大象传媒

This story is about my late mother-in-law, Regina Szymanska, nee Kaszewska.

Before the war, I understand that my mother-in-law, Regina, and her younger sister, Helena, lived in the city of Wilno, present day Vilnius. It was here that Regina worked as a clerk in one of the law courts.

Following the collapse of Poland in early October 1939, the Germans and Russians, who had earlier signed a five year non-aggression pact, proceeded to divide Poland into two halves. The Germans occupied the west while the east was occupied by the Russians. In early 1940, the Russians began a programme of deportations of Polish civilians, those considered most dangerous to them being given priority. Documents found in the Kremlin in the last decade indicate that the order for these deportations came from the highest authority in the USSR. And so it was, that Regina was arrested and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for being a "counter-revolutionary". While in prison, she made some rosary beads which were made from small pieces of bread. The rosary survived the war and found its way to England only to mysteriously disappear! It is thought that some uncharitable visitor to the family misappropriated it!

In the middle of 1941, the Germans launched a brutal invasion against the Soviet Union. A short time later, Great Britain and the USA decided to support Stalin's war effort, inspite of the obvious ideological differences. This would prove to be a salvation for Regina and many like her. Following negotiations with the British and Americans, Stalin declared a so called amnesty whereby the Polish civilians being held were to be granted to freedom. Eventually, Regina would find herself in Uganda under British protection. It was here that Heniek, one of my brothers-in-law was born. It is no wonder that he always feels cold in England.

The war ended. Sadly, the outcome for Poland was anything but good. Following on from the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, Stalin was granted virtual autonomy in Eastern Europe by the Allies. Poland now found itself under the rule of a communist puppet government and the prospect of a return to Poland seemed, to Regina, to be highly undesireable, to say the least.

Instead, she decided to settle in England where she met and married, Tadeusz, my late father-in-law. That is another story!

Although she served only 18 months of her prison sentence in the USSR, Regina had a lifetime of ill health. Only the devotion of her husband, Tadek, ensured that she survived to the age of 73, spending her last years as a virtual invalid.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.