Corporal Waleria Sawicka PSK Signals 2 Corps

I went to Monte Cassino, because at that time I was... And I was then in Monte Cassino a week after. Everything. The trees, all this, there was nothing leaf, nothing. They were burned. Black everything. When I went there, half a year later, I couldn't believe it was the same place. Everything was green. Again. But even then it was destroyed completely. That was the voice of Pani Valeria Savitska, describing her view of Monte Cassino on a trip she had made just days after the Polish victory.

She had travelled from Bottola in southern Italy, where she was serving as a corporal in the 2nd Corps Signals Regiment. Marking the eightieth anniversary of the Battle of Monte Casino, Pany Valeria Savitska spoke to me for this podcast at her home in South West London. At a hundred and one years ago. She shows the patriotism. Grit and determination of the women in population. Copy it.

service. You're listening to Ogniskopolski's Monte Cassino 80, supported by the Polish Culture Institute, a podcast series where In this eightieth anniversary year we have And consider the campaign. on the Battle of Montecast. And consider its cultural and generations. Thanks to Marek Morosek.

In the Second Corps Signals Regiment. Her highly classified work included sentences. Italy. were vital to the success of the frontline soldiers during the Battle for Monte Casino. Their efforts enabled the soldiers to achieve victory in one of the most significant and grueling battles of World War. ПАНИ САВИТСКАЗАЧЕВ For forced deportation. To the worlds of Siberia, joining the Training in the Middle East. in the Pomocnicza Służba Kopiet, the second course, women's auxiliary service.

I asked Pany Savitska about her first duties with the Second Corps after the Polish Army's evacuation from USSR and their arrival in Persia, now Iran. Yes, we give her a uniform. And I was given a position as a called Svetlicharka. It was Swedlicharka. My duty was to inform uh soldiers what's going on. and to give them every every day about the situation on in the front. Because I was quite good at drawings. So in my place that it was belongs to be I make a huge map.

and i was changing that the position on the front was going on and taking them there and explaining at first i used to go to the headquarter to give information by the radio and then according to the information that I received I made this you know situation presented And also helping them to write letters. And sometimes they did some actually contact with people because they were very distressed, not knowing what happened.

all this so I always have to keep them you know to believe that everything will keep stay up and you know and end well because they were suffering from the so they needed something that so it was very So I was there in Iran.

Uh And then one Iraq I received um the the colonel calls me and he said, Pani Vala, um you have to go there is a party organized by British officers, and you have to go there. I said, I'm not going there. Oh, but it is duty. You have to go, because I invited. They took us to another two girls. I met them for the first time. And after short journey we arrived in a huge tent. We got there and on the floors there are Persian cars.

So you felt at home? Yes. And they put me by the table, sent me there. Only officer, British officer. Kelly's, you know, majors, then and I'm sitting just at the end there and they are sitting there. And the only question asking me, do you smoke? Of course I smoke already because I started very early. But I said, thank you, I don't smoke on that one. And nothing else, you know, but they are drinking food, very nice food. And I always had a very good appetite.

Next day I'm already almost going to bed, already took off my shoes, and there is the adjutant of the Colonel Kemsi movie, Panivalo, there are guests for you. I said, Guests? I don't know anything. Oh, he said they're just want to talk to you. And there is a Polish officer comes who speaks English and he asked me, Are you Valerie? I said, yes, what happened? And he said, Thanks God. Because that British officer looking for you. I said, which one? That you met yesterday.

I said, but I don't want to see him. But he said, Have mercy upon me. I have no lunch, no breakfast, no dinner, no lunch, anything, no supper looking for you. And can you imagine the Polish? They give a Polish officer But do you know, I felt very, you know, actually annoyed by that. Mm. I said, How I said they shouldn't do that, Polish officers. So I said to that Polish officer

They said, oh, have a nurse upon me. I have nothing to eat today looking. And they went to every Polish camp where the girls looking for Valerie. I was the only one. only one. So he said, but talk to him, he is there waiting. Yeah. I was annoyed that Polish officers gave as officer, a Polish officer who actually had a very important position because he was dealing with British and Polish to find a girl who is named Vane. D did you feel that they weren't giving you enough respect? No, it's uh

They wanted first of all to please that British officer. Yes, that's right. Because you were a soldier, you were just an immigrant.

