Alfred Alojzy Wieliszekwas born on 4 August 1924 in Lódz, Poland.

 

Captain Alfred Wieliszek served in the 8th Infantry Battalion in the 1st Polish Armored Division of Gen. Stanisław Maczka.

 

 

“On 1 August 1944, we landed in Normandy. Two months after D-Day. After five years of wandering, we were getting closer to our fatherland. At Caen we encountered heavy German resistance. But they were trapped. From Hill 262 at Falaise we took part in the biggest slaughter of the war. Blood, blood and some more blood. The narrow paths were paved with horses, carts, soldiers, and military equipment. There was no more going through. We had hurt the German a lot. The uniforms of some of our commanders were covered with blood, and from then on we were called "Blood Shirts"".

 

"Three days before the war I played with the national team of Poland against Hungary. I don't remember the result anymore. I was 16 then. Of course I've always been a sportsman. I was the captain of the Polish military teams in England, Scotland and Germany. In Breda I played for NAC and alongside my job I was UEFA coach of the UWV, Boimeer and Hero teams”.

 

"In 1956, my wife Greet Pinxteren and I took over the cafe from her father on the Hague Road. That was a sports and folk cafe, a place where the neighborhood came together. There were also all sorts of associations that came to the café. We hosted the carnival, different sports, billiards, a travel association, and later also the Polish association. We worked in the café for 36 years. "

 

"Poland was a poor country and our athletes wanted to go to the Olympics, so we tried to help. Every year we organized a Liberation tournament and we collected money to be able to let them go to the Games.”

​

In connection with the commemoration of "Breda 50 years of Liberation," Polish veteran Alfred Wieliszek was invited to present a cup to the first Polish athlete to cross the finish line, both in the men's and women's races.

​

Alfred Wieliszek has meant a great deal to the Polish community in Breda and far beyond, especially in the field of sports. Thirty years ago, he co-founded the Polish Olympic Committee Netherlands.  Wieliszek was a board member of the First Polish Armored Division Breda Circle and, as such, represented the Netherlands abroad. He was also active in the "Kaszub" association - a sports and recreation club for children of Polish veterans.

​

During the liberation of Breda, Wieliszek was an officer in the 1st Polish Armored Division, known as the "Blood Battalion." "Because so many of us were wounded," Wieliszek once said, "I always say, when you reach the top as a soldier or athlete, you have to pay the price."

​

​It did not show on his face, but he himself was a living example of that. As a soldier, he was hit by shrapnel in his eye and sustained injuries to his hand and leg. As a footballer, he underwent multiple meniscus surgeries and surgeries on, among other things, his Achilles tendon, his foot, and his big toe.

​

Wieliszek was particularly passionate about soccer. Immediately after the liberation, he formed a team from the 1st Polish Armored Division that played a liberation match against nine NAC players, supplemented by two others. In 1946, he took part in a major football tournament in Meppen, Germany, involving teams from all the Allied forces. "In that final, we lost to England."

 

After de-mobilization, Wieliszek was the first foreigner to play for NAC, where he stayed for three years. When coaching courses were still unheard of in the Netherlands, Alfred trained as a football coach in England. With a unique diploma, he returned to the Netherlands, where he coached numerous clubs in the Breda region for 15 years. "But I'm a versatile sportsman," he said. "As a soldier, I did a lot of boxing, and I also played table tennis and hockey."

​

As a Polish gymnast, Alfred ended up in Breda's hospitality industry. He enjoyed many years of renown for his hospitality, especially towards his Polish compatriots.

 

Alfred passed away on 29 July 2009 in Breda. His grave is located in Breda at the Zuylen Cemetery on Haagweg Street, right next to the Maczko Museum and the Main Polish Military Cemetery.

​

​

​

Source: 1st Polish Armoured Division Facebook post

​

​