1961-11-04 — Page 7

Poles take Warsaw 'City'

pous! troops of

the Underground Lemay have explored

THE DATE N Angont '3, 1944.

After two days of dancing, polish Tolstande, fylter capture Warsaw's Uld City

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

EXILED-BY THE LAND

HE FOUGHT TO FREE

THERE was no need to ask if I had

THERE

come to the right address. The man who answered my knock on the front door of his, London suburban home was still every inch the career soldier.

Years in retirement had done nothing to bow the erect military bearing. The moustache was clipped with parade- ground precision. The green-brown eyes were as alert as a sniper's. The bald dome of the skull might have been polished by a diligent batman.

As he led me into his living- room, past the faded prints of The Heavy Brigade at Crimes and Napoleon reviewing his troops. I found myself looking for qualities other than those directly obvious.

I was looking for that strange, almost Indelinable quality that ifts a man from his fellows and makes him a leader of men.

It is that quality that inspires others to impossible courage and allows them to dla happy in the knowledge that 1ney have obeyed his orders,

For such a man is Generol Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski.

It is 17 years since General Bor-Komorowski wrote his page In the history of the world, A bloody page it was.

To arms!”

by LLEW GARDNER

Stalin had broken off relations with the Polish exiles in Lontion after they had demanded a Red Cross investigation of the mass graves of Polish officers mur. dered, many thought, by the Husstans in the In 1940.

Kalyn Forest

At 5 pm on August 1, 1944, tho resistance movement - jusown in Poland as the Home Army rose it General Bor- the Nazi Komorowski's command against oppressora. Within hours the flag of the Polish Republic was flying over the city for the Arst time since 1939.

General Bor-Komorowski with his wife and son Adam, 18,

At first the Poles were in- spired by the hope that Russian roller was at hand. Slowly that In July 1944 the tide of hope died, On the morning of battle had turned ngainat thủ fourth day of the rising Hitler. Everywhere the once General Bor-Komorowi awoke

the Wehr- urrogaat men of

To the realisation that some macht

were in retreat, The thing was wrong. thugs who had jackbooted their way across Europe were TC- tracing their steps,

city.

Silenced

· To further Stalin's aims it has been estimated that 200,000 Poles died. But such totals are probably of little accoust in the balance sheet of power politics.

Surrender

Without Russian aid, the Poles could not win. But the citizens until they of Warsaw fought

In the could fight no more. city's streets, and even in the sewers under those shattered atreets, the rising dled in a cordite perfumed binze of courage.

When, after 03 days of bitter the Home Army fighting,

General Bar- surrendered, Komorowski's last great act was to negotiate a settlement that guaranteed that his army would be treated as prisoners of war not as insurgents to be shot out of hand.

Then he joined them captivity.

in

The Red Army was at the gates of Warsaw. To the mon and women of that many of whom had seen, their The rumble of the Soviet guns The last message from the closest relatives dragked away to the gas ovens, it seemed as If the hour of liberation must

at last be at hand.

The problem facing General Bot - Komorowski, Commander of the Polish resistanco move ment-an incredibly brave forco of some 40,000 men and 4,000 women was whether this was the time to strike. He had no doubt that it was,

The great betrayal had begun.

The Red Army's was silenced. attack had halted. It stayed halted for the next two months,

Polish underground radio told the world: "Warsaw no longer caists. :.."

General Bar-Komorowski was penniless when he arrived to Britain. He used what Hitle money.he. corned, as: an officer of the Pulish Army.In Brital to put down the deposit on his house,

+

become British subjects, understand if they do,

I wil

"It may be essential for thats future and, this is a good count- try. Horo a man is troo,"

But General Bor-Komorowsitt with not becomin *

subject.,

Brilish

No blame

It is not that he does not like this country, The bitterness. felt when the Yaita trenty was signed-hunding Poland over to the Russian puppets has pipered.

"Britain acted in what she thought were her own Interests," he said. "Any country would do the same.

He went on: "I do not blame any young Pole who euls his inst the with his country. For them the future is here,

"But I am Go Many of thy colleagues are older. We were we must born Poles, and Poles remain,"

I is a modest home in a He talked of the meetings of street that has seen better days the Polish Old Comrades' Asso- in Alperton, not for

from ciation. Wembley Stadium.

