SUMMARY
00:00:05 School
00:00:24 Warnings of war prior to school holidays; Hitler Youth
00:01:15 Holiday; Late-night explosions
00:01:49 History of family serving in the army for context
00:02:10 Context - Polish community and troops in his hometown
00:02:37 German occupation of the area prior to the bombardment; Description of Kristallnacht
00:03:39 His father’s safety advice; Description of Poland and community demographics
00:04:13 Population of his local area – Polish-German ratio
00:04:42 Description of the first day of the Bombardment; Gestapo and SS take father
00:06:04 Description of the invasion in the following weeks and conversations with the SS
00:09:10 Leon and his siblings visit their family
00:09:52 Leon’s grandma takes them in; Leon and siblings move closer to their mother
00:10:36 The Gestapo/SS return to their house; Conversations with Leon and invitation to a meeting
00:12:37 Leon told to work for the German Reich and what that would involve; description of living and working on a farm
00:15:36 Leon’s dad comes to visit and gives advice
00:17:00 Reflecting on the first year and next steps
00:17:36 Leon is sent to work at the Crematorium; description of role
00:18:23 Leon is sent to a worker battalion; description of role – building of the autobahns
00:19:07 Leon is called to go home; reflection of skills learned
00:19:21 Sent into what would become a longer-term job; description of historical context and role he would have; conversing about past career ambitions
00:21:47 Period after the worker battalion; Drafted into the Forces
00:23:47 Working on the submarines
00:24:14 Beginning of military training
00:26:20 Leon goes to Groningen for military training
00:27:44 Commanders come to visit him; description of life in Groningen; Finding his identity
00:30:21 Describing his life in Paris – Guard service
00:34:03 Working in Ostend (Belgium); The British and Polish bomb the site they are guarding
00:36:38 Leon and his fellow soldiers leave Ostend; Descriptions of actions on the ship
00:37:24 Jumping ship and landing in Knokke (Belgium) – the King’s residence
00:40:30 Becoming part of the Witte Brigade (‘underground’); New identity and objectives
00:43:12 The Allies approach – Polish, Canadians, British
00:44:51 Saying goodbye
00:45:31 Getting on the landing craft to Ostend; treated as a Prisoner of War (POW);
00:46:25 Saying goodbye to Joseph; leaving his new identity
00:47:03 Landing in the London Docks
00:47:11 Description of the holding camp for prisoners; sharing the story of how he revealed his Polish identity
00:49:29 Called for duty – ‘slop clearing’
00:50:13 Moving around the holding camp – joining the Polish troops; given a new role
00:51:49 Lesson 1: marching the Polish way; understanding Leon and the troops’ skills
00:52:20 Working in Scotland
00:52:45 Sent to Tavistock
00:52:56 Plans for Leon to go to Devon and to sea, but the British navy change their mind
00:53:09 Outlining his unconventional war experience - “It was so mixed up”
00:54:26 The return to Scotland; Events in Arnhem; “The war was finishing”; Polish unable to march
00:56:39 Sent to Manchester; meeting British officers; Plans for resettlement – Ullenwood, Cheltenham
00:58:59 Detailing his new life in Cheltenham; The resettlement
01:01:07 Reflecting on his time working as a waiter and setting up home with his wife
01:02:31 Final reflections and memories of Brigadier Tom