Helena Brucka-Janik

Helena was born to Antoni and Anastazja on 15 May 1928 in Struga, Stolin district, Poland.

Her parents were landowners, and Helena had two younger brothers, Walentyn and Edward. They lived in a house on the outskirts of the village. There was a beautiful orchard, gardens, fields and meadows. Their normal life was interrupted by war. Hitler invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Then, on 17 September. the Russian Red Army invaded the eastern borderlands of Poland. A partitioning agreement was reached between Russia and the Third Reich, and they divided Poland between them.

The Russians began the "sovietization" of Poland. Arrests and mass deportation of Poles to the inner depths of Russia followed: to forced labour camps in Siberia and even further to the far North.

Among the deported were the intelligentsia, military officers, professors, foresters, gamekeepers, military settlers and the like. The first deportations began on 10 February 1940. That winter was frightful, with a terrible biting frost. Early on that morning we heard a loud banging on the door. Several Russian soldiers poured into our home ordering us to pack our belongings on the spot. My father was not home, and my mother was alone with three small children. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. We were packed onto sledges and taken to the local school which served as a collecting point. Once we were all gathered, we trudged in column formation to the train station. Cattle cars were already waiting for us. We were loaded onto them and then shipped off -- to where, no one knew.

We journeyed for two weeks, in atrocious conditions, cold and hungry. Finally, we arrived in Arkhangelsk in Russia and from there we travelled again by sledge to a camp in Zaozierie in Siberia. Here, we were housed in barracks. Each family was given a room which contained bunks for sleeping and a stove in the middle of the room for heating.

These barracks had been built by Ukrainians, whom Stalin had deported earlier. Some of them had died here, while others were moved elsewhere. The camp was surrounded by forests full of berries and mushrooms in summer, as well as dangerous animals. Next to it, a river flowed. Men and women toiled in the forests felling trees, while in the spring, half submerged, they drove those logs down river. Walentyn and Helena attended school, where they learned to read and write Russian.

Their father joined them after a year of difficulty in locating them. It was an incredible joy to be reunited with him. Life at the camp was very difficult. One had to wait in line for a long time for a mere piece of bread. This was Helena’s job for the family. After working all day, her mother would go to the canteen to fetch some soup for dinner. They survived like this in Siberia for almost two years -- hungry and battered physically and spiritually. Praying constantly for bread and for freedom.

Finally, word reached them that after various political arrangements, they were granted ‘amnesty’. They could leave the camp, but no one knew how. They were on our own. A boat was needed because of all the nearby large lakes. Their father got his hands on one, and they were among the first to leave the camp, but it was a long time before they reached a train station.

They set off for Uzbekistan. The journey was very tedious. They travelled in the freight train wagons for almost two months. Once in Uzbekistan they reached the Polish Army which was forming under the command of General W. Anders. They rejoiced at seeing our Polish soldiers. Suddenly they felt real hope for something better. Life was hard there -- the change of climate, the lack of food -- people were dying of various diseases such as typhoid, malaria and dysentery.

Their mother became very seriously ill; they did not think she would survive. Happily, she recovered. When they were to be evacuated to Persia, their father fell ill and was taken to the hospital. Their mother chose to stay by his side. The parents and brothers, Walentyn and Edward, stayed behind, while Helena was taken by a young officer who ensured them that she would be safely delivered to the Cadet division of the Polish Army. With this group, Helena travelled to Persia, across the Caspian Sea in a packed freighter, ultimately reaching Pahlavi.

The Cadets were housed in tents as they travelled. After crossing mountainous terrain, they reached Tehran. They lived in military blocks outside the city. Here, a primitive school was organized for them, divided into classes. Helena was in the fifth grade. The daily Cadet routine consisted of waking up, morning exercises, and drills, before the lessons which were held outside under the trees. After a few months they were sent to Isfahan where large groups of Polish children were in 20 camps. The "Junaczki" (cadets) were housed in camp number 6. Conditions here were very different -- humane -- they had beds, linens, tables, bathrooms, a chapel and a school. It was here that Helena finished 6th grade. They went on supervised excursions into the city, visited beautiful shrines, places of worship, and parks.

