Welcome to B.Bogatek. I do notice new followers of the blog and it gives me pleasure to see them appear because it makes me think people are interested in what I am writing. I particularly noticed you because of a triple coincidence that the last Polish airman I wrote about was Marian Bogatek, there has been a surge of interest in the site from Australia and viewings of the site have gone up by about 60% since I wrote about him. I would be interested to know if he was a member of your family - please feel free to contact me on the email address in the missing airmen entry - and please feel free to criticise if you think I have got it wrong!.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
I think you have done a marvelous job with this blog.
I am Marian Bogatek's eldest son Joe.
Thank you for those kind words. In the relative ease and comfort of 2011, we have no idea what it was like for these men. I'm not sure whether it was RAF Tiree or RAF Benbecula (but your father was at both)where the winter weather was so bad that they had to use a rope to hold onto in the fierce winds - just to get to their (freezing cold) place of work. And there they stayed for up to 20 hours at a time just to keep the Wellingtons flying. They were a special breed of men and thoroughly deserve to be remembered.
Hear, hear.
They will definately never be forgotten thanks to people like you.
Thanks for the welcome to your blog. Happy to be a member.
I am Marian & Betty's grandson, Brendan.
Son of Robert, their second son.
I was ten years old in 1993 when Pa died, however I do remember some of the stories. The couple i definately will never forget are
1. in the Russian P.O.W camp's when the men spat, the saliva would freeze before it hit the ground. Even as an eight or nine year old, i found myself wondering why they would be spitting and wasting their fluids when quite often they would drink their own urine because they could not melt the snow. And,
2. while "recuperating from the illnesses", he ate raw liver to help regain his eyesight. Yes, something a young boy cannot comprehend but something a man in need could achieve quite easily.
Thank you!
We will never understand exactly what they all went through but you've helped me understand (and i never really doubted) that I am proud of who i am because of my family. The "Strong Polish Bones" nan (Betty) has reassured us we all have, now has a deeper meaning.
Hello Brendan,
Thank you for contacting me; the reaction from your family has been very good. It is important that these men are never forgotten and I am doing my best to keep their memory alive. I have my freedom thanks to them and this country owes them a debt of gratitude. But for the efforts of the allied forces we would be living in an era that would make the Dark Ages seem pleasant. Czesc ich pamieci.
Post a Comment