"Some of my old comrades His

a wife started home are not as well off as I ats, furnishing fabric business and They have found it dimoult to General Bor-Kemorowski be- start a new life. Some work as came secretary and accountant servants in the big hotels....It

that smalt but going concern, is a changed world. We do not have a lot, but we have enough," he says.

Faultless

Accountancy-odd work for a general? He spread his neat hands and cald; "What he has to do, a man can do,

13,

and

His hope

"Most of the former high- ranking officers who live in Eritain are older than I am, When we meet we talk about the past. It is all there is for them to talk about. It is 1 suppose, a little sad."

But General Bor-Komorowski does not live only in the past, He stil hopes that the road wil one day be.elcar for him to go back to Poland.

"This accountangy is easy. A accountant friend came in for an hour one evening and learned. all that I had to do."

His sons-Adam.

He told me: "I camot accept George, 16-are both at school. that what is happening In

with on Poland Their father speaks

will last for all time. nccent. Their English is fault-

one knows what wil

then I could

less.

Liberated by the Americans, General Bor-Komorowski came Later he was joined

Adam, like many lads of his by his wife and two cons-bolj burn in Poland during the war. His wife's own story of her trek. has just finished a holiday to freedom was typical of the which he look in order to

buy a motor-cycle. Poles' courage and fortitude,,

During that time the Russians stood by and watched Warsaw slaughtered. They refused even Britain to allow Allied planes flying supplies to the Poles to land at

Their props Soviet air bases. ganda machine poured out a of hate against dally diatribe General Bor-Komorowski and his comrades. The Russian radio

was loud with appeals to the citizens of Today General Bor-Komorow

"The Russians did Warsaw to rizo and liberate ski says, themselves. One such appeal, what they did coldly and deli signed by

cried: berately for political purposes. There is They wanted to destroy the old leadership in Poland in order to replace it with one of their own choosing."

"poles to

Molotov,

to lose."

not a moment to

It is well to remember these appeals, for later the Russians were to claim that the rising was premature.

Certainly it is true to say that consultation with the Russians

was well-nigh impossible.

our

For a while he served with The Polish Army in Britain. But with

recognition of the Soviet-imposed Government in Poland the homes of the London exiles were crushed.

Somo did go back and of WETC their numbers not a fow arrested and shot. had flown in the

Men

NO

change and happen, The regime may yet

go

back. I would like to finish my days there. It is my country."

He is working now on a book It is a far from new motor- that will, he hopes, "end the cycle. When I called. It was parked on the garden path. It slander, that the Home Army Adam will have to prove Js not dificult to foresee that gave le or no help to Polish

Jews. hiy worth as a mechanic.

"The truth is that thousands

rose to go. The general

"In Poland perhaps it would and thousands of Poles died be different. But here....helping Jows to escape," General Bor-Kómorowski shrug- I who god his shoulders, "Hero it is walked with me to his garden Battle of good for a young man to learn gate, In his tweed sports jacket To be sure, the old guard, of Britain found themselves facing to work for what he needs.** the Polish Army was Right-wing. Polish Aring squads as traiters,

he looked a soild citizen of Soon Adam wiili But they were Poles fighting the Many, like General Bor-Komo university.

British suburbia, Germans. Thoirs was one of rowski, decided that

It was

the few resistance movements to more prudent to stay in this be led by the Right,

country,

to

Everything but his heart is

here.

Says his father: "Perhaps one day my sons will decide

BEVERLEY BAXTER IN

SAYS

FOR the last three weeks I have been commun-

ing with the ancient past on the island of Malta. In a few hours, however, my wife, and I will take off for Imperial Rome and then fly to London Town, After which I shall become the club bore on the subject of the South of France and the island where I am now writing.

Yet the Impact of Malta will Spanish, French and Britain long remain in my memory. All migrants. across the island there are mon

think

Just before

I become

-(London Expreis Servies).