They were transported to Ahwaz, Iran and from there by train to the port where they boarded a ship to Karachi in Pakistan. They settled into a routine -- as always, gathering for prayers, gymnastics, lessons, meals. During the night we could hear the shrill howling of jackals.

They never stayed in one place for very long and this time was no different. Soon they were on the road again, this time to Malir, Pakistan. They encountered the U.S. Army and met some soldiers of Polish origin. They were overjoyed to come across some Polish girls. In Malir, the Cadet uniforms were taken from them. They were sad to be parted from them. In return, they were issued white blouses with grey skirts on suspenders. They ceased being Cadets and became wards of the war department under the name of Gen. W. Sikorski and ultimately placed in the orphanage. There were children of all ages, both boys and girls.

They left Malir and travelled by ship to Bombay, India. From Bombay, they had another long journey by train to Kolhapur and lastly to Valivade. This would be their longest extended period of residence in an exile camp -- about 5 years (1943-1948). They were housed in apartment buildings in halls of 35 girls each. They were under the care of a teacher, who was always available for advice or assistance; always willing to listen. They were charged with keeping the hall in order. Next to the housing blocks, there was a dining room, showers, a lounge, and further away a church to which they walked every Sunday. They were given a few rupees as spending money.

In Valivade, an education system was developed for them. Schools were built... elementary, middle and high schools, as well as vocational schools. There was also a theatre and religious organizations. It was here that Helena began high school and successfully graduated.

The Scouting organization, to which she belonged, played a big role in the upbringing of children and young people in the orphanage. They were almost 500 in number. Every year, they left for camps that were held in the picturesque mountain area of Panhal. These were beautiful moments and their stay in India remained forever in their memory. Friendships formed there survived to this day. They were happy and life treated them well, even though conditions were primitive.

In Europe, the war ended in May 1945 and a peace agreement was signed. They got news that families were to be reunited. The camp in Valivade was to be disbanded. Soldiers who had left for England were demobilized and entered civilian life. They were deeply disappointed feeling greatly betrayed by the Allies. They had fought for freedom; theirs as well as that of the Allies, but in the end, they did not receive a free homeland.

In August 1947 India won its independence. The orphans rejoiced along with her citizens. Helena was in the last transport to England, which left Bombay on 23 February 1948. They had a pleasant journey on the ship Asturias through the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, and Gibraltar. They landed in Southampton on 12 March. They then travelled to the transition camp named West Chiltington. They were placed in "Barrels of Laughter" (i.e. Nissan huts). There were 6 girls from the orphanage in each one. The English people were kind and things were orderly. As it was the beginning of spring, everything was green and beautiful. Tulips, daffodils and rhododendron bloomed. They went for walks and dances were held twice a week.

It was at this transit camp that Helena met my future husband, Rudolf. It was love at first sight. They were married in 1951, settled in Redditch, and had three daughters, Alicja, Renata and Maria. At the end of 1957, they emigrated to Canada for a better life. Landing in Peterborough, Ontario, they stayed with a girlfriend from India for a few months. From here they moved to Hamilton, then to London, and then Sarnia, where their son Edward was born in 1962. Sarnia did not appeal to them. Rudof was dissatisfied with his job and Helena missed her friends, so they moved back to London, where in 1968 their daughter Helena was born. So they had 5 children to raise. It was a lot of work, but it brought them a lot of joy and satisfaction.

Life fell into place nicely. But misfortune hit them in 1992 when Rudolf died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He did not get to enjoy his retirement or his grandchildren.

Helena was a long-time member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Polish Combatants Association, Branch #2, serving in several executive roles.

Helena passed away on 1 January 2013, at the age of 86 years.