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Kazahkstan + Polish Army in Switzerland

Stefan Wisniowski
 

Grace,
What a treasure trove!
Perhaps I can add a bit to your research.

As you know, after September 1939, the remnants of the Polish government and
army regrouped in France. Andrew Hempel, in "Poland in World War 2 - An
Illustrated Military History", reports that the Second Infantry Fusiliers
Division was deployed near Belfort, near the Swiss frontier. The division
stopped the German army advancing on France at Clos-du-Doubs. But on 19
June 1940, the French were negotiating an armistice with Germany and the
Division followed orders to cross in to neutral Switzerland, where they were
interned for the duration of the war.

Your 3 medals:
Grunwald Berlin 1410 - 1945: this seems to link two Polish victories over
the Germans. In 1410 the Polish Army defeated the powerful Teutonic Knights
("Krzyzacy"). In 1945 the armies entering Berlin included the Polish 1st
Kosciuszko Infantry Division, fighting under the Soviet Red Army.

'Boze Narodzenie w Swajcarii - D*S*P' means "Christmas in Switzerland",
while D.S.P. could mean "Diwizja Strzelecka Piechoty" (sorry, the Polish is
not quite right), which means "Second Infantry Fusiliers". 'Noel Des
Internes En Suisse 1942' means "Christmas of the interned in Switzerland
1942"

Krajowa Rada Narodowa' means "National Council" and "RP - Zwyciestwo:
Wolnos'c 9.V.1945" means "Republic of Poland - Victory: Freedom 9 May
1945".

Regards,
Stefan Wisniowski

From: grace@...
Reply-To: Kresy-Siberia@...
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 12:09:29 -0000
To: Kresy-Siberia@...
Subject: [Kresy-Siberia] Re: but where in Kazakhstan???

Hi All,
Firstly, I have just been trying to decipher some very faded Polish
on the back of an old photograph I have of my grandmother and about
fifty other people (mostly women and children and a few old men) who
I assume lived with her at the camp in Kazakhstan. Unfortunately I
don't read Polish so the message remains a mystery until I find
someone in Singapore who can translate it for me but underneath the
word Kazakhstan there appears to be another name that is perhaps the
name of the camp. It's a little hard to read but it looks something
like K'zibr...t? Yeah right! I guess that's a lot of help. Maybe
the 'z' is a 'g' in which case it would be K'gi...etc. I have checked
out a map of Kazakhstan and found nothing like this word anywhere so
maybe I'm reading it all wrong. One thing I am assuming is that the
camps were built along the railroad. Which would mean that the
existing towns were once camps? Right or wrong?
Now to add some more information to the mystery of the Polish interns
in Switzerland...In a 'Sweizerische Armee' letter I have dated 30-12-
41 it states that my father, Stanislaw Pundyk was a corporal in the
202. Schw.Art.Rgt. 2 Pol.Div. and that he was a chemistry student at
Hochschullager, Winterthur. So, I guess that sets the stage for a
Polish-Swiss agreement. The letter is in German and I've yet to get
it translated.
I have three medals. One is in the shape of a shield, has two swords
on it and the words 'Grunwald Berlin 1410 - 1945'. Another is round
and silverish. On one side it has the Polish Eagle and the
words 'Boze Narodzenie w Swajcarii - D*S*P' and on the other it
says 'Noel Des Internes En Suisse 1942'. And the last medal again has
the Polish emblem and the words 'Krajowa Rada Narodowa' while on the
other side it says 'RP - Zwyciestwo: Wolnos'c 9.V.1945'. Any one want
to explain what they say?
I also have a stack of photographs of Polish soldiers in places such
as Chateau Maurivet, Wassen, Zurich and Winterthur. On the back of
most of the photos my father seems to have identified each of the
soldiers by name. So I guess in many ways I have a piece of Polish
history in my hands. Will keep you posted when I learn more.
Grace
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