Not Poles apart!

A lifetime later and they're still here - the Poles who fought against Hitler only to see their country over-run by Stalin's equally abhorrent empire at the end of the war.

Now what the people of the area gave them - and what they gave to the existing community - has been formally recognised. Last week representatives of the Polish community presented a painting celebrating the area to mayor Sybil Rostron.

Large numbers of the Poles came to live in our Lancaster and Morecambe area to work at Lansil, Courtauld's and Williamson's.

And they've been contributing ever since. Shortly after the war the Luneside Engineering company was established by Polish Colonel Benirsk. Generations of skilled men have worked there. Later Polish Professor Koc made a massive contribution to establishing the university here. The Polish Ex-servicemen Association regularly supports the British Legion and a close town twinning bond has been established between Lancaster and the Polish city of Lublin. Now Poland is a free, if troubled country. But still the ex-servicemen and women - who put down such strong roots - stay here, still fiercely proud of their homeland.

They chose Wednesday, September 1 as the sixtieth anniversary of Hitler's invasion of Poland to make the presentation.

Speaking afterwards representative of the Polish Community Stefan Drewski commented: "The picture will remain in the town hall to commemorate the existence of the Polish minority in this area and to indicate a long lasting friendship between the people of Lancaster and Morecambe and the local Polish community.

"We have always maintained that our loyalty to England is in our commitment to the hard work for the benefit of the local community." Now Mr Drewski and his old Polish comrades can rest assured their contribution to post-war Lancaster and Morecambe will always be remembered.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.