F for Fiedler's Museum

 

Arkady Fiedler (1894/1985) was a Polish writer, traveler, and naturalist. During his life, the man took part in numerous expeditions to several countries on all continents. 

Some years ago, I happened to see the museum situated in Fiedler's family home in Puszczykowo (not far from Poznań, Poland), and I did enjoy watching all the exhibits there. The small items are on display in the house. Others, placed in the yard, are interesting reconstructions.

Some of the structures are:
a statue from Easter Island,
a monument to Crazy Horse, Lakota chief,
Sitting Bull statue,
and the Gate of the Sun (Lake Titicaca area, Bolivia).

The place is worth visiting, but probably not many people know about it.

Santa Maria - replica

Fiedler wrote 32 books. One of them, "303 Squadron" (about the WWII Battle of Britain fighting squadron), was on our school reading list. 

"The River of Singing Fish" ("Ryby Spiewają w Ukajali") about his trip to South America, bought by my sister, we had at home.

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"My Polish Alphabet" is related to things, places, and people that come to my mind when I think about Poland.

A Little Rose Song

Recently, my mom has asked me whether the local German choirs sing a song about a little rose. I do not think they have it in their repertoire, but I do know they sing about a white rose of Athens.
The song which mom remembers from her childhood is "Heidenröslein".

Its lyrics were originally a poem written in 1791 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (born 1749/ died 1832). The poem was dedicated to Miss Friederike Brion, a pastor's daughter. Goethe and Friederike were involved in a love affair.

The words of the poem tell a story about a boy who picks a little rose without her consent and her suffering because of that. Metaphorically, it can be taken as a situation when the boy forces himself on a girl.

Who knows what really happened between the two considering that the romance between the writer and Friederike did not last long. Allegedly, the man cut the relationship short, and the lady never married, despite having a proper suitor later. Or maybe it was all the poet's imagination?

Several composers, including Schubert and Lehar, wrote the music for "Heidenröslein". However, it was the tune created by Heinrich Werner in 1829 that made the poem a popular song.

Source: Wikipedia

A Christmas (Related) Story

My auntie had a Nativity set. 

During non-Christmas time, she kept it on the top of the wall unit in their living room. Once, in the summertime, I visited her (I think I was about 5 then). The aunt told me not to touch the Nativity set figurines. Being made of holy communion-type wafers, they were fragile. 

I was too little to see what exactly was up there on the furniture. The aunt's remark made me curious, though. When nobody else was in the room, I took a chair, climbed up, and aahhhh! There they were! Jesus looked so good to me! So good that I ate him. The figurine was a bit dusty, but tasted really good! Baby Jesus was the smallest of them all so I thought little damage was done. 

When my aunt found out that Jesus had disappeared from the crib, she knew it was me. Well, the lady was very displeased, to say the least. My thought then was - auntie should not have told me about the wafer figures. Did I feel guilty? Not really. However, I was ashamed I ate Jesus. 

Dear Aunt, God bless your soul.

Photo: from Nativity display at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church

 

Alfred Konrad Kordzik

Some time ago, I wrote a post about the Kordzik family - Henry, Augusta, and their children, including Alfred. Today, more about him. 

Alfred Konrad Kordzik was born on 30 November 1887, in Fredericksburg, TX (1), to Henry Kordzik (age 50) and Augusta Mayer (age 37). The boy was their youngest son.
By 1900, little Alfred, his parents, and his siblings had lived in justice Precinct #1, Gillespie, TX (2).
Alfred Konrad was confirmed on 23 March 1902 at the Holy Ghost Lutheran Church by Pastor Gustav Hone.

About twenty years later, during the 1910 census, the family was recorded in the Cave Creek area, Gillespie, TX (3). Only Alfred and his younger sister Meta lived in the home of their parents then. Their elder siblings had already left the family home. 

22-year-old Alfred started his own family in the very same year, on 7 June. He married a few months younger Miss Cora Auguste Moellering (4). She was born on 23 February 1888 to Heinrich and Louise Moellering. 

Cora and Alfred lived in Justice Precinct #1, Gillespie, TX. Alfred was a farmer like his father (5).
WW1 time - Alfred was registered by the Army (6). The man was exempted from the service as he was the only supporter of his wife Cora.

