Leon Rydzkowski was born in Stare Sumienie, Pomorze, Poland on 27 November 1919.

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The Germans invaded Poland from the west on 1 September 1939, and the Russians invaded from the east on 17 September 1939. They divided Poland between them. In the Russian-controlled area, the plan to ethnically-cleanse the area soon took effect with the first of four mass deportations to Siberia that were carried out in 1940 and 1941.

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Leon was deported to Siberia by the Russians and imprisoned in a labour camp. The horrid memories and the nightmares of his past never left him, even until the last few days of his life.

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In June 1941, Germany turned on its ally, Russia. Stalin then quickly changed tactics and allied himself with the west so that the allies could help him defeat the Germans. This led to the signing of the Sikorski-Majewski agreement that called for the freeing of Poles imprisoned in POW camps and labour camps in the USSR, and the formation of a Polish Army in the southern USSR.

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The news of this ‘amnesty’ did not reach every camp, but where it did become known, the men and boys soon made plans to make their way south to join the army. For most, this meant walking thousands of kilometers and only occasionally getting on a train for part of the journey.  Many did not make it, and those who did were emaciated skeletons by the time they got there.

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Released by the ‘amnesty’. he served as a Sergeant in the Polish 2nd Corps in the Middle East and the Italian Campaign. including Monte Casino, where he sustained a wound in 1944.

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Leon immigrated to Canada in 1950 and settled in Winnipeg. He married Maria Lesniak.  When Maria died in 1990, Leon remarried Kazimiera Lisowska on 27 March 1993.

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Leon worked in the Purchases and Materials Management Stores Dept. of the Canadian National Railway for 31 years until his retirement in 1982.

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Leon passed away in Winnipeg on 7 March 2006, at the age of 87 years. He was buried at the Holy Ghost Cemetery.

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Copyright: Rydzkowski / Lisowski family

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