Authors

Discussion

The end of the Second World War and its tragic outcome for Poland was a tremendous blow to the Poles in exile. It left them displaced from their homes. On the 27^th of March 1947, the Polish Resettlement Act offered British citizenship to exiled Poles. The subject of this paper is Polish life in Britain after 1945, seen through the lenses of the Polish journalists reporting to the Polish Daily, the only Polish language newspaper in Britain. In a series of articles based on regular visits to the newly established Polish settlements scattered across the country, a group of journalists witnessed and documented the unknown and unrecorded life of the Polish emigres in post-war Britain. Their reports formed an extended analysis of the Polish émigrés, which emphasizes its distinctive character brought about by the war experience. They offer an uncensored account of the formation of the Polish community as seen through the eyes of the Poles themselves. The journalists, who also became the settlers, created a historical chronicle of events, discussing the demobilization of the Polish Armed Forces after the war, the dramatic situation of the Polish troops, and the preliminary settlement for the Poles. A good deal of these reports is dedicated to the creation of the Polish Resettlement Camps in Britain in 1946. At the end of the Second World War, the British Government offered hospitality to Polish soldiers who had served under British command and who were unable or unwilling to return to their native country. Wives and dependents were brought to Britain to join the soldiers, bringing the total estimated number to over 250,000. Former army and air force camps were utilised as temporary accommodation for the Polish troops and their families. Poles made homes out of the inhabitable huts, renovating, and decorating them. The testimonies create a chronicled depiction of the everyday life of the Polish community in the resettlement camps. They provide the outsiders’ perception on disrupted life in exile, informing and testifying in detail as to the hardship of life in the camps, the bitter reality of the outer side of life, the social and the family life of the residents and, finally, their vision of the years ahead. It is a vivid, detailed, rather honest, witty, humorous, and often overly critical picture of the Polish community and its struggles. This paper revisits the history of the post-war Polish refugee community's reconstruction in Britain, highlighting its significance within the broader context of post-war migration. It provides valuable insights into the challenges related to governance, international politics, state policies, border changes, and displacement. Additionally, it explores how individuals coped with loss, trauma, and social change during these moments of upheaval, particularly in the wake of the broader post-war disruption.