Label reads “37”; signed by the author; caption reads “29 SETTEMBRE 1941 KIEV BABY YAR, dove i nazisti uccisero piu di 100.000 ebrei. Il poeta russo Jevtuscenco scrisse: su Babi Yar sussurrano le erbe selvagge - gli alberi stanno a guardare severi come giudici - tutto silenziosamente quì grida. Jlia Ehenburg nel 1944 aveva scritto: io sento come da ogni fossa - mi state chiamando - non ci sforziamo ad alzarci – con le ossa bussiamo la - dove odorano di pane e profumi - le citta ancora vive. Nel burrone di Baby Yar avevano mandato soltanto gli ebrei, la popolazione Ucraina e russa li vide passare, incollonnati la sera stessa. Ancora Ehenburg: in questo ghetto non arriva gente - la gente c’era, là nelle fosse in un posto qualsiasi dove addesso scorrono i giorni – noi non aspettiamo risposta, siamo soli. Dalla montagna di cadaveri, qualcuno si salvò, Dina Promiceva [Dina Pronicheva], zingari, perfino una squadra di calcio che nonostante la intimazione del commando Tedesco avevano stravinto un paio di incontri amichevoli. Pioppi e saline, e l’erba alta di Baby Yar custodiscono ancora oggi i resti della strage, un masso di granito li ricorda, sul sasso stà scritto: qui verrà edificato un monumento dei crimini fascisti nel tempo dell‘occupazione tedesca di Kiev - 1941-43 gente sovietica ma ebrei perche portavano la stella di Davide.”

Caption translates as: “29 September 1941 Kiev, Baby Yar, where the Nazis killed more than 100,000 Jews. The Russian poet Yevtushenko wrote: “Wild grasses rustle over Babi Yar - The trees look sternly, as if passing judgement - Here, silently, all screams”. In 1944, Ilya Ehrenburg wrote: “Your screams my ears assault in rushes
From every pit their echoes mount. Our strength we’ll gather, then ascending with rattling bones we’ll start to knock — Where breath, with bread and fragrance blending, The cities where still people flock”.
The Nazis only sent Jewish people to the ravine of Baby Yar. That same night, Ukrainian and Russian people saw them passing in columns. Ehrenburg again: “no one arrives in this ghetto – people were there, in the ditches – in a place like any other where, now, days go by – we are not waiting for an answer, we are alone”. Someone survived from the heap of corpses; Dina Pronicheva, gypsies, even a football team that, despite the order of the German headquarters, triumphed in a couple of non-competitive matches. Poplars and salt marshes, and the tall grass in Baby Yar still look after the relics of the massacre. A granite rock remembers them, it reads: “here a monument, remembering the fascist crimes during the German occupation of Kiev will be built - 1941-1943. They were Soviet people, but Jews because they wore the Star of David.”
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Angiolino Filiputti]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Francesca Campani]]> Alessandro Pesaro]]> Helen Durham]]> Giulia Banti]]> Maureen Clarke]]> ita]]> Artwork]]> ]]> Ukraine--Kyïv]]> Ukraine]]> 1941-09-29]]>
15-7-43
il mio cagnolino e un'oca']]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Troglio, P-Bernabe, A. Folder PTroglioP1803]]> ita]]> Photograph]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Donet︠s︡ʹk]]> 1942-07-15]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Frances Grundy]]> deu]]> Text]]> Germany]]> Ukraine]]> Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)]]> Ukraine--I︠A︡lta]]> Rhine River]]> 1945-02]]> 1945-03]]> The Times]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> British Army]]> North Africa]]> Libya]]> Libya--Surt]]> Ukraine]]> 1942-12]]> The Times]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Angela Gaffney]]> eng]]> Text]]> Wehrmacht]]> Civilian]]> British Army]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Rostov-na-Donu]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Kharkiv]]> Italy]]> Libya]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> North Africa]]> 1942-02]]> The Times]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Angela Gaffney]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Wehrmacht]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Kharkiv]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Taganrog]]> 1943-02]]> The Times]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Wehrmacht]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Rzhev]]> Russia (Federation)--Kursk]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Kharkiv]]> 1943-02]]> The Times]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Wehrmacht]]> Civilian]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Kharkiv]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Vi︠a︡zʹma (Smolenskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Russia (Federation)--Smolensk]]> United States]]> Washington (D.C.)]]> 1943-03]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Wehrmacht]]> Civilian]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Donet︠s︡ʹk]]> Italy]]> Italy--Rome]]> Vatican City]]> Malta]]> 1943-09]]> News Chronicle]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Wehrmacht]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Crimea]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Angola]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Cuba]]> Cyprus]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Prague]]> Ethiopia]]> Ethiopia--Addis Ababa]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> France]]> France--Toulon]]> Germany]]> Germany--Bautzen Region]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Goldberg (Schwerin)]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Hohnstein (Grafschaft)]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Ravensburg]]> Germany--Sandbostel]]> Germany--Schönfeld]]> Iran]]> Kenya]]> Poland]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Northern Rhodesia]]> Sri Lanka]]> Sri Lanka--Colombo]]> Switzerland]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Turkey]]> Turkey--Istanbul]]> Ukraine]]> North