Memorial garden opened on site of post-war refugee camp for Poles

THE Polish Memorial Garden in Whitchurch was officially unveiled on Sunday.

The opening was performed by the oldest surviving former resident of Coombe Park, the wartime refugee camp that stood on the site in Manor Road.

Dozens of people from different generations attended the ceremony, which was an emotional occasion for those who remembered the old camp.

Anna Szczeponek, who was born at the camp in 1947, was the driving force behind the garden, which is located where the camp chapel used to be.

She said: “South Oxfordshire District Council gave the land to the parish to use for recreational purposes, so we decided to remember the Polish community that lived here.

“We cleared the area, put in benches and added a cross. Now it’s an area people can come and relax, enjoy nature and watch the birds.”

Mrs Szczeponek, who lives in Manor Road, the only descendant of the Polish refugees still there, added: “Although conditions in the huts were far from glamorous, people did their best to make them as warm and comfortable as they could.

“Having survived the war and in some cases labour camps, the refugees wanted to make a life for themselves and their families.

“They worked hard, often in factories and on farms, to give their children a good education and the opportunity to go to university. Some became doctors, musicians and teachers.

“The Polish residents formed their own strong community and central to that was the Catholic chapel. In 1950, one of the Nissen huts was converted into the chapel, situated where White House Cottage now stands.”

The ribbon was cut by 95-year-old Maria Kowal accompanied by her daughter Bronislawa Towner.

Mrs Kowal, who now lives in Reading, said: “I moved here in 1946 and lived here until 1964. I have very, very, very happy memories because we were free, not German prisoners.

“It was fantastic as we had a hut, we had our own dances, we had our own little church.”

Helena Szewcayk, from Tilehurst, attended the opening with her daughter Danusia Bak, son-in-law Ryszard Bak and granddaughter Marianna Bak.

She had come to the camp in 1947, when she was one. Mrs Szewcayk said: “A lot of people of my generation have moved away. There used to be a village hall that the parents built themselves which had Saturday morning Polish school for the children.

“The garden is a memorial to what was here before and shows they are not forgotten. It’s important to pass it on to our children and grandchildren.”

Marianna, who has just finished an architect’s degree, said: “In my foundation year I did a little project about our family’s heritage. I studied 3D design and architecture, so I was intrigued by our past as now we all live in suburbia and you completely forget that both sets of my grandparents lived on these resettlement camps.

“There is a huge amount of pride over the adversity they had to go through.”

Her mother added: “As parents and daughters and sons of Polish immigrants who came over here after the war, it is really important for us to pass on our roots and appreciate what the UK did. It is definitely something we cherish and pass on.”

The ceremony, which included a blessing and a short speech by Mrs Szczeponek, was kept short due to the heat and was followed by refreshments in the village hall.

Whitchurch Parish Council chairman Jim Donahue, who gave a short speech, said: “This is a great space for the village and it’s great to record some of the history here.

“There are a lot of people with Polish ancestry from the war still living in the area so it’s great we could do this here. It’s great for the village and it’s a nice quiet space for the people of Manor Road.”

In addition to benches and the oak cross, a number of apple trees has been planted at the site. The land will be maintained by the Whitchurch habitat study group, which has offered advice from the start.

Sally Woolhouse, a member of the group, said: “When the parish council first took over the land, it called us in to advise on what we could do with it and what was there. You want to make sure you haven’t got any rarities of plant species, so the main aim was to advise on managing the space in a wildlife-friendly way and for the village to enjoy it as a peaceful place to sit.”

The apple trees were created by grafts from the village’s older trees to ensure they will bear fruit.

Art student and amateur horticulturist Alastair Dunstan, who was responsible for the grafts, said: “That is how they used to propagate apples as they are not reliable to grow fruit from seed. It’s a way of rescuing older varieties.”