
Paciorkowska |
Trojan |
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Site 7 |
Kowalewski |
Maj |
Zalega |
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Site 8 |
Chajduk |
Kaczerowski |
Podchorodecki |
Przyszlak |
Pióro |
Mazur |
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Mr Kurtjanek lived and worked on
Sick Bay |
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Thank you to Beata Hanks for the information and photos. |
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Article and Photo from The Yorkshire Herald
dated Friday July 7th 1950 |
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Polish girls from the East Moor Camp who danced in
their national costumes at Newburgh Priory field day of the North
Riding British Red Cross Society. |
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If you lived in the camp and would like to share your
memories and photos please contact
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Page 1
East
Moor
camp |
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Page 2
Current Page |
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Page 3
Anna PRZYSZLAK memories and photos. |
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Page 4
East Moor Photo sents in by Teresa BIELIŃSKA
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Page 5
Sutton
on the Forest cemetery |
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Home |
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