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Frank Zielony Polish Parachutist Veteran |
Members of the 3rd Brigade reenactors had the honor of meeting a WWII veteran of the famed 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade. Below is a brief recounting of his service, along with pictures from our meetings. |
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* Frank Zielony died Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, in Vancouver. He was 83. Services were held at St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church in Portland. Mr. Zielony was born Oct. 17, 1920, in Jasionow, Poland. He served with the Free Polish Army during World War II and was a jumper in the ill-fated drop at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. In December 1951, he moved with his wife and new son from Britain to Vancouver, where he lived the rest of his life. He received his high school diploma in 1956, and worked as a machinist at Alcoa for 32 years. He was a longtime member and four-time commissioner of the Polish National Alliance, and spent his retirement years working to aid those fleeing communism by helping them to build new lives in America. Burial will be in St. James Acres Cemetery in Vancouver. (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA) |
A summer picnic was arranged where we were introduced to Frank Zielony, who is a veteran of the jump at Driel, part of the fighting at Arnhem in September 1944. We swapped pictures, passed around books, and heard some fantastic stories. It was a privalege and a true honor to be able to spend time with a man of Mr. Zielony's experience and character.
In 1940 Mr. Zielony and his family were forcibly removed from their village in Soviet-occupied Poland and taken to a work camp in Siberia. For two years he was held by the Soviets, while many of those around him died from exhaustion and disease. In 1942, as a requirement of receiving lend-lease goods, Stalin released military-aged Polish men and their families. Many thousands, including Mr. Zielony, made their way to England by travelling through the Middle-East and Africa.Mr. Zielony served in the 3rd Battalion as a Sergeant radio-operator for the Battalion Commander. He carried a radio unit on his chest, with only a side-arm for a weapon. As part of his unit's training he made 44 practice jumps, attesting to the high quality of the Brigade. Many of these training jumps were made in the dark and at low altitude over the Scottish moors. On one occasion a night exercise resulted in the loss of two planes in a mid-air collision, one of which Mr. Zielony was pulled from moments before taking off in order to be attached to a company CO's plane. Training was a hazardous affair for all ranks, as Mr. Zielony found out one night. He had been posted as a picket for an ammo dump, when a man began walking through a restricted area. Mr. Zielony called out several challenges, but the man kept walking. Mr. Zielony then fired several shots in the air, which had the desired affect on the unknown trespasser, as well as raising the entire post. When he confronted the man it turned out to be none other than the famed General Sosabowski, who was so pleased with his soldier's vigilance that he awarded Mr. Zielony on the spot with a week's pass!  The epic fighting at Arnhem was the first combat test of the Polish Parachute Brigade, and it was here that Mr. Zielony's stories reflected the dedication and bravery of this elite unit. Poor weather had agonizingly delayed the Brigade's landing, which in turn had utterly compromised the element of surprise so vital to airborne actions. While their planes were nearing the coast word came that the Germans had invested their drop zones. Approximately half of the planes turned back to England, but some, like the one Mr. Zielony was on, continued on regardless. In several cases Polish soldiers forced their pilots to continue against their will. The landing was made into the German guns, and Mr. Zielony recalls being shot at while coming down. The low altitude of their jump helped to minimize casulties, and when they hit they immediately overran the German positions and held their ground until XXX (30) Corps arrived days later. Fighting in this campaign cost the Polish Brigade over thirty percent casulties. 
At the 1999 Polish Festival in Portland Mr. Zielony was one of a select group of honored speakers and guests. Our unit had the pleasure of attending as an 'honor guard' during the ceremonies recognizing this veteran. This year's festival celebrated Poland's freedom, and had a large hall exhibiting many artifacts of those who fought fascism and later communism. A featured part of this exhibit was Mr. Zielony's story of struggle against both Stalin and Hitler.
The 3rd Brigade members each attended wearing the uniform of a different unit associated with the Commonwealth Airborne effort. Units represented were: the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, RAF, Glider Pilot Regiment, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and the Royal Engineers Parachute. When Mr. Zielony left England to come to America his uniform was lost. As a tribute to his bravery and in honor of his actions, our living history group provided Mr. Zielony with a replica uniform, including beret and insignia. It was a true opportunity to engage the public in a discussion of the sacrifices of those who fought, and the history of a time which provides us many lessons for today's world.For more information on the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade please visit the reenactor web site dedicated to portraying these brave men. |