Adam Zurad

Translation of parts of an interview by Prof. Patalas.

Adam was born on February 15, 1915, in Budziwoj pow. Rzeszow, Poland. After completing high school and the compulsory military service, he entered the faculty of law at the University of Lwow.

On August 28, 1939, Adam received mobilization papers and was ordered to report in Drohobycz, to the 6th Podhale Regiment. He did see some military action, in the September Campaign, defending Poland against the Nazi invasion. His unit went to Sambor and began to withdraw from there under constant German air raids. But on September 12, they mounted a counterattack to take Sambor back. Unfortunately, the Germans must have anticipated it and they were unsuccessful.

When Poland became occupied by Germany and Russia, he managed to escape through Hungary to France. The Hungarians took them in with pity, maybe even compassion. They marched on foot to Munkacs, where they boarded trains going in various directions. In Adam’s transport, there were also Polish women and children. They passed through Budapest, and continued almost to the Austrian border, on the Danube.

Their pipeline to the West was well organized. Those with some knowledge of Hungarian and southern Slavic languages went ahead to make the necessary contacts and arrangements. Then specialists from various services were smuggled out. All of this had to be done in conspiracy because the Gestapo sniffed around the internment camps; they did not have the authority to arrest anybody, but they could call in the Hungarian police to do the dirty work for them. Adam was sent to Split, whence the Polish ship “Warszawa” took them to France.

There he joined General Maczek’s 1st Polish Armoured Division and took part in the defense of France. He spent a good part his time in occupied France taking part in resistance, working, and hiding.

After the Allied invasion of France, he was assigned to 10th Hussar Regiment,14th "Wielkopolska" Armoured Brigade, of the Polish 2nd Corps. Following training in Egypt he took part in the assault on Bologna in Italy.

At the end of the war, Adam emigrated to Canada on a two-year contract to be an agricultural worker. workers. He signed a two-year contract to work in the sugar beet fields. Later he was sent to a cattle farm, where he cut bull horns, branded cattle, and did all the cowboy duties. He also worked on other farms, including one near Edmonton. In 1952 or 1953, He got a job in Shilo, during the construction of a new military base.

Once the two-year contract was fulfilled, Adam was hired by the Canadian National Railway, and travelled quite a bit around the country. He lingered for a while in British Columbia, but eventually returned to Winnipeg, where most of his friends were.

Adam took an active part in the Polish community in Winnipeg. He was a member of Holy Ghost Parish, a founding member of the Polish Combatants Association Branch 13, a member of the Sokol choir, and he also took part in Polish amateur theatre.

Adam passed away in Winnipeg on March 17, 2004, aged 89 years.