POLISH GREATNESS: RESEARCHING YOUR POLISH ROOTS - THE BEST SOURCES ON THE WEB

No other nation during WW2 had suffered as much as Poland. No other ally in the war sacrificed as much as Poland.  And no other nation demonstrated as much courage in the fight against the brutal invaders than the heroic Polish people. Polish men, women, and even children gave their lives for love of God, Country and Honour in the hope of reclaiming the freedom and independence of their beloved fatherland.  Instead Poland was abandoned by its allies and banished behind the Iron Curtain for forty-five years.

WW2 came to an end almost seventy years ago but since then ensuing generations, particularly of the Polish nation, continue to grapple with the catastrophic events that impacted their lives in countless ways.  Few among the survivors have ever been able to speak of their horrific experiences, much less write about them.  Their children, and their grandchildren have grown up knowing very little or nothing about the past, and yearn to know what happened to their beloved parents and grandparents. 

So it is with you in mind, my dear Polish visitors, that I present this blog post.  A few among you have requested my help in doing research and obtaining military service records.  On occasion I have  given of my time freely to help particular requests, but it has been very time consuming. So,   I have assembled a modest list of resources, some from the internet and some from my own files, that you might find useful in your search.  Please let me remind you that it is not possible to find all information from just one source. Doing research is much like grappling with the roots of a tree - just start with one root and it will lead you to many others.  Do not be discouraged if you do not get immediate results - it takes time and much patience.

Furthermore, I urge you to register for at least one Forum.  It will provide you with the opportunity to exchange information with other like-minded individuals, some of whom are indeed expert in the subject of WW2 Polish history. Their input might help open more doors for you.

Wishing you Good Luck in your search!                                                   

RESOURCES: SEARCHING YOUR ROOTS

Polish State Archives

http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/en/news.html

Ministry of Defense  (MOD)

APC Polish Enquiries

Building 28-B, RAF Northolt

West End Road

Ruislip, Middlesex  HA4 6NG

( Please note: The British Ministry of Defense keeps the military service records of all military personnel including those of Polish citizens who served in the British Army during WW2.  However, you will need to provide official documentation to prove kinship before they will release information to you.)

http://www.veterans-uk.info/pdfs/service_records/army_pack.pdf

The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum (Polish military service records)

20 Princes Gate

London, England

SW7 1PT

http://www.pism.co.uk

ITS International Tracing Service

Groβe Allee 5 - 9

34454 Bad Arolsen

Deutschland

http://www.its-arolsen.org

email@its-arolsen.org

Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales

2 Devonia Road

Islington

London N1 8JJ

bozena@pbfgroup.co.uk

  

Polish Red Cross - People Search

http://www.pck.pl/pages,13.html

Warsaw Uprising Museum (Poland)

http://www.1944.pl/kontakt/

Ministry of National Defense Republic of Poland

http://www.mon.gov.pl/en/index/

National Archives Ministry of Defense (United Kingdom)

Service Records Enquiries Online

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121018102851/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/ServiceRecordsEnquiries.htm

  

International Red Cross

19 avenue de la paix CH 1202 Geneva

Switzerland

http://www.icrc.org/eng/

www.cyndislist.com/poland

Best directory on the internet. A wealth of resources to explore.

Polski Internet.com People Search

http://www.polskiinternet.com/english/

Polish Roots - The Polish Geneology Source

http://www.polishroots.org

Index of Victims of Soviet Repression 1939-1956

http://www.indeks.karta.org.pl/en/index.html

The Central Military Library in Warsaw (Centralna Biblioteka Wojskowa)

http://www.cbw.pl

(They have books and reference material relating to military topics.  Unless you are in Poland, you may not be able to access their resources, but please take the opportunity to contact them for help in your research.)

  

Jozef Pilsudski Institute of America

Archival Collections

http://www.pilsudski.org/English/Collections/arch-collections.htm

  

Poland in Exile - Useful Addresses

http://www.polandinexile.com/addresses.html

The Polish Mission Geneology Resources

http://www.polishmission.com/genealogy/genealogy-resources/

Polish Geneological Society of America

http://www.pgsa.org/database.php

Polish War Veteran's Society (in your city)

Polish Library (in your city)

FORUMS

Polish Forums.com

http://www.polishforums.com/

All Things Polish

http://www.allthingspolish.net/

WW2 Talk

http://www.ww2talk.com/

Historium

http://www.historum.com/

POLISH GREATNESS 2013 ONLINE CALENDAR

Happy New Year to all visitors!

For the first time, Polish Greatness.com has its own online calendar. From January to December 2013, each calendar page is loaded with links to many articles posted by this blog, including series about the Invasion of Poland, the Warsaw Uprising, Spy Week: Polish Spies of WW2, Great Polish Warriors, and so much more!

If you thought you knew it all about Poland, you must check out this calendar.  You can bookmark it, or save the link on your desktop!

Each calendar month has several (or many) links alerting you to the events of that day in Polish history. Just click on the links to read the corresponding blog post!  Some articles however have no correlation to any specific date in history, but are included in the calendar anyway.

If you haven't made your New Year's Resolutions its never too late!  Make it a point to discover each month, at least one new aspect of Polish history!  It is a journey that is not only enlightening, but fascinating as well!

