DODDINGTON POLISH CAMP Cheshire1946

DODDINGTON POLISH CAMP Cheshire1946-1960

In the heart of the Cheshire country side on Lord Delves Broughton's estate near to Wybunbury stands Doddington hall. Overlooking the lake this grade 1 mansion designed by Samuel Wyatt, is set in gardens landscaped by Capability Brown.

Doddington hall

The tower

you can just see the Hall on the right


Doddington Park on the A 51 between Nantwich and Woore.	The map shows camp 1 camp 2 and 3 that formed Doddington camp.

In the 1940s the land in front of the mansion was requisitioned by the MOD and a very large army camp was built. The camp buildings obstructed the view of a historic tower and the remains of a demolished castle. The tower still stands at the far end of the field. The camp was built to house the Free French and then the American Army in preparation for the invasion of Europe.


Rows of timber framed huts that were home to Polish families.

The camps, numbered 1,2 and 3 consisted of over a hundred buildings of various type and size. The majority were barracks or huts made of timber with the outside walls covered with bitumen felt coated with tar, and a corrugated asbestos roof. The floors were concrete, with metal framed windows and a door at each end of the building. A single cast iron coke burning stove in the middle of the hut was the only source of heat. These huts were used as accommodation for the soldiers. There was electricity in the huts but no running water.

Pre-fabricated concrete buildings housed communal washrooms, showers and toilet blocks which were strategically placed around the camp.

A number of large black corrugated metal Nissen huts housed the cookhouse, dinning mess, entertainment and dance hall, a sick bay and a place for worship, a typical WW2 army camp.

Polish troops in Doddington

The first families arriving in 1946 /7 had to make the best of coexisting in the open space of the barracks as two or three families had to share this area.

A modicum of privacy was achieved by hanging curtains or blankets from the rafters. With no cooking facilities, a communal kitchen and dinning room served the residents four to five meals a day. By 1950/51 the authorities converted the barracks into two or three bedroom flats installing cooking ranges so people could fend for themselves.

Kitchem staff outside the Nissen hut kitchen - 1947

Inside the dinning room

Józef Skora, Mrs. Kotarska, Mrs. Tomczak photographed with a few of the Doddington communal kitchen staff 1950s

Most Poles are devout Roman Catholics and it is their faith that helped them to survive the war, exile and years in the wilderness. They came to the camps as total strangers from every part of what was Poland before the war and from all walks of life. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, university lectures and aristocrats mixed with farmers, factory workers and simple country folk. This diverse mix of people had to build a new way of life and forge a coherent community in a new country, this did not come easily as every group had its own axe to grind.

The camp was administrated by the National Assistance Board (NAB) with an English Warden helped by a handful of English speaking Polish officials. It was the Education Organiser's responsibility to liaise with all these groups, forging them together through education and social activities such as amateur dramatic society, choir, dance group, sewing and handicraft courses.

The authorities expected that all able bodied persons had to find work to pay their rent, electricity, coal for heating and other basic necessities. Some of the people were employed within the camp as kitchen, nursery, medical and general maintenance staff, but the majority had to find work outside the camp's environment.

Doctors, nurses and staff outside the camp's sick bay 1947

Evening sewing class 1950; Mrs. Tomczak, Malwina Kosarew, Janina Kuś, Mrs. Niewdach

A serious impediment to finding work was the language barrier. Learning a new language in middle age was a struggle so the camp authorities, with the aid of the Educational Organiser, laid on evening English classes for adults. Work was found in local industries, Crewe Works being the largest employer. Others worked in coal mines and the pottery industry. Many educated, professional people with good English skills had to accept low paid menial jobs in coal mines and factories because of objections from trade unions. In time most picked up the language but the over 60s never fully mastered the skill.

A National Assistance Board at the entrance to the camp.