MALTA

سلام

the club bore

Hoar after hour the Germons consolessly attacked with Air- craft and torpedoes, Ono dying Stuka actually crushed and ploded over the Ohio. Finally iler back was broken and It øderned as if the fales had turned against us.

The back of the Ohio," was broken but there was no sinking. of the spirit. All ranks know that it was this or nothing.

CARRIED

It was in the year 1942 that It was not merely a desperato the Governor of the island sent gamble with death but a care- Twice the Ohio was abandoned. in report to London which fully planned risk which by 1 and twice she was re-boarded. asteries and church steeples Now let me inform you that stated that Malta was within fallure or success might after the Desperate efforts were made to Blhouetted against the way the Phoenician race was the three weeks of surrender. It course of the whole war. Nothing tow her but they failed. Yo light blue nky. One would only one which could live by was not that the Maltese wanted was spared to make the blow as somehow the miracle came off, With docks afloat she was almost from the sky no that agricultura un Maltese land to give up the fight their cour- powerful as could be.

carried unbreakable but

Into Grand Barbour there are nothing but monaster. which requires indomitable skill age Was

In the convoy' ward because the remaining stocks of

two lashed between les, convents and cathedrals yet and patience.

two destroyeku in fact it is a bustling community

food were running out. Nor was battleships, four aircraft car and as the last of her fuel was But where do we Islanders of it a matter of months or even riers, twelve with a keen instinct and know Britain stand in relation to the weeks It was a matter of days.

cruisers, forty pumped ashore the hetoja tardark, destroyers and eight submarines, sank. The Ohlo had gas to her ledgo for world trado.

origin of Europe? It seems that

It was in fact a huge, armada last sleep. Scotland, Ireland and the Welsh

and the Admirals know that if have maintained their Aryan language and undoubtedly show Phoenician characteristics.

ORIGIN

The Maltere have their own ideas of their origin and do not hesitate to question the legends of the past: Swarthy they aro but they do not admit Semiile or African blood.

SUNBURNED

STARVATION they failed or were overcome by

The strategic position of Malta was of suprema importance. If it was forced into surrender by starvation and incessant bomb- ing tha whólo atrategy; of the aliled campaign would have to

No wonder sailors ado superi

When the enemy & might dotermico stitious.

they talk of the whole issue of the war. those far off days their voices

are hushed as they pinali

log of

ARMADA

which carried the precious ofl. Ba the beleaguered bland and MR well have changed the history it the world.

So I approach the cñà of ou

(which markeds is - holiday

I do not want to intrude upon

But there was one lanker history but I fully support the be altered. The sun shone with which was guarded an if it were We are told that the inhabit- opinions of the Phoenicians. The 41s force glare but in the hearts studded with towels far beyond Bouls of Frasser, then maddened ants of the country are princip- sófi is no sunburned that it is of the defenders there was a price. It was the American Malta and sours wii) rutnovi ally Aryans and Caucasians who 1 mck. If a golfer tried to realleation and acceptanice. that "Ohio" borrowed from the its und at London. It is yo went in to the Mediterrancan play over a course ho would find the sands of time were running American Navy under the foure that the waddling 'Tidang from the head Walters of the that it is utterly impossible to out. Me

lend understanding. The Amerte Landon onnitus will BROW! Euphrates and the Tigrishit the bottom of the ball. So in a last desperate attempt cans were not in the way as that something of is nowy chermes

to save the island from, slarva-, time but they were breaking that foods Market dark VIDALA .lt, seems that, the Phoenicians But, Malta and 'ita people do tion & contgy sailed through the orgy law of neutrality.

black jackas mod striped ite were never superseded and that not waste too much time on the Straits of Gibeniowe. There were -- Iz only, the oil could ranch sa engaging us the tongue they form today the greater part immemorial past. Their greatness fourteen merchant ships packed the famished Blind foremi Both temples and wadient virkir m of the population of these is not merely in ancient history with food but coula, Lug being the Dellian and the sowny wire rounded... with a be. That talands, aide by sida with but in the pari the faland played succoy in time to the starving Falty aware that Fate war about the harinet witY FÜR STORE AUD descendants of Norman, Italian, in the for wär

Islanders?

to declare ils verdlat.

gentle majesiyl

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