Stay tuned to Polish Greatness Blog as well, for new posts throughout 2013!!

Click here for 2013 Calendar

   

THE TRUTH ABOUT ANTI-POLISH JOKES

Jokes are not a recent cultural phenomenon but have been around since the dawn of civilization.  The oldest joke dates back to 1,600 BC and targeted an Egyptian pharoah. It went something like this:  "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? Sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile - and urge the pharaoh to go fishing."  No doubt Pharoah was amused. In the 1st century BC, a popular joke circulated about Emperor Augustus.  The Emperor, it was said, was touring his kingdom one day and came across a man who looked remarkably like himself.  Augustus was intrigued and asked the man, "Was your mother at one time in service at the palace?"  The man responded, "No your highness, but my father was." 

The propensity for humour and jokes are ingrained in the human psyche, perhaps even part of our DNA.  Human civilization may never have progressed at all were it not for the double-entendre, puns, sarcasm, wit, anecdotes, riddles, satire, and a slew of tasteless jokes.  At the root of jokes is the human compulsion to challenge the status quo, to discredit authority,  to address taboos and faux pas. We, today, are no different from our ancient forefathers.

In it's unadulterated form jokes serve to break a tense atmosphere into one of laughter, to reveal truths that we can personally identify with, and encourage us to laugh at our own foibles and limitations. Jokes have the power to elevate our social consciousness and promote mutual understanding.  However at its worst jokes are deeply offensive and have the potential of demonizing an entire group of people based purely on racial, cultural, ethnic, gender, and religious differences.

During WW2 so called "jokes" were an essential component of the Nazi propaganda machine and were widely dispensed in the attempt to discredit Poland's reputation in the eyes of the world, as well as to destroy the morale of the Polish people.  What is particularly disturbing is that much of WW2 propaganda has survived to this day. The lies, myths and slander perpetrated against the Polish people by the Nazis (and Soviets) continue to circulate today throughout the world in the form of jokes.

Most of these jokes could be categorized as "generic"  meaning that the same joke has been applied to virtually every nation, for example the light bulb joke.  But this article seeks to address more serious and damaging slurs that people mistake for "jokes".  Though not all issues will be discussed, the major ones are as follows:

The story about the Polish cavalry attacking German tanks during World War 2 is only propaganda.  It was a myth intentionally created by the Nazis to ridicule the Polish army, and discredit them in the eyes of their allies.  There is no evidence to support this allegation.  It is a lie.

Please click on the following link for more information:

The Myth about Polish Cavalry in WW2

Another joke is derived from the propaganda that the Nazi "blitzkrieg" attack destroyed all Polish planes while they were still on the ground. This is also untrue.  Polish planes managed to take to the skies 600 strong, and despite their outdated planes, Polish pilots succeeded in destroying an astounding number of German planes. Tragically, the Polish Air Force was decimated as they truly were no match for the faster and more powerful German aircraft.  But the skill and daring of the Polish ace pilot is the stuff of legends - and it's all true!

For more information about these subjects, please click on the following links:

Media & Propaganda: The Polish Air Force in September 1939

Famous Polish PZL 37 Los and P11 and the Polish Aces Who Flew Them

During WW2 a barrage of propaganda condemned the Polish people as inferior "untermenschen" who lacked intelligence. These were lies. It was Nazi propaganda.  Hitler's objective was to annihilate the Polish nation, as well erase all evidence of Polish culture - the Polish language, education, and Poland's rich history of art and music.  Still, today, otherwise intelligent people repeat this slander,  and ridicule Poland as a nation of lazy, uneducated ne'er-do-wells. In essence, they are perpetuating the same Nazi slurs with impunity.  It has become a joke to them.

From time to time there have been jokes made about "Polish Concentration Camps" as well as allegations that the Polish people supported the Nazis during WW2.  This is false. One has merely to read about WW2 Polish history to understand that there was no such thing as a Polish concentration camp.  When the Nazis completed construction of Auschwitz, its first prisoners were Polish Christians, though later the majority consisted of Jewish inmates.

Please click on the following link:

Petition against the term "Polish Concentration Camp"

In reality Poland has had a long and great history, despite the turbulent and violent attacks on its sovereignty and freedom.  The Sons and Daughters of Poland count among the greatest treasures of the world. Throughout millennia, Polish artists, philosophers, musicians, astronomers, scientists, mathematicians, engineers, chemists, generals, kings, explorers, poets, writers, inventors, have all contributed  to the advancements of the world as well as provide inspiration to others.  

Merely one glimpse at the brilliance of Polish creativity and intellect (past and present) must surely eradicate all the malfeasance that has too long remained a scourge upon Poland's honour.

Please click on the following link:

Polish Inventions: WW2 Weapons Development and Technology


In closing I would just like to mention that the most endearing Polish motto is, I believe is "For Your Freedom and Ours". It has stood the test of time and the Polish people continue to demonstrate that they are true to their word.  

Poland is our ally and friend.  Let the New Year be an opportunity for us to learn more about Poland - I promise that the experience will be enlightening and fascinating!

Thank you for visiting Polish Greatness Blog, and I wish you all a very Happy New Year 2013!! 

Szczesliwego Nowego Roku !!!