Janusz Walkuski
born 3.01.1934 in Ciechanów
The insurgent accounts of witness
My war 1939-1945
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Janusz Walkuski |
Family impressions
It's hard to find a Warsaw family that, in its peculiar way, would abstain from having its own war with the invader. I won't write about many family occupation complexities, but those two characteristics are typical for many families whose members spread around the world were fighting with cruel evil created by the ideology of aggression.
In a distant America, in the town of Pittsburgh there was living with his happy family a young boy Stanley Walkuski (Stanislaw Walkuski born in 1919- my Grandfather's nephew). Grandfather's brother Czeslaw Walkuski (born in 1891) had emigrated to the United States just before the break up of the World War the First.
After not a very long period of peace the war cyclone started blowing again.
There was a war in Europe, but America was unwilling to fight. When the Japanese in a humiliating way forced her to it she took up a delayed fighting action.
Stanley joined the navy and became a radionavigation expert on a warship called in a very original way "Harriet peecher Stone" (refer to "Uncle Tom's cabin").
War with the Japanese flared up for good! Stanley's warship was attacked many times. Stanley was seriously injured - he lost the hand.
Grandfather's brother thanking God for rescuing his son became the founder of the Polish Church in Pittsburgh.
The Walkuskis' family in the USA in 1940.
On the left: Stanley, Czeslaw's son (before the loss of the hand), Mary - mother, Czeslaw - father, Henry - Stanley' brother
During the war when Stanley cured wounds inflicted on him by the Japanese, a young Warsaw boy Ryszard Walkuski appeared with a gun in the hand hoping to gain free Poland.
When I came back from Nowy Dvor I dashed off on the spot to Rysiek. Mum came as well, but later. Rysiek was absent. Aunt said he'd been absent for a few days. She's worried a lot. He had just gone out and that's all! Uncle had got lost somewhere as well. Rysiek's brothers had been absent as well! A desert!
We didn't stay at aunt for long. We wanted to go to Chlodna to uncle Pers, but Mum looking at the protruding rifle barrel from "Nordwache" bunker turned back.
In some minutes' time one couldn't go out on the street. The whole Chlodna was under fire- the Uprising started!
The time of fighting!
Expelled on the 2nd of September from Warsaw (after the Old Town surrender) we got back after some months' time to the debris covered with snow.
Our address didn't change. Lots of people were visiting us, looking for some shelter just for a few days. They were looking for family, friends, they were wandering about the town that didn't exist... They nailed plates, they read the nailed ones- they hoped that their loved ones would find them.
I was waiting for Rysiek, but my plates were still hanging...
For many years I'd hoped he'd be found out. I met some of his friends but they didn't want to admit to the contact with AK (Home Army). Bialoszewski (Miron) when we found each other - told me he saw Rysiek only in passing, some days before the Uprising but they hadn't talked with each other. One of Rysiek's friends (he served his time) met with Rysiek on the third day of the Uprising in the court when they were preparing themselves for the storm on the bunkers in the ghetto. After that he vanished into blue.
I am still looking for him - please help me!
Janusz Wałkuski
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Janusz Walkuski in our times |
drawn up by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz
translation: Małgorzata Szyszkowska
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