Waclaw Sawicki

Polish 2nd Corps

Waclaw was born to Stefan and Waleria (nee Sutula) on 14 February 1918 in Nowa Wola, Sokolka district, Bialystok province, Poland. 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 mass deportations to Siberia that were carried out in 1940 and 1941.

In August 1939, Waclaw was mobilized into the Polish army and fought in the September Campaign. Captured by the Russians, he was sent to POW work camps in Murmansk (Krasnojarsk) and Kamchatka in Siberia. Aside from the extreme cold in winter, and extreme heat in summer, they had to contend with hordes of mosquitoes and black flies, as well as infestations of bed bugs in the barracks. There were no medical facilities in these camps, and diseases ran rampant, leading to a high death toll. Battling starvation and exhaustion, Waclaw somehow managed to survive.

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.

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 kilometres 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.

General Anders oversaw the army, and he tried hard to get the Russians to provide the food and equipment they had promised. When this became increasingly impossible, he negotiated the right to evacuate the army to Persia, where the British would provide what was needed.

Anders insisted on taking as many of the civilians that had reached the army as possible. There were 2 mass evacuations: in March/April 1942, and in September 1942. The evacuation took place by ship over the Caspian Sea to Pahlavi in Persia (now Iran). The ships that were used were oil tankers and coal ships, and other ships that were not equipped to handle passengers. They were filthy and lacked even the necessities, like water and latrines. The soldiers and civilians filled these ships to capacity for the 1–2-day trip. When there were storms, the situation got even worse – with most of the passengers suffering sea sickness.

In February 1942, Wacław was assigned as Bombardier to the 2nd Light Artillery Regiment, 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade of the Polish 2nd Corps.

Waclaw trained in Tashkent, Camp Khanaqin, and Iraq. In 1943, the army moved to Palestine and then Egypt before sailing to Italy and the front on the River Sangro. In April 1944 he fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino, and later on the Gothic Line, the Gustav Line, Ancona and Bologna. After assisting with the disarmament of Italy, Waclaw was discharged in Predappio, Italy on 10 October 1946.

Waclaw was awarded the following medals:

Polish Medals:

Cross of Valour
Cross of Merit
Army medal
Monte Cassino Cross

British Medals:

1939-1945 Star
Italy Star
Defense medal
1939-1945 War medal

Wacław emigrated to Canada in 1946 on a two-year government contract and worked on a farm in Saskatoon. He met his future wife, Katarzyna Tuczyńska, in Saskatchewan and they were married in 1949. They moved to Ontario in 1960 and raised their four children: Wanda, Henry, Stanley, and Mary.

Waclaw worked as a tailor at Adelman’s Clothing and Tip-Top Tailors in London, Ontario. He also worked as a tailor in a dry-cleaning plant, and later in the dietary department in the Westminster Hospital, now part of Parkwood Hospital. He was a long-time member of the Polish Combatants Association, Branch #2, in London.

Waclaw passed away on 3 March 2008 at the age of 90 years. He was buried at the Holy Family Mausoleum, St. Peter’s Cemetery, in London Ontario.