Feldgrau.net

Simple, calling Wladyslaw Wladek is just like calling Michael Mike .

Regards,
Michal Jungiewicz

Many Polish soldiers in west was former wehrmacht soldiers. Remember that over 200 000 Poles were forced to serve in German army.

Pirx wrote:Many Polish soldiers in west was former wehrmacht soldiers. Remember that over 200 000 Poles were forced to serve in German army.

Of course.
In many sources are mentioned Polish soldiers of "Silesian origin", surrendered in Italy and later incorporated into Polish Army. I remember a source mentioning, that in camps in Italy "<Pierona> - let's say, a "Silesian swear" - could have been heard everywhere".

Cott Tiger wrote: Do you have any idea why he published his book using the spelling Wladek rather than Wladyslaw?
André

Wladek, or Władek is simply a diminutive of the name Władysław in Polish.

Hans wrote:One of my Polish/Australian friends was born in Tanzania after his parents made their way south from Poland. He has no idea how/why etc. His parents never spoke about anything relevant. Any clues anyone, of how a Pole could find himself in Tanzania in 1940?

- Hans

Too many of the Poles who made their way to the western Allies were of officer quality, in excess of the numbers needed to man the Polish combat units. So the British used some of these excess Polish officers to replace British officers in east Africa.