Cichociemni (Polish SOE)

[luca]

Dear members,
I just joined, my name is Gianluca Vernole, I write from Casamassima, a town in Puglia, Italy. My country holds the oldest military cemetery of the 2nd Polish Corps for 5 years and I do research on the Polish 2nd Corps in Puglia between 1944 and 1946.
Among the many cities in Puglia, there are some that provide shelter for Cichociemni, Ostuni, Fasano, and Latimer, and Brindisi was the basis of 301 Squadron bombers.
The research that lead to allow me to create an exhibition that travels to bring the whole of Puglia and discover the history of these military and Apulian elderly still remember.
In the blog I found many interesting documents that could tell the story of these paratroopers who trained in the countryside of Puglia, I wonder if it is possible to use the documents in the blog and ask if you have other documentation on Cichociemni in Puglia, it would be nice to tell this history has disappeared.
Thank you for your attention and for the help that you give me.
Gianluca Vernole Casamassima, Italy

[enca]

Hi Gianluca,

Welcome on the Forum.

I am happy you have joined the Forum.
Here, you will have the opportunity to meet many people interested into the history of the 2nd Corps.
I learnt a lot of things, since I joined the Forum.

If you remember, we met in July 2008 in Ancona during the ceremony for the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the town.

Ciao

Enzo Casadio

[Mateusz Mroz]

Dear Forum Members,
few days ago, on 25th of January, died my neighbour and father of my friend, Lt.Col. Kazimierz Bernaczyk (Słoński), Silent and unseen ps. Rango, Lido. Funeral ceremonies will be held tomorrow (1st of February) at 12 p.m. on Warsaw Civil Powazki Cemetery, starting with the Holy Mass in Karol Boromeusz Church in Powazkowska St. Another hero left us.... Below link in Polish about him. I will try later to put some material about him from family.
Bernarczyk-S
Mateusz

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello Mateusz,

Thanks you for your post. For those that can read Polish I have excerpted the short bio of this courageous Pole below. Cześć jego pamięci!

Sadly we are witnessing the passing of the last few of the surviving heroes who are now all in their twilight years. My father, also born in 1922 (April 20), passed away last November. They truly were a great generation.

Regards,
Tony

Bernaczyk (-Słoński) Kazimierz– Cichociemny PS. ,,Rango”, ,,Lido” , ,,Rysiek” vel Kazimierz Mirek ,vel Ryszard Słoński (1922) st. Major piechoty.
Urodzony 28 lutego 1922 roku w Poznaniu. Ukończył Szkołę Powszechną im. Małeckiego w Poznaniu, gimnazjum w Toruniu. We wrześniu 1939 przebywał na przysposobieniu wojskowym w Tucholi. 18 września 1939 roku dotarł do Rumunii. Do Francji dotarł przez Jugosławię i Grecję . Na miejscu 1 marca 1940 roku wstąpił do Polskich Sił Zbrojnych we Francji, przydzielono go do szwadronu karabinów maszynowych Pułku Ułanów 10 Brygady Kawalerii Pancernej. Walczył pod Montbard.
Ewakuowany z Marsylii do Oranu, przez Casablankę, Giblartar dopłynął na pokładzie ORP ,,Wilia” do Liverpoolu. W Wielkiej Brytanii przeszedł szkolenie w Szkole Podchorążych w Achtermuchty, po czym Kazimierz Bernarczyk zgłosił się do służby w Kraju. Zaprzysiężony w Sztabie N.W., przerzucony do Neapolu i Bridnisi ,gdzie został mianowany podchorążym.
Do okupowanej Polski skoczył w ramach operacji ,,Weller 27” w okolice Piotrkowa Trybunalskiego.
Prawie przez miesiąc od skoku działał w oddziale ,,Burza”, aż do powołania do Kedywu Obszaru Luftwaffeów. Szczęśliwie dwukrotnie uniknął aresztowania przez sowietów w ,,umówionej przez nich odprawie”. W trakcie ewakuacji z Lwowa na zachód uległ wypadkowi samochodowemu, w wyniku którego został unieruchomiony w szpitalu w Nisku od lipca do grudnia. Do konspiracji powrócił dzięki kontaktowi z Jerzym Iszkowskim ,,Orczykiem”. Następnie trafił do szpitala w Rudniku nad Sanem gdzie przebywał do maja 1945.
Odznaczony Virtuti Militari 5kl.

[StefanM]

Kazimierz Bernaczyk ‘Rango’ is briefly mentioned in a new book They Returned by Night by Jędrzej Tucholski I am working on. They Returned by Night is an English language translation of Powracali nocą by Jędrzej Tucholski (Ksiazka i Wiedza; Wyd. 1 edition—1988). As well as 1941-1944 battlefield reports of the cichociemni Tucholski's book also includes a brief overview of the paratroopers heritage.


Kazimierz Bernaczyk ‘Rango’:

TEAM LI; DROPPED 10/11 V 1944.

Kazimierz Bernaczyk ‘Rango’, Second Lieutenant. Luftwaffeów District Kedyw officer.
Jan Bienias ‘Osterba’, Second Lieutenant. Officer in ‘Czata 49’ Battalion. Killed in the Warsaw Rising either 6 or 7 IX 1944.
Bohdan Kwiatkowski ‘Lewar’, Captain. Warsaw Region armoured forces instructor. Participant in Warsaw Rising, Chief of Staff City Centre South Sub-sector.
Zdisław Straszyński ‘Meteor’, Second Lieutenant. Cracow District Kedyw officer, then in 16th Tarnów Infantry Regiment.
Zygmunt Ulm ‘Szybki’, Second Lieutenant. Officer in Group ‘Róg’ during the Warsaw Rising.
Stanisław Niedbał ‘Bask’, Second Lieutenant. Political courier.

This is my "rough" book cover layout... remember you saw it here first... hope you like it

[Mariusz]

[/QUOTE]

This is my "rough" book cover layout... remember you saw it here first... hope you like it [/QUOTE]



The book caver looks good, when and where I can get a copy of the book?

[lukas]

Hello ! I have a request !I come from the Radomysl Wielki and seeking photography cichociemnych originating from my hometown. Bronisław Brągiel "Zarzewie" ,Zbigniew Matula "Radomyśl" and Stanisław Sołtys "Wójt" .If someone could help with that-Thank you and best regards .Lukas

[Cichociemny Kid]

I checked the Karta and couldn't find anything . Did they keep a record of everyone that was deported? If he joined the Polish army in Russia, where could I find a listing of that information? Could it be possible that he that he volunteered for the Polish section of the SOE if his name is not listed in the archives or the Historia Polskiego Znaku Spadochoronowego?

My Brother was telling me last week that that my dad used to talk a lot about the Belgian army and that he may have been connected with them. How does that fit in with everything else? When could he have joined up with the Belgians? Would the British archives have any information about the Belgian army?

[Mariusz]

I wonder what is the occasion on the picture? I can see lots of para badges.

[morela]

hi there i am new to this forum is this thread still current ?
i am here to find out more information on witold, edward, dabkowski code name "morela"
member of the Cichociemni, and instructor at sts 43