Tadeusz Zuchowski

Tadeusz (also known as Ted) was born in Poland on 29 November 1915 and was educated in Gdansk. Ted was seven years of age when he was predeceased by his father. His mother died during the Second World War.

He was serving in the Polish Navy at the onset of WW2. In the first week of September 1939, the ship he was serving on was bombed by Germany and Ted became one of the first prisoners of war of the Germans.

After two attempts to escape the POW camp, a bombing by the English of the railway car he was working near allowed him to escape to France. The French Underground helped him reach Gibraltar, where he boarded a ship to England.

In Scotland, the 1st Polish Armoured Division was formed, and Tadeusz trained with them until it was time to join the fight in Europe. As a tank Commander, Tadeusz fought in the European Campaign for three years. After the war, he was stationed in Germany for 2 years with the occupation forces.

Tadeusz returned to England in 1947 and became a gardener, a Psychiatric Nurse, and then a Registered Nurse. In 1957 he emigrated to Canada and worked as a nurse in the North Battleford Psychiatric Hospital. Two years later he was encouraged to study Social Work and graduated with a master’s degree from University of Manitoba.

In August 1960, Tadeusz married Helen in Winnipeg. He worked as the Director of Psychiatric Services in Winnipeg and then as a Psychiatric Social Worker of Manitoba, retiring in 1982.

He was a long-time member of the Polish Veterans Association Branch #13 and Polish newspaper CZAS. He had a continuing interest in The Schizophrenia Society of Manitoba.

Tadeusz passed away in Winnipeg on 2 March 2003, at the age of 88 years.