Polish children: A teacher and a journey by sea

In 1941, the situation changed when the Russians, now on the side of the Allied forces, declared an amnesty for the Poles.

Krystyna and her family were allowed to leave Siberia and traveled to Uzbekistan and then Iran, where they were offered asylum which restored the physical and mental health of thousands of Polish children and adults, many of whom had traumatic experiences and required special care; the place where Christina became responsible (along with other adults) for children, where she was appointed as a welfare inspector.

After a couple of years, those in the camp were told they had to leave Iran.

Some went to South Africa; one group was invited by the then New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser to come to New Zealand and stay there until they could return to Poland at the end of the war.

The children were looking forward to seeing a new, little-known country that fascinated them; to hear that New Zealand is a wonderful country and that the people here are very kind.

They left Iran on a merchant ship that would take them across the Persian Gulf to India, where they then boarded a ship bound for New Zealand on the USS General Randall, which was carrying 3,000 soldiers on leave for Australia. and New Zealand. .

Christina wrote about the kindness of the soldiers.

“On hot days they gave the children their share of fruit drinks… a real sacrifice in the tropical heat.

“They carried things and small children to the ship in Bombay and back to New Zealand.”

The men even entertained the children by playing games and playing sports.

But it wasn’t all fun and games. There were often drills or occasions where children had to stay below deck for safety. The journey was fraught with danger and at times tiring.

While the children remained ignorant, there was the danger of Japanese mines and the possibility that the ship would run into a Japanese submarine, Christina wrote.

The journey took a month, and many of the children suffered from various diseases, including malaria and seasickness, as well as heat exhaustion.

“On November 1, 1944, the ship sailed into Wellington Harbor… the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated a new country.”

Everyone wanted a good look at what would become their new home.

“We saw a mass of tiny colorful houses located on the green hills surrounding the harbor, while the taller buildings of the city were located lower on the plain.”

The amazing welcome included “hundreds of smiling Wellington schoolchildren waving New Zealand and Polish flags as a welcome gesture on the platform from which they would depart for Pahiatua. The singing of national anthems and gifts of flowers make the occasion even more exciting…there was another big welcome in Palmerston North and everywhere…there were groups of children cheerfully waving flags and handkerchiefs.”

New Zealand soldiers helped the group onto army trucks and took them to their new home – a Polish children’s camp in Pahiatua – “our own place in a faraway land”.

Christina was appointed headmaster of the boys’ primary school and continued to support the children’s learning throughout their stay at the Pahiatua camp.

When the camp closed, she moved to Wellington, where her family formed a large part of the Polish community, and worked in government departments before retiring and moving to Hamilton.

* The Invited by Christina Skvarko, 1974, published by Millwood Press. Excerpts used with permission of Nina Tomasik (granddaughter of the author).