Description
Object description
Polish medical officer served with Department of Polish Army Medical Services in Poland, 1939; internee in Romania, 1939-1940; escaped from Romania to France via Yugoslavia and Italy, 1940; served with 6th Polish Infantry Regt (Lwów), 2nd Rifle Div (Poland) in France, 1940; internee in Switzerland, 6/1940-3/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Bralin, Germany, 1905-1918: family; education; sight of German troop movements in area at start of First World War, 8/1914; loyalties of Silesian Poles; how his father went into hiding as Polish nationalist, 1918. Aspects of period as medical officer with Department of Polish Army Medical Services in Poland, 1939: pattern of university education as army medical officer prior to 1939; anticipation of war, 3/1939; reaction to start of war in Warsaw, 1/9/1939; receiving orders to move east away from Warsaw, 4/9/1939; hearing of Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland, 17/9/1939. Aspects of period as internee in Romania, 1939-1940: nature of internment at Dragasani; escaping from internment to Polish Consulate, 1/1940; initial refusal of exit visa by Romanian Police and how they subsequently conceded; journey to France via Yugoslavia and Italy including encounter with German agent in Italy. Aspects of period as medical officer with 6th Polish Infantry Regt (Lwów), 2nd Rifle Div (Poland) in France, 1940: opinion of lack of enthusiasm for war in France and French attitude towards Poles; experience of service with regiment, 5/1940.
REEL 2 Continues: crossing of regiment into Switzerland, 6/1940. Recollections of period as internee in Switzerland, 6/1940-3/1945: role as internment camp medical officer; German complaint against Swiss officer for allowing Polish Army parade in Zurich; question of influence of Germans and attitude of some Swiss Army officers, 1940-1941; organisation of Polish Army hospital in Switzerland; presence of British ex-prisoners of war who had escaped from Italy, 1943; repatriation to France, 3/1945. Aspects of period as medical officer with Polish Army in GB, 1945-1947: sending of Polish troops from France to GB, 1945; work of Polish Resettlement Corps in GB, 1945-1946; work as civilian doctor in GB from 1947.
REEL 3 Continues: temporary registration of Polish Army doctors to allow them to practise in GB; permanent registration of former army doctors, 1949; opinion of standard of medicine and hospital equipment in GB.