31 May 1928 - Alfred's father passed. Two years later, on 24 June, his mother Auguste died.
Census 4 April 1950, Alfred (age 62) ranched in Fredericksburg, and Cora helped him with the ranch work (7). 

Alfred's time came on 21 October 1968. He died in the Nix Memorial Hospital in San Antonio, where he had been treated for four weeks (8).

More about Alfred's parents and siblings: Kordzik Family.

Sources:
1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS1D-TDC : 20 February 2021), Alfred Kordzik, 21 Oct 1968; citing certificate number 67999, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,150.
2. "United States Census, 1900", database with images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3GC-PMY : 14 January 2022), Alfred Kordzila in entry for Henry Kordzila, Sr., 1900.
3. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK1K-LM9 : accessed 26 November 2022), Alfred C Kordzik in household of Henry Kordzik Sr., Cave Creek, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 147, sheet 1A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1554; FHL microfilm 1,375,567.
4. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9PKQ : 10 March 2021), Alfred Kordzik and Cora Auguste Moellering, 07 Jun 1910; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,803.
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HY92-LN2 : accessed 28 November 2022), Alfred Kordzik, Precinct 1, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 14A, line 27, family 320, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2335; FHL microfilm 2,342,069.
6. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXZ-KKC : 29 December 2021), Alfred Conrad Kordzik, 1917-1918.
7. Version:0.9 StartHTML:00000097 EndHTML:00000167 StartFragment:00000131 EndFragment:00000131
8. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS1D-TDC : 20 February 2021), Alfred Kordzik, 21 Oct 1968; citing certificate number 67999, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,150.

• findagrave.com

F for Fredericksburg

I am not going to write about the history and early beginnings of Fredericksburg here or what you can see in the town. I did that quite a few times in the posts written earlier. We do have our favorite spots in Fredericksburg and things we enjoy doing. Well, the town is changing and (in my opinion) gradually losing its original charm. More and more stores on Main Streets that have been there almost forever cease their existence, and more and more wine-tasting rooms and art galleries selling art pieces for N thousand dollars each come into being instead. The town is getting in the "all-about partying and drinking" direction more and more, becoming a weekend party gateway. Its traditional German spirit is, little by little, fading away.

Luckily, quite a lot of cultural events are still there. Most of them are run by the people of the older generations. Will the ones who are younger continue their work? Well, I am not sure. Enjoy till they last! I mean the events. Well, at least, we are going to.

Some things have already changed. For example, the lighting of the town's Christmas tree in December. It used to be a merry event with live music, hot chocolate, cookies, lots of cheer, and Christmas spirit. Not long ago, it all was replaced with a tape recording. You can listen to it daily at Christmastime. Now, it is as in any other city. You have heard the recording once, you do not need to listen to it again.

More and more people come to live in the town, bringing more and more traffic. My guess is that soon, Fredericksburg will become just like Gruene. It used to be a separate settlement, in the middle of nowhere. These days it is part of New Braunfels, with millions of cars around the place 24/7. 

Well, we do like Fredericksburg a lot. We just wish we had lived there 20+ years ago. 

During one of our visits to the town, some years ago

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More posts related to Fredericksburg, TX from the past:

• Fredericksburg - National Museum of The Pacific War 
• Fredericksburg - Side Streets & Roads 
• Fredericksburg, TX & Its Main Street

My Texas Alphabet is quite a particular and personal summary of our hitherto life and my blogging time in Texas.

L for Lonely Frigate

 

Since I used to live by the Baltic Sea, quite a few entries of "My Polish Alphabet" in one way or another  are related to the sea.

"Lonely Frigate" ("Samotna Fregata") is one of those traditional songs that were known and sung by many Poles despite the fact, that it was not played on the radio or TV. Well, at least not in my time. The tune, which is rather sad, was quite popular where I lived. Combined with the lyrics, it has sometimes made me teary a bit. 

For so many years, I had no clue who the authors of the song were. I guess it is never too late to learn something. While preparing this post, I found out that the lyrics had been written by Konrad Łapin, a Polish poet who lived by the sea. Henryk Hubertus Jabłoński, a Polish composer of Gdańsk, wrote the music of  "Lonely Frigate" (and many other songs well).

