Polish soldiers who served under General Władysław Anders during World War II, along with civilians evacuated with them, are buried in cemeteries scattered across Asia and Africa, according to state news agency PAP.
Gen. Władysław Anders. Photo: PAP/Reprodukcja
These Polish memorials, which mark the path of those exiled during the war, can be found from Uzbekistan to Iran and as far as Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Today, these cemeteries and memorials continue to be cared for by Polish diplomats, expatriates and local communities, ensuring that the tragic legacy of Polish exiles during World War II is not forgotten.
In July 1941, the Polish government-in-exile reached an agreement with the Soviet Union to form a Polish army within Soviet territory.
This newly formed army, along with civilians who had been exiled to Siberia and other remote areas as a result of Soviet deportations, were evacuated to Iran in 1942.
Many of the exiles who survived the harrowing journey through Central Asia—regions that are now Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan—faced deadly diseases such as typhus and malaria and died along the way.
Uzbekistan alone holds 17 Polish cemeteries, including the largest one in Guzar, where many of the victims of this journey were laid to rest.
These cemeteries, built with support from the Polish Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites (RPOWiM), are found in multiple locations, including Shahrisabz, Kitab and Karabulak, the PAP news agency reported.
They stand as somber reminders of the hardships faced by thousands of Poles during World War II, it said.
There are four Polish cemeteries in present-day Kazakhstan, located in Stanitsa Lugovaya, Shokpak, Merke and Mankent.
Many other graves of Poles deported by the Soviets are scattered across Kazakhstan, as it was the destination for the largest number of Polish exiles.
Iran was one of the key destinations for Polish refugees. More than 115,000 Poles arrived there with Gen. Anders’ army, including a large number of women and children.
Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe (NAC)/Public domain
However, an estimated 3,500 Poles died due to malnutrition and disease. Their graves can be found in several Iranian cities, including Tehran and Isfahan.
After Iran, many Polish soldiers and their families were sent by British authorities to regions further afield, including Iraq, Palestine and British colonies in Africa.
Thousands were relocated to places like Uganda, Tanzania and the former British colonies of Northern and Southern Rhodesia, today’s Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively.
Around 18,000 Poles, primarily women and children, were settled in 22 camps, with the largest concentration in Tanzania.
Polish cemeteries remain in several African countries, a testament to their wartime odyssey.
In Zambia, there are four cemeteries which contain Polish graves, with the Aylmer May cemetery in Lusaka being the most notable. It holds 70 Polish graves, each marked with a distinctive white eagle on a red background.
Located in the heart of Lusaka, the cemetery has its own chapel and a detailed map, which is helpful as there are over a thousand graves, including 70 Polish ones.
This cemetery is part of Zambia's national heritage, reflecting its importance in preserving the memory of Poland’s displaced war refugees.
In Mbala, formerly known to Poles as Abercorn, located near the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika, 14 Polish graves remain, marked by weathered stone fragments with metal crosses.
The cemetery is in a remote area, far from Zambia’s main tourist attractions.
Another cemetery with Polish graves is found in Bwana Mkubwa, near Ndola, in a region where Zambia borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This small cemetery, surrounded by bushland, contains 16 graves, though it is believed that originally there were around 50.
In Uganda, there are two cemeteries containing the graves of Polish exiles, who referred to themselves as "Africans from Siberia." One is in Koja, where the only remaining marker is a plaque with the inscription "Poles who died on their way home."
The other is in Masindi, now called Nyabyeya. This cemetery, located near a church run by Polish priests, contains 44 Polish graves. Most of those buried there passed away in the first years following World War II.
In Zimbabwe, three cemeteries hold Polish graves, including in Marondera and Kadoma.
Like other Polish memorials in Africa, these sites were cataloged and archived by students and staff from the University of Pedagogy in Poland's southern city of Kraków preserving the memory of the Polish exiles for future generations.
(rt/gs)
Source: dzieje.pl