Africa]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Germany--Mühlberg (Bad Liebenwerda)]]> Czech Republic--Cheb]]> Lithuania]]> Angola--Luanda (Luanda)]]> 1945-05]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Cyprus--Famagusta]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Germany--Colditz]]> Germany--Neubrandenburg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Görlitz (Görlitz)]]> Germany--Meiningen]]> Germany--Obermassfeld-Grimmenthal]]> Great Britain]]> England--Merseyside]]> England--Oldham]]> England--Surrey]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Barth]]> Poland]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Germany]]> Cyprus]]> Netherlands]]> Switzerland]]> Ukraine]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1945-04]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Czech Republic--Prague]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> Germany--Liebenau Site]]> France--Metz]]> Ireland--Sligo]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Germany--Spangenberg]]> Italy--Mantua]]> Germany--Marienthal]]> Germany--Glauchau]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Coswig (Saxony)]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Czech Republic--Cheb]]> Sweden--Göteborg]]> Germany--Biberach an der Riss]]> Italy]]> France]]> New South Wales]]> Germany]]> Ireland]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Sweden]]> Ukraine]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-04]]> Item 2 is a letter thanking Sir Arthur Harris from a couple bombed out of their home in Liverpool.
Item 3 is an article titled 'Remembering Bomber H'.
Item 4 is a letter from Group Captain Lord Cheshire arguing the bombing was justified.]]>
Daily Telegraph]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> British Army]]> Royal Navy]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Ukraine--I︠A︡lta]]> Great Britain]]> England--Liverpool]]> England--Coventry]]> Germany]]> Ukraine]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> 1991-10]]>
William Cross]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Azerbaijan]]> Azerbaijan--Baku]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Italy]]> Italy--Brindisi]]> Iraq]]> Iraq--Baghdad]]> Iran]]> Malta]]> Poland]]> Poland--Warsaw]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> Russia (Federation)--Volgograd]]> Syria]]> Syria--Damascus]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Novohrad-Volynsʹkyĭ]]> Ukraine--Poltava]]> North Africa]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Iran--Tehran]]> 1944-08]]> 1944-09]]> 1944-10]]> 1944-11]]> William Cross]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> BCrossWCrossWv10002,
BCrossWCrossWv10003,
BCrossWCrossWv10004]]>
Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> South African Air Force]]> Azerbaijan]]> Azerbaijan--Baku]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Italy]]> Italy--Brindisi]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Iraq]]> Iraq--Baghdad]]> Iran]]> Malta]]> Poland]]> Poland--Warsaw]]> Poland--Vistula River]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Syria]]> Syria--Damascus]]> Ukraine]]> North Africa]]> Ukraine--Poltava]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Russia (Federation)--Volgograd]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> 1944-08-13]]> 1944-08-14]]>
At RAF Halton he met fellow Poles from 303 Squadron who were there for three months training. He, however, was there for four years and received training very good on all types of armament and explosives, possibly in the context of weapon research and development.
He was there on VE Day but says the Poles didn't celebrate because of the Yalta agreement. He also recalls how, when some Russians visited, they were locked in a workshop out of the way. He recalls the barrack rooms and how they cheated the midnight bed checks when some were still out dancing in Aylesbury. He also says that the food was cooked by Italian prisoners and was very good.
In 1946 Michael went to RAF Cammeringham pending demobilisation. He was then detached to 48 Maintenance Unit at Wrexham, where he received and checked aircraft guns, before going to RAF Framlingham to await resettlement or repatriation.
Some Polish airmen returned to Poland but Mieczyslaw, by then know as Michael, went to London for resettlement. He claimed that trade unions didn't want the Poles and tried to send them into the mines and foundries but he refused and found a job making spectacles. He met his wife, who is also Polish, in 1960.
In London Michael attended social events and dinners at the Polish Club. He was awarded the Polish Freedom Medal in about 1990 or 1991.
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Geoff Burton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Andy Fitter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Egypt]]> Gaza Strip]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--London]]> England--Wolverhampton]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Wales]]> Wales--Wrexham]]> Ukraine]]> Poland]]> Poland--Kraków]]> 1939]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-05-08]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Glenda Godfrey]]> Photograph]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Oscar Verhoeven]]> Photograph]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Ukraine]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> France--Montdidier (Hauts-de-France)]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Reims]]> Great Britain]]> England--Burnley]]> France--Châteaudun]]> France--Orléans]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Romania--Bucharest]]> Italy--Ventimiglia]]> Ukraine--Lʹviv]]> Ukraine--Stanislav]]> Italy]]> France]]> Germany]]> Ukraine]]> Romania]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1944-05-03]]>