Here is the song.

My translation of the text:

In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where a dead wave hits the shore,
A lonely frigate, for long years,
Has been waiting for something at the mouth of two rivers.

The rivers fall into one sea,
But a current carries them in two directions,
The frigate waits, though she might want to
Pick up the anchor and sail away.

In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where a dead wave hits the shore,
A girl lives who, for long years,
Has been waiting for someone at the mouth of two rivers.

The rivers fall into one sea, but a current carries them in two directions.
The girls has been waiting,
Though she might want to leave everything and sail away.

But the anchors hold too tight,
Two rivers have been flowing in both directions for years,
On the water only, at the northern lights,
A snow-like flower floats away.

And this is how the fate of the girl
Intertwines somehow with the fate of the frigate
That has been standing for years.
At a faraway harbor, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where only the wind sings carelessly.

An instrumental version of the song is included below. I have no clue why the lady is kneeling in the water (a mermaid ?). The music is nice, though.

One Man of Polk County, TX

 A note dedicated to one Polk County man (a non-relative of ours) to help him be remembered.

George W Goodwin was born on 15 November 1826 in Georgia. Who his parents were, I do not know.
George moved to Alabama, where he married 17-year-old Nacy J Bigham Shropshire (born on 26 March 1830 in Alabama). The marriage ceremony took place on 5 November 1847. in Tallapoosa (1). 

Marriage bond issued for George

Marriage record

About a year later, on ♦ 3 December, George and Nancy's first son James Thaddeus was born (2). 

17 October 1850 - Census clerk recorded George W, a 22-year-old carpenter, Nancy - age 20, their son - age 1, and a 25-year-old lodger by the name of Thomas Heard, born in Scotland. The latter was a carpenter as well. They lived in Coosa District, Alabama (3). 

Next month on the ♦ 15th day of November, the second son Joseph E. was born to George.

♦ 28 November 1852 - daughter Mary Elisabeth Missouri was born to the young couple. 

By 16 August 1860, George Goodwin and his family had relocated to Justice Precinct#1, Polk County, Texas. The census of that year recorded a new family member, a baby girl by the name of Francis M Taylor, who was born 9 months earlier (4).

Soon, in November 1860, in Moscow, TX, George was enlisted in the Confederate Army. Private Goodwin served with the Moscow Guards Cavalry, Texas State Troops. The company was drilled under the agreement to join the active service when needed. 

Sadly, on ♦ 12 February 1861, George died (5) after a few months in the cavalry.

George W Goodwin's life was cut short at the age of 34. He was born, lived, and died, and he was someone special to the people who loved him. 🌸

PS
I have also found a record of George W Goodwin, Private, who served in Texas (6) with Company  H, 1st Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Yager's) (1st Mounted Rifles) and Company E, 8th Battalion, Texas Cavalry (Taylor's Battalion, Mounted Rifles).       

       
Source:
1. "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29F2-K31 : 19 February 2021), George W Goodwin and Nancy J B Shropshire, 05 Oct 1847; citing Tallapoosa, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,302,444.
2. familysearch.org
3. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHPB-SVX : 19 December 2020), George W Goodwin, Coosa, Alabama, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFG-JH7 : 18 February 2021), George W Goodwin, 1860.
5. "There never were such men before: the Civil War soldiers and veterans of Polk County, Texas, 1861-1865" by Ruth Peebles, Polk County Historical Commission, Livingstone, TX, 1987.
6. Soldiers and Sailors Database - National Park

About Certain Coupon

Not long ago, I posted an entry in "My Polish Alphabet" related to the letter "S," which was about my Stepfather.
I reminded myself of a little story from the 80s.

Then, Stepfather P. got a special coupon for a color TV set. Since mom and he had already got such a TV set, P. decided the new one would be for me.

FYK - in the 80s, shopping (especially buying appliances) in Poland was not such an easy and obvious thing to do as it is nowadays. Few of those items were available in stores daily, and you were never sure when the next delivery would be. Ordering such an article in advance in a store was not possible.

