The Antoni Paszkiewicz Project

Antoni Paszkiewicz

The Antoni Paszkiewicz project will examine the life and, in particular, the Second World War history of a young Polish man who was born in Vilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania) in 1921. During the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, he was arrested and imprisoned. Having been released to join ‘Ander’s Army’—the Polish Armed Forces in the East loyal to the Polish government-in-exile—he left Russia via Iran and Iraq in 1942. This army of Poles formed the basis of Polish II Corps, which fought in North Africa and Italy. Antoni Paszkiewicz subsequently joined the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade. Following the war he settled in the United Kingdom.

This incredible story will be supported by a wealth of photographs that he took or bought as souvenirs on his travels, and other material, including his diary, provided by his family. It will take some time to examine all of the material, much of which is in Polish or Russian. I hope to have the first instalment published in autumn 2014.

Sunset over the Euphrates. One of many photographs taken by Antoni during his travels through Iraq in 1942.

This series of articles will eventually contribute to the Kresy-Siberia Virtual Museum.