That's the corporal Napoleon started as a corporal. Oh there we go. Yes, everything that's a very important rank. So you were a corporal? Yes. And so when did you go to study? We I finished my A level in 1943. called Palestine, which is Israel in Rechowot. There was a school of Polish girls and actually I wanted to go and study in Lebanon.

Because they were two universities. One was American and one was French. And I go to to my office a commanding, you know, and I said I would like to go and state in Lebanon. And she said to me, Oh no, no no no no no. The war will soon will be over, we are will going back to Poland. You are young enough, you will study in uh in Poland. But it never December nineteen thirty-nine the war starts. What was your life like before that autumn? It was very pleas very pleasant.

Hello, he studied and also uh I philosophy, you know. So he spoke Greek and Latin. And last time he was as a headmaster of a big college. There were two separate classes, you know. And we had a beautiful, it was in the building called by... Marshal Piusucki, weil es 7 Kilometer aus dem Platz war Piusucki. Even when they were bringing, sometimes they were some troops of theatrical or something, they were staying with us because they were performing in that building. Because the butter's huge.

That they were performing there. But when you had the theatre, did you have anyone famous? Really? Yes, and he was staying in our house. And I remember I was so surprised because the servants that he brought with her, he always asked once my servants. to give him something with hot water because he was playing piano for her. so he wanted that his hands are you know warm so and she was changing all her thoughts a big house, you know, with six rooms and a beautiful garden.

Uh and but uh still when the Russian came state. to take us, they were still... Oh yes, yes, yes. And my mother had it was something unusual buying these you know, these things, all this I have a So they ask if we have a shop with... Oh, really? Because you had so much beautiful ceramics. But of course, dispersion carpets, they were like... In April they came, they gave us half an hour to pack the outings. Yeah. But before And he found another two rooms in the... He was the mayor of that time.

So they left all the best furniture was given away. But still we have some a lot of quite a lot of dispersion carpets because my mother has some good China. So you were at home in Poland? Russians came, we're taking you guns of course and when we they are walking we when we walked to the station they we were by nature. to say something to us, to touch us. But when we came to the station, we felt happy because all our friends were there already. They took everything.

Yes, the uh of course uh to the station because they took us from the house and we walked during the night. And when we came we met all our friends there and they put us to a good straight. There was only the hole in the floor. Yeah. Shut the door. And there was only small window, you know, on the tent that we And we were traveling like that I think about two weeks, not we.

so just so you're with people you know in the wagon yes because they were all our friends from that town every all polish people was almost No. And was it all ages, old and young? Oh families. Whole families. The the the most tragic actually it was when there were women with small And there was a woman with a very small child and is not well, and that child died and she didn't. Uh

So that's very difficult because you know these people. When you see them our friends were with us because they took all Polish all Polish uh society then.

And they put us to these good trains and they were taken out of Poland. And where was your father? My father was arrested. Although when they came for my father, they addressed him, Gospadin, it means... Gaspadine sir, you know. And they knew about my father because my father spoke excellent Russian because he was studying Poland. So he was studying law in Petersburg and then he studied philosophy, both Greek and Latin. And when they came to our house, the address...

And it was not important for for them. And also they were mentioned because my father was an officer in General Colchak who was fighting He wasn't light up. Yeah. was interesting actually when there was a friend of my father he was director of University in Vilno and there was dedication at the top to dear Pan Vladislav to dear. Human Russians. and then that expression that that disease from east that it was

So they took my father and he said, oh, my mother said, but where? Oh, he will be back soon. Yes, the last time. And then my mother was writing to this watch the fix, you know, officer, but never received reply.

Quando eravamo preso in Polonia, eravamo preso il treno in un buon treno. and they were soldiers with guns, with dogs, really, and we were given, the first day they gave them something hot, like hot water. And then there was given a hot soup, something, and we didn't know where we were going, where they are taking. And then after two weeks, the train stopped. And I said, get up.

And they just put few persons in each lorry. And this, notice that all those men, those drivers, they were not Russians, they were exotic people. And there was only nothing, no houses, it was only like a My goodness. And I said, get out. So we had to. And they left us and they moved out and we were standing there. Just standing in a just there not knowing, you know, what's going to happen, where we are. They left us on the actual

Outside the the village. Nothing, you know. We were standing there, quite a lot of us, and we didn't know what to have and what to do. And then after some time we noticed a group of people. because they saw the s stockings, s y silk stockings my mother had still got on her fur coat, you know. Surprised, you know, but they didn't know what to say. But my mother, as she was educated in Petersburg, she spoke to her.