Nevertheless, the coupon was valid on one Saturday only in a particular store, which was in a nearby city. Since P's name was on the coupon, he and I went to get the TV together. At the spot, it appeared there were more people like us, willing to buy that TV set model with a coupon. We (literally) stood in a line for four hours. Sitting and waiting in the car was not an option there.

Finally, we got the TV set, packed it in the car, brought it home, and placed it in my room. The TV worked for 20+ years.

Stepfather P. - the 80s

More Genealogy ?

Just a note today, in case you wonder whether I still do posts related to genealogy research - yes, I do entertain myself with that. However, on the blog here, I only include articles that tell about our close and distant relatives. Others, which are results of my finds regarding non-relatives, people who lived in the Hill Country area (and not only), can be found on my Facebook page.

Here is the last one:

G for Goliad and Gonzales

 

In "My Texas Alphabet", the letter "G" is for Goliad and Gonzales. Both are connected with the early history of Texas State and its fights for independence.

In 1835, Texas was still part of Mexico, however, the Texas insurrection had already begun. The Goliad Campaign, which took place that year, was related to suppressing the Texas uprising by the Mexican government and their army.

I am not going to describe it all here, as experts in Texas history have done it already.
You can read about the Goliad Campaign here.

Gonzales was a crucial spot during the Campaign. On 2 October 1835, the battle of Gonzales took place. The attack of Texan troops made the Mexican army withdraw their forces from Gonzales to Bexar. A certain cannon played an important part in it all. Upon the request of the citizens of Gonzales who needed protection from the Indian attacks, the cannon had been provided by the Mexican army. There was one condition, though. The cannon was to be returned to the givers whenever they wanted it back. That time came during the Goliad Campaign in 1835, when the representatives of the Mexican army came to Gonzales to retrieve the gift. Nevertheless, the colonists, who were not willing to give the cannon back, arrested the soldiers. All in all, the conflict arose and led to the Battle of Gonzales. Before the battle, two women of Gonzales made a flag that became symbolic later. It contained the picture of the cannon and the slogan "Come and Take It". 

More about the Gonzales cannon and flag here.

 Recently, the flag and the slogan have become controversial, to say the least.

Well, I do not intend to provoke any political discussion here regarding the flag, the places mentioned or the people who were involved in the Campaign. According to philosophers, everything is subjective. That was what I have been taught during my philosophy studies. I would say, (history) facts are just facts. Yet, adding interpretation to those facts is a totally different matter.

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"My Texas Alphabet" is quite a particular and personal summary of our hitherto life in Texas.

You can find more Alphabet entries Here

Photos from:

1. La Grange, TX.

2, 3. Bandera, TX

E for Elbląg and Elbląg Canal

 

Elbląg is a city in northern Poland situated on Lake Drużno. In its early beginnings, the land was inhabited by Prussian tribes. In Middle Ages, Elbląg, then called Truso, was a Viking settlement. Later, in the 10th century, Truso was destroyed by fire. After the Teutonic Knights conquered the area, in 1237 they built a castle there.

Old Town, Elbląg

In the 13th century, the history of the present city began. A new settlement was founded in 1237 and was granted city rights 9 years later.

Due to the complicated history of the region, Elbląg was part of the Polish Kingdom/German Empire/Prussia/Germany. During WW2, the city was severely damaged and was reconstructed by the Poles after the war.

In 2009 my mom and I visited the city very briefly as our main goal was a boat trip along the Elblag Canal. Everything was organized by PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society).

The Old Town are was being worked on then.

According to the legend, a young baker trainee once saved Elbląg from the Teutonic Knights' siege. With his bread oven shovel, he cut the rope that was holding the city gate, so it went down just before the Knights managed to enter the city. 

And here he is, still standing at the historic remains of the city wall/the gate. It is said that touching his nose brings good luck. Well, we did that, just in case, it was true.

The 50-mile (80.5 km) long canal goes from Lake Druzno through the Elbląg River/Drwęca River to Lake Jeziorak. It was commissioned by the King of Prussia and designed in 1825/1844 by Georg Steenke. What is so special about that canal? It has big differences in water levels (up to 300 feet/100 meters). 

On a higher part of the canal

Navigation on the canal is possible only thanks to its locks and a sort of train carts (inclined planes). The latter carry boats on the ground level and then back to the lower water level again.