Halina Wolan	Maria Wirkus
Katarzyna Lupa	Jadwiga Katkiewicz
Maria Niechciał	Hermina Golas
Czesława Kamińska	Helena Dobrzyńska
Halina Gutman	Anna Auer
Agnieszka Babisz	Helena Chanerley
Janina Sitek	Barbara Auer
Irena Kropielnicka	Janina Wollowicz
Maria Lasota	Helena Szpak
Halina Piekarska	Wilhelmina Grabowska
Rita Anikin	Genowefa Zaczek
Michalina Januchowska	Wanda Sogatis
Anna Socha	Anna Rogowska
Maria Fiederowicz	Anna Budarkiewicz
Maria Ejgird	Janina Chrzanowska
Katarzyna Pasławska	Kazimiera Misiuna
Maria Nykiel
Jadwiga Dudziak

LIST OF THOSE ENROLLED FOR THE SEWING COURSE IN 1953

The winter of 1947 came as a shock to new arrivals from Italy and the African continent with no winter clothing. A number of local charitable organizations provided help and support. One such organisation that supplied gifts of warm clothing and food for the Polish children in a number of camps, was the National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC) in the USA. People were also encouraged to help themselves by mending and altering donated clothes to make them fit their new owners.

Children in receipt of gifts from National Catholic Welfare Council

Conditions in the camp were, by no stretch of the imagination, ideal for families to live in but after years in the wilderness, being pushed from pillar to post, Poles were happy to have some stability and a roof over their heads. Life had to go on and in time the camp transformed itself into a vibrant Polish community, observing their faith and traditions.

Education

During the war the Polish Government in Exile in London, in the most difficult of circumstances, provided a broad range of educational facilities for exiled Poles. Primary and secondary schools served displaced children in camps in Africa, India, the Middle East and liberated areas of Europe. When war ended, the British Government withdrew recognition of the Polish Government in Exile. To ensure that children and young people did not miss out on their education the British Government established an autonomous Committee for the Education of Poles in Great Britain chaired by Sir George Gater and working under the auspices of the Polish Resettlement Act 1947. Publicly funded it become responsible for adult, nursery, and primary education in National assistance Board Camps and also a number of grammar and secondary modern boarding schools.

Children from the nursery 1947/8

Doddington was a large camp capable of housing over 1000 people and in 1947 a creche, infant and junior school was opened in the camp catering for around 300 children age 2 to 15 that arrived there with their parents. The creche staffed by a number of resident mothers and qualified nursery nurses enabled women to go out to work. The infant and junior school had qualified Polish teachers and great emphases was placed on teaching children to read and write in Polish, Polish history, traditions and heritage.

Children, staff and parents outside the creche building1948

Inside the creche 1948

Children that picked up the language quickly were sent to local English schools St. Ann's RC in Nantwich, Bridgemere Primary school and Wybunbury Primary school. To ensure that the children attending English schools did not forget their mother tongue a Saturday Polish School was set up in the camp. Not all were happy to give up their Saturday mornings. In the end it all paid off, as that generation of youngsters became bi-lingual and integrated into the British community with ease but still keeping their Polish identity custom's and traditions to this day.

1954 infant school

1955 junior school

Some of the names in the photo above 1955

Father Tadeuz Urbanski, Teacher Mrs. Hepel,

Halina Pogonowska, Staszek Niedzielski, Kordian Swistek,

Ania Borowska, Rysieak Kuś, Basia Lupa, Zbyszek Zatrupka,

Irena Sobuta, Eląbiets Sikorska, Tadek Zakszaski

Photo left headmaster Mr Pielucha

Bozena Swistek, Ewa Smolka, Krystyna Kolociew, Zosia Pialucha, Barbara Bialozorska and Krystyna Trembaluk. Some of the boys are (from right to left) are Wladek Sokol, Rysiu Sobuta, Andrzej Chanerley, Zbysui Glinski, Stefan Urbas, Zbysui Kaplan, Jurek Czaplinski and Heniek Rogulski.

Doddington was one of a number of camps that housed some of the boys and girls that were ether orphaned, part orphaned or just separated from their families by the war. In August 1947, as a temporary measure, one of the huts close to the entrance of the camp, was allocated to house about 60 or so of these children aged between 6 and 17. They were cared for by their house master Mr. Nagóski, and all attended the camp's school so that they could continue with their education until such time as they could be either reunited with their families or adopted.

Most of these young people, completed their education in the Committee's Polish secondary boarding schools. Girls went to Stowell Park camp in Gloucestershire, boys to Bottisham camp in Cambridgeshire, a co-educational school in Diddington camp Huntingdonshire and a Technical school in Lilford Northamptonshire. The five to eleven year olds were sent to Shephalbury Mansion boarding school near Stevenage.