She was asking, what do you want? What we're supposed to do? And he said, we don't know, actually, because we were only told that the rich people will be brought here. So my mother said, but after all we are human, could you take us to your heart? So they agreed and they take us, you know. Just going forward, you're in How long were you then? Oh together two years because in 1941 there was agreement between

And we made uh free people. Yeah. How did you find out that the agreement there was a payment for That type of bread that we were given after all day work, it was terrible. It was like... One would be a little bit more than it's not to to eat, but there was nothing else. So I am waiting still for that bread. I said yes, the best corn was sent to Hitler and we have to eat, you know the and there was a man standing there because and he was very cross with me because once he tried to embrace

And I you know, punishing him on the face. So he said, I will you will pay for that. So actually he said that I am doing very bad.

My mother of course was crying and we were packed all the night. and you know I was ready and I was proud that I said some thousands of people are suffering and I said there are fun as well and I'm going In the morning they brought me there when I was supposed to sit down waiting for that and cover that, that secret police.

And I was sitting there, sitting, sitting, nothing happened. And that Polish brigade that I was a member of, that we were working together, suddenly when it is lunchtime, I can see that... have a break and they embracing each other, you know, jumping. And I thought, although I tried to control my fear, I am not sure but actually i lost that control because everything in front of my eyes they are all moving you know that's natural and then the man that my mother trying to talk to

Nie upokarzaj się przed tym bolsznikiem, a może to nieprawda, co ja powiedziałam? Jak ty się mam tyle lat? On nazywa moją mamę raptem mówił. Okazuje się, ogłosili pakt Szikorski Mański. They said that night they had got the newski mają przedtem. I myśmy się dowiedzieli i on już nazywa się... No i ja byłam już wolna, i że Polska. Bo jak to przypadki są? Gdyby to się stało tydzień temu, to mnie by do jakiegoś lagu już zabrali, może nigdy już mojej mamy nie oddaliasła, bo nie wiadomo.

So you were about to be sent to a Soviet prison for being cheeky and non You're waiting to be sent to be collected by the secret police and suddenly Tak, 1941. I wtedy on woła moją mamę, tak. And suddenly your mama is Tak, to wolisz bohaterzy. Yes. Już wolni, tak, już tak. After the Shikoski Maysky Agreement, Pani Savitska and her sister were free to leave the Kolhols, and they made an arduous journey.

Volunteer and sign up to the newly formed Polish Army, 2nd Corps Drugi Corpus, under General Anders. In 1942, with the You need the pleasure.

We rejoin her story in 1943 as she joins active service having completed her A Lab. Signal signal office. I I was as a first uh you know, with more uh dictating, morse yeah to sending moves. Yes, you do, So t tell me but what was the role that you did? In signals, when there was a message to send, to send by radio with more, to go. And then also I have to look after the chorus. because at a very late night there was correspondence brought by from the base of New Zealand.

Because they have somebody and they were always seen in Green Limer That was the most popular with British with the Green Liverlend. So you in Signals when did you know that you were going Well I'm I'm really interested I'm really interested where you've got this strong Nobody everywhere you've been, you've been in Siberia

You don't stand any nonsense. I think you must have been fantastic in signals. Ale nie ja byłam w ogóle taka dość samodzielna. Zawsze z procu latałam. I bardzo dobrze lubiłam szczytu. I was Polish advanced base. It was in Motola, which is not far from Tara. What training did they give you? Morse code? Yes, Morse. Yeah, and did you have to learn how to use

No, you have this thing and you just see more using that and it's transmitting, you know. But it was important because some messages were secret, so they have to be sci-fi. Köszönöm, hogy megtaláltam, hogy megtaláltam, hogy megtaláltam, hogy megtaláltam, hogy megtaláltam, hogy megtaláltam. So the elastic popped. And you left your knickers behind. On the corridor. Yeah, no, no, no mm. But z sometimes he was coming from the uh casino, acted playing bridge and uh drinking. And he opened the door.

