My father, Mikola Maslanyk, left what was then Poland soon after the onset of the Second World War. In 1939 he was already in the Polish army, the front line was captured by the Germans but after three days they managed to get away from their captors. Soon after the German conquest of Poland an armistice was declared. He and many thousands fled Poland and escaped to Palestine via Rumania in the year 1940.
He trekked south through Rumania and Bulgaria then sailed to Turkey on a Coal Ship. In Turkey he travelled by train to Port Mercina (Mersin) where he met up with a Polish Ship bound for Syria. From Syria they travelled south to Palestine and joined the Carpathian Brigade of the British Army; known as the 'Free Poles'. They were trained by the British in Palestine, later stationed in Port Said in Egypt and saw action in Tabrok, Libya and later in Italy. His tours of duty included Palestine, Iraq and Egypt prior to the invasion of Italy.
In Italy the 'Free Poles' distinguished themselves at the famous Battle of Monte Casino in 1944. He was one of the group that captured Monte Casino, many thousands of Poles died in that battle including his close friend. Just before the end of the war the 'Free Poles' liberated Bologna in Northern Italy in 1945. He remained in Bologna for two years after the end of the war and settled in England in 1947.