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| Zachary Mateja, a World War II Living Historian presented a display on the life of a Polish soldier during the Polish Festival at Sacred Heart Parish in Swedesburg, PA held the weekend of July 24 through 26, 2009. |
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The World War II Polish Living History Group is a non-profit, volunteer organization that honors the men and women of the Polish armed forces who served during the War. Their mission is to educate the general public about the magnitude of the Polish contribution to the Allied victory through speaking engagements and displaying artifacts at historic sites, air shows and other sites.
Some of the lesser-known facts they share with audiences include:
- Poland never surrendered to the Nazis or Soviet Communists
- Polish aircraft were not all immediately destroyed; flyers took to the air and shot down more Nazi aircraft over Poland than they lost
- Airmen who escaped Poland formed the 305 (Josef Pilsudski) Bomber Squadron and launched raids in Allied aircraft over occupied Europe
- Polish fighter pilots shot down more Nazi aircraft during the Battle of Britain than any other squadron
- Members of the 10th Dragoons Regiment, after defending Poland valiantly, escaped to France where they assisted until the French surrendered and then fled to England where they helped form the Polish 1st Armored Division
- Polish mathematicians first cracked the Nazi Enigma Code used for secret communications
In addition to providing this and much more information about Polish participation in the War, the group seeks to gather and preserve the personal stories of war survivors and their families. To submit information to the group, and to learn more about its activities, visit www.wwiipolishlhg.org.
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