Every officers, you know, they were just and I was still sitting at my desk, and he shouted, Get up to me. So I just let, and I said, but stand up. I said, I said. What can't? Because I said I have pain in my head. Because some of them really, no one else at all. How long were the shifts that you were working?

the morning all night. Because the the war sometimes it was very important because sometimes underskyarozma it's gonna ram to Pszewolotsky byl so they were uh i i z some message trzeba być znaczy zaszyfrowane, zaszyfrowane. So you were sending messages from general and No, uh I have to actually it was arranged that he want to talk to uh to the general who were in charge of that place. So I have of course to and to

I'm sitting there and came this general with his adjutant. Open the door and I'm sitting there and this is an adjutant. And he said and I look at them and he said, We came. I said, But I am sorry I said, You are too late too too early. I said yes, you have to remember it is a signal that every minute counts. So they apologized to me. How would that work? They come to you because I was in then on duty I had a duty that I could arrange this conversation.

so everything I have to ring them, then they are ended here and wait. But once also, there was a situation that was very important. Men vi kan inte senda det, eftersom det var väldigt secret. Och cypher var inte aktiv. So they have to be read or sent by because I had two men who had a motorbike and I go sent. But one was not well. So I actually another was ill. I didn't know what to do. So I s I sent two soldiers for

So I said, please go and tell my officer who was in charge of me, first one. He was not active army, but he was civil. I start from him because he was the youngest rank he had and I said apologize on my behalf but ask him to come to the office to see me so he came and I said to him I have to start with you. But the next officer he was no manners at all so i said to that my soldier who was working for me i said go to him and

Long time. And tell him like that, from the order of Mrs. Taka Itaka, you have to come to the office. A můžu říkám, že můžu říkám, že můžu říkám říkám, protože měl říkám, že můžu říkám, že můžu říkám. So and then next one was and he wasn't active army. He came, he apologized, but I apologize, I said, but to to keep the uh proportion of ranks I have to s call you as well. and we were just sitting there and he comes.

What do you think? What I have to go fly to Gallipoli? Because it was for Gallipoli. I said thank you very much. Why do you thank me? I said thank you for your arguments. So what to do? So then next day they called everything and they said if the situation is like to abandon everything. So I was really very pleased and thanks to me, you know, it was abandoned. because Gallipoli was very important during the war, because from Gallipoli all the night flights for planes they were taken.

because they were flying. And especially, for instance, when the planes that were flying, they were very dangerous early hours because Germans were killing them. because they could see them. So you had to send a message to Gallipoli? Yes, because Gallipoli was content. And y you you had to Yes they have to be because sabotage they were d uh damaged. You know, all this because there was a lot of

During during the d during the war there. And in signals it was your responsibility to inform the British soldiers? Yes, yes, yes. Because they were doing repairing, not Polish. There was no Polish units that were repairing. So that's why once I was called to the mine. And he said to me, do you know that the war is on? I said, yes. But he said, if there is a sabotage on the line, if there is no valerie, it's not repaired.

line so they were doing it for you I because I must admit I like to talk to them on the tele by telephone. Just uh just get your reflection because we're coming to the eightieth and yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n But at the end of the war, it was in general a great relief. But in signals you must have heard all the information coming in about the battle at Monte Cassino. Yes, but you see some of course they were also secret.

But that's why, because I was in Italy at that time, but I was in the south of Italy. near Taranto, you know, on the bottom. So when I saw Monte Cassino, it was about probably a week later or a week and a half. And it was the view was very depressing. Beautiful because very well kept, but that seven years. And I was present one when the mother of one of these boys who died there came from America and how she was crying. Very sad.

I always actually I knew that they are Monte Cassino finding, but I have I have such a s confidence in Polish you know bravery that I wasn't very surprised. victory parade here in Piccadilly. Pols were not invited because they only wanted invited those from Battle of Britain. Но они сказали... They were dying and fighting there and there. So they were not there. I would like to say thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much because you fought for us.

Actually, because are actually very brave and fight well. Even the women. I was I was born here in in England and I looked Yeah. You've been listening to Oblisko Polski's Monte Cassidy. Presented by Yola Pia. Monte Casino 80 Продолжение следует... Subscribe to make sure. And go to the show notes for the video. About the Monte Casino eighty.