大象传媒

This story was gathered by Jenny Finch on behalf of Florian Kurczewski, and has been added to the site with his permission by the staff of Blackpool Central Library.

I was a Polish airman who escaped occupied Poland in 1939 and arrived in Blackpool in 1940 to be billeted on Coop Street with Mrs Holland. During my flight from Poland I had many narrow escapes from capture and certain death. On one occasion I found myself facing a firing squad for attempting to obtain false travel documents. The firing officer shouted 鈥漅UN, RUN!鈥� presumably to shoot me as an escapee. I did run 鈥� I ran and ran despite a hail of bullets flying all around me - I just kept running.

During my flight from Poland the journey was punctuated by countless strange coincidences, and I encountered numerous brave strangers risking all to get me to safety.

It was as if every time the chips were down something or someone would turn up in the nick of time enabling me to go on another mile or another day, always a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel 鈥� I was a lucky man.

Blackpool 1940. All aliens (as we were referred to) spoke very little or no English so we took lessons during the day at the Polish Records Office. Then, during the evenings, we joined a gym owned by the Blind Society. It was here I practised my boxing; I then joined the Alien Boxing Championship Club at Blackpool Tower, an elite force made up of some 180 men from Poland, Canada and various other alien states. During theses bouts I won six championships.

The level of English language attained determined the squadron we were channelled into. My first posting was 316 squadron at Pembroke Nr Swansea, training as a pilot on hurricanes.

Then I was posted to Taunton guarding the bombers as they left on sorties to Germany. It was during this posting I caused much consternation with the CO, who considered I thought more of boxing than of military service. I was transferred to 18 O.T.U., Brancote, Nuneaton to train bomber command air gunners. Due to my keen interest in boxing I was assigned the post of PE instructor, the main aim to get the camp fit.

Lady Churchill organised boxing shows in which I took part, all proceeds donated to 鈥楾he Service Men鈥檚 Comfort Fund鈥�. British and Polish airmen shared a great comradeship, we fought together, we cried together, we drank and sang together. Naturally there was the odd irritation, usually over something trivial, but no major upsets.

I had further postings to Newton outside Nottingham, and then Hucknell, then transferred to Kirkham for demob.

It was not possible to get demob papers unless you had a job to go to in civvy street, so having trained in Poland I was delighted to accept a job as a barber/hairdresser and become a civilian breadwinner. However, devastating news arrived - my new employer 鈥楻efused to work with foreigners鈥�. So there I was with a wife, two young daughters and no job. As luck would have it, I met an associate and he fixed me up with some fights. In those days money was thrown into the ring and shared out between the boxers - 鈥楶ennies form Heaven鈥� - my share on that day was ten pounds, we were in funds again.

Johnnie Best from Liverpool ran boxing bouts on Thursdays in Liverpool, and Fridays in Blackpool. Proceeds from boxing kept the family afloat until I found employment. I gained a British licence to box professionally and believe I was the first Polish airman to marry an English girl. My great passion was boxing and the bell saved me on more than one occasion.

I would like to mention my boxing comrades who represented the Polish Armed Forces: GALICZYN - KLICHOWICZ - JARZABEK - WEJMAN 鈥� PAWLAK - ABRAMCZYK - MILEWSKI 鈥� WAWRZYNIAK - BULIK. Terrific lads, all gone now - I am the last.

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