Our boat trip lasted 4 hours.

Double lock

The boat is about to get on the cart which is under water - see higher, side part of it

It was interesting to see all the locks and how the boat was transported over a hill, back to the water level again.

However, the time in between was a bit boring. Luckily, the weather was nice and sunny so we were able to sit on the deck and enjoy the landscape. At the same time, due to a lot of still water around, mosquitos bit us quite often.

 

The lock is a sign the ground level of the canal is close

 ... and up on the cart again...

The last part of the trip on Lake Jeziorak was very rewarding, considering the beautiful views. 

 

 

The lake is a habitat for various birds and fish. The previous had their cute nest on the little islands on the lake waters.

Elblag Canal is listed by the National Heritage Board of Poland as one of the Polish Historic Monuments. It has also been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of Poland.

 

Lake Jeziorak

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My Polish Alphabet is related to things, places, and people that come to my mind when I think about Poland. More Alphabet entries here.

Singing in (Foreign) Languages

A lady said to me not long ago: "You speak Polish and English, but you sing in German. I don't understand."
I replied: "What don't you understand? If I had an opportunity to practice the other language which I learned at school, I would."

Well, I have done it before. Meaning signing in a foreign language not only to myself but in public as well.

The first time was in primary school when I was 14. Not that I volunteered to do that, oh no. I was part of the school choir then. Our music teacher, who was also the choir director, and the teacher of Russian, chose me to sing a song in Russian during a school assembly.

Poland was part of the Soviet block at that time, and every year, schools and bigger workplaces observed "the days of Soviet culture and science". The observance was mandatory and some state events related to those "days" were always reported on TV.

Anyhow, the song which I sang solo at that assembly was done to mark the above-mentioned observance in the school papers/report. Its lyrics were nothing political, though. The text (children appropriate) was about Cinderella and the ball she attended at the Prince's castle. The tune was nice, but the refrain part was full of high notes and difficult to sing. Luckily, the music teacher arranged it in a way that the school choir supported me in that. Being shy, I did not enjoy standing in front of the entire school and doing my solo part, but I did like the song. 

The song was originally sang by Russian artist Ludmila Senchina, its

title was "Хоть поверьте хоть проверьте"/"Believe it or check it out."

A few years earlier, my first unofficial solo presentation took place. One day, an unexpected visitation occurred in our local youth club. Neighborhood kids (including myself) spent their after-school time in the club, doing various activities and playing games under the supervision of the club instructor. Quite out of the blue, a group of ladies, delegates from Siberia appeared in the club. My guess is that they had probably been sent there by some city officials. Certainly, it was not an accidental matter. 

 Anyway, the club instructor was told to entertain the ladies with the kids' performance. Since we had not worked on any program like that, it was quite a desperate situation. The counselor asked us (kids) whether anybody would want to/dare to sing/dance or do whatever proper in front of the visitors. I was one of very few who agreed. Well, I just felt how helpless the situation was. What I did - I sang some notes of a popular Russian song about gingerbread cookies. However, I knew only a few Russian words of the song, the rest was la, la, la. I also played one melody on the xylophone (I was part of the club xylophone group then). Since it was all without prior practice, to my horror, I happened to play out of tune as well.

To my surprise, my performance made a positive impression on the visitors. One lady asked me about my name and address as she wanted a Polish pen pal for her daughter, who was about my age. The girl's name was Lena and we later exchanged letters for some time.

Decades later, I was part of an international EU educational program. Then, we learned the traditional songs of all the project partners (in their native tongues). The languages were, English, German, Czech,

 Tancuj, Tancuj = Dance, Dance

Slovenian,

 Pobelelo Pole = The Field Turned White (with sheep)

Bulgarian,

Italian (Sardinian song),

and Cypriot.

The most important side of singing in a foreign language is the correct pronunciation of the song words. Naturally, understanding the text adds more sense to it as well. During the project, both the prior and the latter were provided by the project partners.

In quite a different program, we cooperated with an Israeli school. From time to time, the teacher and her class sent us some videos and we made some too. I taught my students an old song in Yiddish (of Polish or Russian roots). No, I do not know the language. Just found the song lyrics and their English translation. The rest meaning pronunciation came "by ear".  The kids enjoyed singing the song and making the video.

