In 1939, Hitler and Stalin divided Poland between them, but they never broke the nation’s free spirit. In the years that followed, far from home, Poles fought relentlessly on the fronts of World War II, not only for their own freedom but also for the sovereignty of other nations. 

This black-and-white photograph was taken on 26 September 1940 at Northolt airfield on the outskirts of London. George VI, in military uniform, visits the 303 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. A patch with the inscription POLAND is clearly visible on the arm of an airman with whom the British monarch shakes hands.

The Battle of Britain, an air campaign in which the German Luftwaffe aimed to bring the British Empire to its knees, was underway. Polish airmen, including the pilots of  the 303 Squadron, played a vital role within the ranks of the RAF. It was no coincidence that George VI visited this particular unit. By this time, the squadron had already distinguished itself with its effectiveness and was quickly gaining fame.

Interrupted Lives

As a child, Henryk Krakowian, born in 1919, had two big dreams: to travel the world and to become a pilot. However, after passing his school-leaving exam in his hometown of Częstochowa, he was determined to study medicine. His ambitious plans were thwarted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

In September 1939, Poland fell victim to a double invasion: first by the German Reich and, two and a half weeks later, by the Soviet Union. Not long before, these two totalitarian regimes had made a pact, secretly dividing Central and Eastern Europe between them.

Facing an unequal battle, Poland counted heavily on its allies: France and Great Britain. However, although they formally declared war on Germany as early as 3 September, in the following months they failed to take action, which could have turned the tide of the conflict. Alone, Poland stood no chance against its powerful neighbours. ‘We found ourselves between the two most powerful armies in the world. Hitler’s army from the West and Stalin’s from the East. We were well aware that our destiny, at least for the time being, was decided for us,’ recalled Krakowian years later.

The Odyssey of Freedom

Although his homeland came under double occupation, it never capitulated. The Polish Underground State, known as the Home Army (AK), was established – with a secret civil administration and a clandestine army. From the autumn of 1939, a Polish Government in Exile was formed, first in France and later in Great Britain. General Władysław Sikorski, the new Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief, proclaimed the continuation of the struggle ‘for the ultimate triumph of freedom, law and justice.’ He also called on his compatriots ‘to render devoted and disciplined military service.’ The Polish Armed Forces being formed in the West were reinforced by the local Polish community and, to an even greater extent, by those who managed to escape German or Soviet captivity in September 1939 and leave the country, usually via Romania or Hungary. In the following year, they were already fighting in the defence of France, Norway and the UK. The aforementioned 303 Squadron went down in history as one of the best fighter units of the war.

Before Henryk Krakowian joined the Polish Air Force, he went through a real odyssey. Conscripted into the army in September 1939, he crossed the Lithuanian border to avoid captivity. However, the Baltic countries were soon occupied by the Red Army. The Soviets – as they had done earlier in the occupied Polish territories – began brutal repressions. Krakowian was sent to the Ponoj forced labour camp near Murmansk. He and many of his compatriots were paradoxically saved by the German invasion of the USSR in June 1941.

In the new situation, Stalin agreed to the formation of a Polish army in the Soviet Union. It was headed by General Władysław Anders, who had just been released from a Moscow prison. At the camp in Tatishchev, Krakowian joined the Anders Army. Together with the army and the civilians accompanying it, he was later evacuated to Iran and from there to Iraq. The main objective remained the same: to fight the Germans, but this time alongside the Western Allies.

When recruitment for volunteers for the Polish Air Force began in September 1942, Krakowian did not hesitate for long. He made his way to the UK via Spain and Portugal. After training, he was eventually sent to the 308th ‘Krakow’ Fighter Squadron. In 1945, he took part in dozens of combat flights over Germany and the occupied Netherlands.

The Bitter Taste of Victory

Soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces (which, at the height of the war, numbered almost 200,000) also played a crucial role on many other fronts: in the defence of Tobruk, during the battles for Monte Cassino or at Falaise. Shoulder to shoulder with the British, Americans and representatives of other nations, they fought for freedom, dignity and peace – not only for themselves but also for other nations. Their contribution to the victory over the German Reich is indisputable.

The end of the war, however, did not bring Poland the desired sovereignty. The country found itself in the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence for many years. Many Poles who could not imagine life under communist rule remained in exile. Krakowian graduated from the Faculty of Textiles at the University of Leeds, where he later obtained his Ph.D. In 1953, he married an English woman. They lived in Belgium for several years before moving to London.

Krakowian was fortunate enough to live to see the fall of the ‘Iron Curtain’ and Poland’s regained freedom. After retiring, he enjoyed visiting his hometown of Częstochowa. He died in London in 2013, shortly before his 94th birthday.

In Honour of the Heroes

Three years ago, when I took on the post of the President of the Institute of National Remembrance –a Polish institution dealing with recent history – I promised to duly commemorate the efforts of the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and the exile of the Polish civilian population at the time. The extensive ‘Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom’ project, which continues to this day, serves this purpose. An important part of it is the exhibition, which has already reached dozens of countries on several continents, in various language versions. On 7 October, we opened it at the Palace of Westminster in London. I believe that Henryk Krakowian was looking down on us from above, along with others who walked the ‘trails of hope’ from 1939 to 1945.

Karol  Nawrocki Ph.D.

The author is a historian and the President of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN).

The article was firstly published on War History Online.