The 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade
(1 Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa)
Introduction
Hi!
My name is Jason. My grandfather was Polish and someone who greatly shaped my world when I was but 5 years old. I recently decided to research his life, particularly his military life. What I discovered amazed me.
It's a story of his family torn apart by war, wife and kids deported to Kazakhstan, emotionally drained journey around the globe to fight for his country and his liberty. This lead to his entering the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade in Fife where 75 years later I was to pick up the history, which bizarrely, was right on my doorstep in Fife, Scotland.
This site is dedicated to my Grandfather, Wladyslaw Hoscik. The experiences he suffered in your early life, traversing half the globe, in hunger, fear and pain inspire me to never give up.
We will never understand the horrific reality of your life, particularly in 1939 - 1944, but by delving deeply into history we understand how we come to live and breathe as your UK descendants in 2017.
To Wladyslaw Hoscik....
What is Covered On This Website
This website has been compiled by me after heavily researching my Polish grandfathers journey in 1939 from Bialystok, Kresy, Poland, through Russia, Kazakhstan, Persia, Iran, Palestine and then the UK.
It's the product of having researched the NKVD deportations of Polish families to Siberia and Kazakhstan, The Polish Army in Exile, Anders Army, the journey to the UK, and then the formation of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade (1 Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa) and their activities at Lundin Links in Fife and also at RAF Ringway in Manchester.
I will also introduce you to the Chichociemni, exciting stuff!
Briefly, I will also touch on the Polish Resettlement Camps as well along with why the Polish Soldiers chose to re-locate in the UK and in many cases did not return back to Poland.
We will be learning more about Sikorski, Anders, General Sosabowski and others and ultimately how this shaped the destiny of many descendants of these Polish soldiers from 1939 - 1945.
A lot of the history is focused on North East Fife in Scotland, which luckily happens to be where I live.
Resources
When I was researching my Grandfathers military history I came across a number of websites and books that helped and guided me in piecing important parts of his history together.
Many of these resources are listed on our resources page, please do visit these resources and contribute to them financially. A lot of people spend their own money making this information available to you and contributions do help them defray expenses.
Lets now go on the journey, I have tried to make it as exciting and structured as possible, please feel free to contribute either by comments or suggesting resources I can list here.