Of course, it is not the video we made.

All in all, singing in German in Texas is not such a big deal. However, I admit it may be found very unexpected.  Anyhow, I did learn some German in Poland. Nevertheless, a few years ago, I did not have the faintest idea I would sing in the language here. Mysterious are the ways...
 

German Choir of Fredericksburg, TX

S for Stepfather

 

 

My stepfather P. was born in 1922 in Warkowicze, Poland. The place was then in Wołyń Voivodeship. The area had been incorporated into the territory of Poland after the Polish-Soviet War. P.'s family/ancestors were of Polish descent.

When WW2 started, P. was 17. Where my stepfather lived then, I do not know. P.'s father's name appears on the list of the property owners who left their households/land and relocated before 1938 (1). If I am correct (?), their home was in the village of Kniaże, which was part of Podberezie municipality. Very likely, it was the political turmoil, terror, and violence spread by nationalistic groups/bands in that area of Poland was the reason which forced P's family, among many others, to leave their homes. The abandoned properties were officially liquidated by the Polish state in 1939.

When P. grew up, he became a driver. On 1 April 1944, the man joined the Polish Army. Later, he was part of the 1st Transportation Regiment that was formed by the Polish Army in September of that year. 

 P.'s 1st Transportation Brigade Badge - Polish Army WW2

With the Regiment, P. went through the front trail up to the capital of Germany, where he fought in the Battle of Berlin in 1945. The soldier was honorably discharged on 9 May 1945, Victory Day.

My stepfather was a kind and modest man who never spoke about his past. Never spoke about the war either. I wish I had asked him about those days, and showed some interest in that matter when he was alive. Well, I guess I was too young, WW2 seemed ancient history to me then. However, since he never mentioned the war, it was assumed he did not want to talk about that and as such, was respected.

P. and his war-time companions waited for quite long for the official state recognition of their WW2 heroic deeds. In 1966,  the Polish Peoples' Republic issued a medal commemorating the servicemen and women who took part in the Battle of Berlin. P. was one of the medal recipients on 5 May 1974. 

 

For his exemplary service in the Polish Army during WW2, P. was also honored with a Medal of Merit for National Defense.

Medal of Merit for National Defense

 

Stepfather P. was quite a knowledgeable man, you could talk to him on any subject. He was also an honest and reliable person and a caring father. After the war, he worked as a taxi driver. Later, in his mature years, he was a lecturer at a state driving school. Stepfather P. was also the one who taught me to ride a motorcycle.

My stepfather passed away in March 1996. In his life, P. was awarded a few other medals. I will talk about them in separate posts, though.

UPDATE:

From my research

• My stepfather's parents, siblings, and other relatives lived in the town of Tarnopol at the end of the 19th century (2).

• On 22 January 1944, three persons (a lady and two 4-year-old children), possibly relatives of P's (the same distinctive surname), and over 20 other citizens of the Buszcze (Bishche) village, Brzeżany County, Tarnopol region, were brutally killed by Ukrainian Insurgent Army (3), a nationalist type group, known in Poland as OUN/UPA bands. On the next day, citizens of Buszcze who sought refuge in the local church were burned alive together with the church building. The village was attacked again by UIA also in March and April (4, 5). The citizens of Buszcze were only some of the numerous victims of horrifying atrocities committed by UPA bands.

Considering the time of the tragic events in Buszcza (January, March 1944) and the day on which my stepfather joined the Polish Army (1 April 1944) - the two might have been related - one influenced the other.

Sources:

1. Wołyński Dziennik Wojewódzki nr. 5, Łuck, 3 marca 1939,

2. Spis imienny ludności zamieszkałej w Tarnopolu (zesp. nr 303, sygn. 231)/ record of Tarnopol citizens,
3. "Na Podolu. Pamię
ci tych, którzy zgin
ęli z rąk OUN-UPA tylko dlatego, że byli Polakami", Władysław Kubów, Warszawa, 2003,
4. Genocidium Atrox Portal,
5. Nie o zemstę lecz o pamięć i prawdę wołają ofiary ludobójstwa.
 

• More about my motorbike riding lessons here.