After the war, Jurek was promoted to Captain and was awarded these medals
(not in order on photo)
Sappers meeting Sept 1950
On the reverse, the Jerusalem cross is placed in the white fields, and in the middle of the Knight's Cross the inscription: "Honor and Fatherland".
In 1984 Jurek published a book
5 K.D.P : saperzy w walce 1941-1945
“The 5th Kresy Infantry Division. Sappers in Battle 1941-1945”.
This is a military diary following the Kresy Sappers from the formation of the Polish Army in Russia in September 1941, through the Middle East and Italy and finally their arrival in the UK after the war in 1946.
"We Polish soldiers
For our freedom and yours
Have given our souls to God
Our bodies to the soil of Italy
And our hearts to Poland."
Then on 26.11.1979 he was summoned to the passport department, where his visa (till April 1980) was cancelled and given 48 hours to leave Poland. He was told that the order came from Warsaw and as a persona non grata in Poland, who brings anti-Polish propaganda and is hostile to the system, he would be deported from Poland. The milicja commander said that he wouldn’t arrest Jurek seeing as he had been awarded the VM (Virtuti Militari) and he respected such a man, on condition that he left Poland voluntarily. So, on 27.11.1979 Jurek flew via Frankfurt back to London.
Jurek continued his childhood sailing interest by taking part in the “Polesie” in the 1950’s and 60’s - sailing expeditions organised by the Polish Scouting Association on the Norfolk Broads, UK.
click on images to enlarge
Monte Cassino 30 yrs May 1974 (Jurek 2nd left)
Sappers meeting Sept 1958
Monte Cassino Memorial Cross
Jerusalem Cross
25th Aniversary Monte Cassino
5 KDP Cross
5 KDP Badge
The Sappers memorial window at the church of St Andrzej Bobola, London. 1988.
Renia and Ewa with Jurek in uniform 1968
British
Military Cross
39-45 Star
Africa Star
Italy Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939/45
.... then 3 more
Olenka, Ewa, Renia +
Ted, Stefan, Elzunia
Sept 1985
Jurek’s aunt Leontyna from Poland visited the family in London in 1959
Jurek’s mother Aleksandra moved from Wilno after the war to Bialystok where she worked as a doctor.
She died in 1954 and tragically, never saw her son again after he had left for the army in 1939. Poland was under communist rule and people were not allowed to travel outside of Poland during this time.
Jurek was not allowed to visit his mother’s grave until December 1968.
The Gradosielski Family London 1988 with children and grandchildren
click on images to enlarge
June 1946 Jurek's unit left Verona by train to the UK, and arrived at their camp in Checkendon, Berkshire.
When WWII had finished, most soldiers decided not to return to “socialist” Poland, because many of them lived in the area which had become the Soviet Union and their homes no longer existed. The majority stayed in the UK and after discharge from the Polish army in April 1947 joined the Polish Resettlement Corps. Members of the Corps signed contracts for a two-year service, which was to be used for acquiring education and skills in various civilian occupations, seeking work or obtaining a scholarship at British universities and colleges.
During this time Jurek took an electrician course and tried to learn English. His wife Danusia arrived in the UK in August 1946 but she was finishing her secondary school certificate at Foxley Camp, Herefordshire so they couldn’t meet regularly.
Jurek worked at a military convalescent hospital at Hermitage Camp near Newbury, Berks where Danusia joined him when her schooling finished in May 1947. They moved to Wrexham, North Wales when Danusia was expecting their first child. Most Polish army women gave birth at Penley Hospital, close by, so their first daughter Elizabeth (Elzunia) was born here in June 1948.
After Jurek was discharged from the Polish Resettlement Corps on 1 April 1949, the family moved from Wrexham to London and finally settled in East London, UK. Jurek worked as an electrical technician at the Haden Young Company for 32 years.
They had six children over 22 years........
First three children ….
In 1956, Jurek founded the Polish language and culture school for the children of Polish immigrants (Szkola Przedmiotow Ojczystych) in Forest Gate, East London and was president of the Polish Language Schools (Polska Macierz Szkolna (PMS).
Starting in 1960, he was the secretary and later the President of the Polish Sappers in Exile Association. He was a member of the council of the PMS (Polish Schools), secretary of the executive of the Council of the Soldiers’ Fund, a member of the Polish Culture Centre POSK and of the Polish Combatants Association SPK No. 316, as well as of the National Treasury.
Jurek often went to get-togethers in London with his army colleagues
From March 1978, Jurek continued his fight for a free Poland during a 2-year stay in Poland. While working for his English company as an electrician in Włocławek (just south of Torun) in the construction of a nitrogen plant, he acted as a courier between the Polish Government in Exile and anti-communist civic groups in Poland, which contributed to Solidarity's success in the 1980s. He smuggled into Poland messages, money, copy machines, censured literature etc. He brought back to England messages, etc and copies of books from the independent Polish press.
His English workmates, who had been helping with transporting materials as they were less likely to be searched, continued his mission as long as they worked in Poland until May 1980.
The tragedy of Polish soldiers is perhaps best summarized by the inscription that can be seen at the cemetery on the slopes of Monte Cassino:
The Poles fought bravely “for our freedom and yours” in the Second World War but unfortunately, Poland had to wait many years ... until late 1989... for its own freedom!
But sadly, Jurek never experienced a free Poland; he died in London on 30 July 1989 and is buried in the Polish military church of St Andrzej Bobola, London, UK.
Jurek’s military timeline
Poland - 1 Sep. 39 [1.09.1939] – 18. Sep.39 [18.09.1939]
Russia [USSR] – 18.Sep.39 [18.09.1939] – 12.Aug.42 [12.08.1942]
Iraq – 16.Aug. 42 [16.08.1942] – 15.Sep.43 [15.09.1943]
Palestine – 16.Sep.43 [16.09.1943] – 20.Nov.43 [20.11.1943]
Syria – 20.Nov.43 [20.11.1943] – 20.Dec.43 [20.12.1943]
Egypt – 20.Dec.43 [20.12.1943] – 25.Feb.44 [25.02.1944]
Italy – 5.Mar.44 [05.03.1944] – 17.June. 46 [17.06.1946]
England – 21.June.46 [21.06.1946] -
discharged from PRC 01.04.49
The Banner of the 5KDP - 5th Kresowa Infantry Division – 5 Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty created by Polish women refugees in Palestine was handed over to the Division on November 11, 1943 in Jerusalem by General Władysław Anders.
Currently, the banner is displayed at the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London, UK.
The sappers met often during those first years - party 1958
Jurek with mother-in-law Helena
and Danusia. Wrexham 1948
Sept 1969. 30-yrs WWII Memorial Service at the Albert Hall, London, UK.
Sappers from various units: Jurek in middle.
Polish
Virtuti Militari
Cross of Valour x 2
Cross of Merit x 2
Army Medal 1939-1945
Sept 1939 Campaign Cross
Stefan, Elzunia , Ted
On the front of the banner, on the white fields within the laurel wreaths, are the names of the cities: Lwów, Wilno, Tock, Tatiszczew which are associated with the division formation on the territory of the Soviet Union. On the lower arm of the image of the Knight's Cross is the inscription: "Kresowa Division 1941”.