Heritage Mississauga is currently hosting a travelling exhibit called “In Search of History: Polish Contributions to World War II” at the Grange. This exhibition is in partnership with the Museums of Mississauga and the Orlinski Museum and is in loving memory of the many Polish veterans who call/called Mississauga home.

After the Second World War, many Polish soldiers felt alienated and persecuted by the new communist government and felt they could not return home. Instead, they settled around the world, including Canada. Many of these post-war immigrants settled in Mississauga and had to overcome language barriers, prejudice and other challenges. Over time, they became a well-established cultural group in Mississauga, the Polish language ranking in the top 5 languages spoken in Mississauga. Polish immigrants created notable sites such as John Paul II Cultural Center, St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, Wawel Villa Retirement Home, the Orlinski Museum, and numerous others. The Orlinski Museum, located in Clarkson’s Wawel Villa Seniors Residence, was founded by Polish veterans for Polish veterans for the express purpose of honouring and remembering their sacrifices. We are so thankful to be able to share this story and vision with the community at the Grange!

Here are a few things I learned from the exhibit:

Did you know Poland fought side-by-side with the Canadians during the war?

It is true! The Polish First Armoured Division was attached to the First Canadian field army during the North West Europe campaign. Krzysztof Lubicz-Szydłowski, a co-founder of the Orlinski Museum, was part of the Polish First Armoured Division. He was taken as a prisoner of war (POW), but he managed to escape captivity and join with the 1st Polish Armored Division. After the war, Krzysztof immigrated to Canada in 1956 and worked in agriculture, transport, and administration. He served as President of the Association of Soldiers of the Polish First Armoured Division in Canada for many years and in 2002, he co-founded the Orlinski Museum.

Did you know that Polish soldiers played an important role in the Italian Campaign?

The Polish II Corps was formed in 1943 out of various units that fought alongside the Allies during the Second World War. It was formed largely by Polish evacuees and those displaced by the war, who found their way to North Africa and the Middle East. A total of 50,000 soldiers were trained and transferred to fight in the Italian Campaign. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed that striking up into the Mediterranean and Italy, dubbed “Hitler’s soft underbelly”, was the key to winning the war. Perhaps one of the most famous Polish battles in this push was the battle of Monte Cassino (1944), in which Polish soldiers, aided by Canadians and other allies, were able to push through German defenses. The exhibit features a rare diary of a Polish Canadian soldier’s life during the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Did you know that Polish women were actively involved with the war effort?

Women were active members of the Polish Army Resistance and in the Polish units they nursed wounded soldiers, transported vital supplies, helped to entertain soldiers and did administrative work. The exhibit highlights the stories of two women: Helena Choroszy and Jadwiga Ziemiańska. Helena was evicted from her home during the war and was sent to Siberia by Russian forces. After being released, she joined the Polish Army’s Women’s Auxiliary Unit and was later evacuated to Iran, then Iraq. She was trained as a military truck driver and served with the 317 Transport Company of the 2nd Polish. Under German artillery fire, she and her fellow drivers delivered relief troops, ammunition and supplies to the front lines at the battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, she immigrated to the GTA and was a longtime employee of Timex. Jadwiga was likely also evacuated from the Soviet Union. She ended up in Iran in 1942 as a soldier of the Polish Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1944, she participated in the Battle of Monte Cassino. She was awarded the Polish Decoration Cross of Merit with swords in 1947 for her outstanding supportive roles. You can see Jadwiga Ziemiańska’s uniform on display with the exhibit.

For all these stories and more, come see the exhibit, “In Search of History: Polish Contributions to World War II” at the Grange for a limited time until the end of January.