The Polish Connection
By jeand
Story set during the First World War, telling of the Polish man (his bit of Poland now coming under Germany) and his daughter who were sheltered by an American woman with an English husband, fighting in the war and assigned to Cyprus. Authentic details of an internment camp on the Isle of Man.
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The Polish Connection 1
CHAPTER 1 May 1915 As soon as I entered the church I felt uneasy. The choir loft door, which was always kept tightly closed was open, ever so...
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The Polish Connection 11
Chapter 11 Sunday came, as it was bound to do, and I had to face a very hard decision. I knew I could not go to communion with a clear conscience...
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The Polish Connection 12
December, 1915 For ten days nothing happened, and then, one Sunday after church, I was just leaving when Father McSweeney said, “Oh Mrs. Davis, I...
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The Polish Connection 13
January 1916 Peter Boutch, Internee Camp, Isle of Man Dear Peter, Is this the right way to write to you? John has had Christmas leave at home and it...
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The Polish Connection 14
February 1916 How wonderful it was to hear from Peter and to know he was safe, and also to have the added bonus of getting a letter from his friend,...
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The Polish Connection 2
Chapter 2 “I will do my best." I said. "Now before anything else happens, you look as if you could do with a good rest. Why don’t you both lie down...
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The Polish Connection 3
Chapter 3 May 1915 It was Beth who woke first in the morning, and she seemed quite frightened as she called out for her Papa. Both Rebecca and I...
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The Polish Connection 4
Chapter 4 May 1915 Beth and I had a quick lunch of soup and bread, and again she ate with such gusto as to make me feel that she had been hungry for...
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The Polish Connection 5
May 1916 Tuesday morning was much like Monday, except Beth and I didn’t go up the hill with Rebecca. We spent as much time and effort in washing...
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The Polish Connection 6
June 1915 Over the next few days, Rebecca and I worked out what Peter’s background should be, and, of course, we needed to use the same information...
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The Polish Connection 7
June 1915 The next days and weeks followed much the same pattern. Then one day I had a letter from my husband John, and I realised suddenly that I...
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The Polish Connection 8
August 1915 Our days went on much the same for several weeks. On the weekends, I arranged for us all to meet up with Peter in a thick woodland near...
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The Polish Connection 9
August 1915 I thought long and hard about John's comments about how I should make Beth's stay with us more official, but I also knew that any legal...
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The Polish Connection 15
March 1916 Dear Barbara, Rebecca and my own dear Beth, I am pleased to hear that Beth is doing so well with her friends, and how you say that nobody...
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The Polish Connection 16
April 1916 Dear Barbara, Rebecca and darling Beth, I too wish to thank you for your kind gifts which are very much appreciated. And I particularly am...
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The Polish Connection 17
April 1916 Dear Barbara, Now that we are describing our friends, I will tell you another story. There is an extremely black Negro whose presence...
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The Polish Connection 18
June - July 1916 Peter and Paul wrote to tell me that they had learned the news of the sinking of the HMS Hampshire off the Orkney Islands before the...
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The Polish Connection 19
August 1916 I knew that it was likely that Paul would be removed to Wakefield in Yorkshire – the special camp for the privileged few, and hoped that...
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The Polish Connection 20
October – November 1916 Rebecca has taken and passed the examination for Manchester Girls High School and she has started there, going on the train...
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The Polish Connection 21
December 1916 I thought it would be interesting to tell John and Peter about one of main news stories this week. I have copied out most of the front...
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The Polish Connection 22
January - February 1917 I am very pleased to report that the House of Commons has finally made it seem as if we women might be getting the vote in...
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The Polish Connection 23
March 1917 We have had such a scare. Scarlet fever has been diagnosed in many of the children from the local schools so they are all closed for a...
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The Polish Connection 24-25
Chapter 24 April –1917 I just met the most unusual young lady. She is called Josephine Outram, in her late twenties I would guess, and she is...
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The Polish Connection 26-27
June – July 1917 The Germans have now begun bombing London – and on June 13th, 162 were left dead and 432 injured. This war has gone on so long and...
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The Polish Connection 28
August - October 1917 I must continue with my story of Fatima. I do not know whether I believe it or not. It is so far fetched sounding, but I know...
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The Polish Connection 29
December 1917 Our Christmas was uneventful this year. Getting the required ingredients for Christmas cake and our usual treats was difficult with all...
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The Polish Connection 30
January 1918 Punch magazine has come up with a good cartoon by Bernard Partridge. It shows St. Joan of Arc, holding a banner which reads “Women’s...
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The Polish Connection 31
May - July 1918 I had this letter from Jo. “I’ve just heard from Dorothy’s father. Strangely he doesn’t mention her at all, but has informed me of...
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The Polish Connection 32
October, 1918 Dear Barbara, Have I ever told you about Schiebung? This is one of the words most frequently heard in camp. The best literal...
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The Polish Connection 33
We have all heard about Spanish flu, but it has now come to our area. There are 25 students at the local schools with flu, so they have closed them...
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The Polish Connection 34
Beth went off, somewhat mollified, but realising that the sudden tension in the air was something she didn’t understand and didn’t like. “So Peter...
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The Polish Connection 35
March 1919 As I found out later, I had fainted, and Peter quickly picked me up and put me on the couch. “She's burning up,” he said, or something to...
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