Outside the school 1947

Girl Guides 1947

Faith and Polish Traditions

One of the huts converted into a church - a view of the altar.

Finding themselves in a strange country, not speaking the language, poles found strength and solace in their faith and it was important to them to instil that faith in their children. Doddington camp was no exception, a church was soon established in one of the barracks. Sunday masses and daily services were always well attended.

Every year a Corpus Christi Procession wound its way through the camp, past the Nissen huts and barracks, bringing together the whole community in an act of worship and celebration. Young and old, come rain or shine, people in their Sunday best, little girls dressed in white, older girls in national costume creating almost a carnival atmosphere.

The following photos are of Corpus Christi processions from various years.

The four altars where built around the camp and decorated by various organisations active in the camp.

It was also a day where children took the centre stage and one which many remember to this day.

Corpus Christi Processions

from various years in the 1950s

First Holy Communion from various years.

Back row, some of the teachers Mr. Grycewicz, Mr. Czapliński, Fr. Mieczysław Stasz, head teacher Mr. Piałuch. Some known names of the children - Helena Szpak, Krysia Rorbach, Andrzej Grycewicz, Jan Czerski, Andrzej Kucharski.

Fr. Władysław Puchalski, Zdzisia Zakrzewska, Andrzej Jackowski Wanda Banas, Staszek Zakrzewski, Basia Kosarew, Michalina Gorajewska, Teresa Kołociew.

Parents and children against the backdrop of one of the Nissen Huts.

A visit by Prelate Bronisław Michalski celebrating one of many children's First Communion

Polish scouts and guides

Mr. Hruch with the camp's scout group

The red poppy and sunburst troop.

Traditions

Polish History is steeped in tradition and culture. Commemorating the 3rd. of May Polish Constitution Day was celebrated every year in all Polish camps, Doddington being no exception. The camp's children dressed in national dress, usually made for them by their mothers, delighted the audience and parents as they recited Polish poetry and danced traditional Polish dances


Basia Auer, Klara Grycewicz, Urszula Łyszczucka, Leonis ?	Wanda and Julek Socha	Wanda Socha


Children on stage singing "Witaj Majowa Jutrzenko" (Welcome this May Dawn) is always sung on the 3^rd of May - Constitution day.

On the 6th of December St. Nicholas visits all good children bearing gifts.


Jurek Sitek reciving a gift from St, Nicholas.	Polish children receive presents not only at Christmas but also on the 6th of December St. Nicholas day.


Father Christmas visiting children in the camp's sick bay.	Carol singers with a Crib and Stars "Szopka and Kolędnicy

The post war Polish community in the UK encompassed not only all the social, professional, ethnic and religious groups found in Polish society but also a huge range of war experiences and personal suffering. Most cherished a dream of returning to a free Poland and picking up their lives from where they left them. Sadly this dream could not be realised. Few lived to see their homes and families in an independent Poland.

Tadusz Wąs was one of them. As a young man he studied fine art at the Institute of fine art in Kraków, specialising in mural painting and stained glass. He had just graduated with honours when war broke out bringing to a halt his artistic ambitions. Tadeusz became a soldier fighting for Poland's freedom in the hope of returning to his country and building a career in his specialised subject. Sadly fate denied him his dream. The end of the war did not bring Poland its freedom. Tadeusz with thousands of other Polish soldiers had to build a new life in a new country. He settled in Doddington Camp where he met and married and brought up a family, earning a living as a painter and decorator for Crewe Council, a sad waste of his artistic talent. In his spare time he resumed his love of painting and, in 1996 at the age of 79, he achieved his dream of his first one man exhibition. More exhibitions followed in renowned art galleries including those in Manchester and Glasgow. Mr. Wąs died in 2005 but his legecy lives on, with his paintings becoming increasingly sought after.

Aniela and Tadeusz Wąs walking in the camp.

If you lived in the camp and would like to share your memories and photos please contact me.

	Page 1 Current
	Page 2 Memories from Jan Czerski and Jurek and Roman Sitek
	Page 3 Doddington Cemetery
	Page 4 Doddington Photo Exhibition.
	Page 5 Jasmina Dopierala Memories
	Page 6 Barbara Białozorska's Memories.
	Page 7 Photos from an old album 1946/7

	Home