I have done some audio recording of old folk in the area round Stroud. There is a long history of Poles in our area. The one consistent story is of the bravery of Polish airmen. "The bravest of the Brave" is the common description.

One lass used to travel in dad's van delivering groceries and she asked her dad why a friendly Pole stayed. Her reply was he couldn't go back, he would probably be killed. And plenty stayed so it was a general fear. Feelings ran high between Poland and Russia, despite the fact they were saviours, of a kind.

One old lad was conscripted to work - delivering coal as a teenager, luckily in West Germany. So after the war he decided to settle where the Poles had congregated in the UK. But not until 1960ish! They had ex-pat type Polish dances and celebrations.

Thomas Nawrot