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Pawel "Paul" Koczula served in Polish Independent Highland Brigade during the Second World War.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![Pawel Koczula]({"id":"ca132a91-f136-424c-8fe2-eba0eeb3fba4","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7342_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":71020,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:54.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:54.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7342","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Newly-commissioned Polish Army officer Pawel Koczula in England, 1941.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7342 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7342_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7342_original.jpg","credit":"Pawel Koczula","pivot":{"mediable_id":"b5da5eca-f88e-4a40-bb29-a02030b6aa0d","media_id":"ca132a91-f136-424c-8fe2-eba0eeb3fba4","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"31d7ee07-94e9-4185-95be-08c89edb7857","media_id":"ca132a91-f136-424c-8fe2-eba0eeb3fba4","title":"Memory Project Image #7342","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Newly-commissioned Polish Army officer Pawel Koczula in England, 1941.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7342 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"en","credit":"Pawel Koczula"},{"id":"f5b1d3c6-8961-4ce1-b032-eb9af64398bf","media_id":"ca132a91-f136-424c-8fe2-eba0eeb3fba4","title":"Memory Project Image #7342","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Pawel Koczula nouvellement promu officier des \u00e9quipages en Angleterre, 1941.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7342 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"fr","credit":"Pawel Koczula"}]} "Memory Project Image #7342")
![Pawel Koczula]({"id":"14a0819d-c7e2-42e7-b31b-7c45e987d87e","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7343_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":109918,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:55.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:55.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7343","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Three officers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division in Breda, The Netherlands, 1944, from left to right: Kapitan Lawicki, Porucznik Majewski, Porucznik Koczula.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7343 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7343_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7343_original.jpg","credit":"Pawel Koczula","pivot":{"mediable_id":"b5da5eca-f88e-4a40-bb29-a02030b6aa0d","media_id":"14a0819d-c7e2-42e7-b31b-7c45e987d87e","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"cdda376b-b01e-412b-b59b-87927ab96fa9","media_id":"14a0819d-c7e2-42e7-b31b-7c45e987d87e","title":"Memory Project Image #7343","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Three officers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division in Breda, The Netherlands, 1944, from left to right: Kapitan Lawicki, Porucznik Majewski, Porucznik Koczula.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7343 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"en","credit":"Pawel Koczula"},{"id":"db1e9677-5013-4942-aa4c-e7d43181ac63","media_id":"14a0819d-c7e2-42e7-b31b-7c45e987d87e","title":"Memory Project Image #7343","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Trois officiers de la 1<sup>\u00e8re<\/sup> division blind\u00e9e polonaise \u00e0 Breda au Pays-Bas en 1944.\rDe gauche \u00e0 droite : Kapitan Lawicki, Porucznik Majewski, Porucznik Koczula.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7343 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"fr","credit":"Pawel Koczula"}]} "Memory Project Image #7343")
![Pawel Koczula]({"id":"27e78e07-a6fd-4dce-b6f4-54d876bf35e8","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7344_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":127024,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:57.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:57.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7344","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Pawel Koczula's son, Paul, en route to Canada from The Netherlands, 1948 (Mr. Koczula's wife was a Dutch war bride).","creator":"Memory Project Image #7344 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7344_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7344_original.jpg","credit":"Pawel Koczula","pivot":{"mediable_id":"b5da5eca-f88e-4a40-bb29-a02030b6aa0d","media_id":"27e78e07-a6fd-4dce-b6f4-54d876bf35e8","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"0fb89a3b-3132-49b6-8bb3-bf926714b262","media_id":"27e78e07-a6fd-4dce-b6f4-54d876bf35e8","title":"Memory Project Image #7344","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Pawel Koczula's son, Paul, en route to Canada from The Netherlands, 1948 (Mr. Koczula's wife was a Dutch war bride).","creator":"Memory Project Image #7344 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"en","credit":"Pawel Koczula"},{"id":"76c42f3f-6ce9-4ccf-9d9c-6e58a5512ed2","media_id":"27e78e07-a6fd-4dce-b6f4-54d876bf35e8","title":"Memory Project Image #7344","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Le fils de Pawel Koczula, Paul, depuis les Pays-Bas vers le Canada en 1948 (l\u2019\u00e9pouse de monsieur Koczula \u00e9tait une mari\u00e9e n\u00e9erlandaise de guerre).","creator":"Memory Project Image #7344 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"fr","credit":"Pawel Koczula"}]} "Memory Project Image #7344")
![Pawel Koczula]({"id":"a1e3f9e0-2761-43bd-b3e6-ccd52ec3ef12","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7346_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":250505,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:06:01.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:06:01.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7346","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Szeregowy Pawel Koczula (second from right, without helmet) and comrades after being decorated with the Polish Cross of Valour (one of two such decorations that Mr. Koczula would earn during the Second World War) by Brigadier-General Stanis\u0142aw Maczek in France, 1940.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7346 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7346_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7346_original.jpg","credit":"Pawel Koczula","pivot":{"mediable_id":"b5da5eca-f88e-4a40-bb29-a02030b6aa0d","media_id":"a1e3f9e0-2761-43bd-b3e6-ccd52ec3ef12","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"b5566274-ba33-4a11-9341-a692167fd6f4","media_id":"a1e3f9e0-2761-43bd-b3e6-ccd52ec3ef12","title":"Memory Project Image #7346","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Szeregowy Pawel Koczula (second from right, without helmet) and comrades after being decorated with the Polish Cross of Valour (one of two such decorations that Mr. Koczula would earn during the Second World War) by Brigadier-General Stanis\u0142aw Maczek in France, 1940.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7346 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"en","credit":"Pawel Koczula"},{"id":"a949d60b-148f-4ccf-8790-344d175aef77","media_id":"a1e3f9e0-2761-43bd-b3e6-ccd52ec3ef12","title":"Memory Project Image #7346","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Szeregowy Pawel Koczula (deuxi\u00e8me \u00e0 droite avec le casque) et ses camarades apr\u00e8s avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9cor\u00e9s de la Croix de la Vaillance Polonaise (une des deux d\u00e9corations que monsieur Koczula recevra pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale) par le Brigadier G\u00e9n\u00e9ral Stanis\u0142aw Maczek, en France en 1940.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7346 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"fr","credit":"Pawel Koczula"}]} "Memory Project Image #7346")
![Pawel Koczula]({"id":"db057a78-bceb-4443-aaf1-e453b6b26b1f","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7345_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":229261,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:59.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:05:59.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7345","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Pawel Koczula's Polish Identification Card, 1939.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7345 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7345_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7345_original.jpg","credit":"Pawel Koczula","pivot":{"mediable_id":"b5da5eca-f88e-4a40-bb29-a02030b6aa0d","media_id":"db057a78-bceb-4443-aaf1-e453b6b26b1f","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"2240aaec-a184-48ec-bddf-a9ee0666fc0b","media_id":"db057a78-bceb-4443-aaf1-e453b6b26b1f","title":"Memory Project Image #7345","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Pawel Koczula's Polish Identification Card, 1939.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7345 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"en","credit":"Pawel Koczula"},{"id":"8cec5ba6-b3f1-4451-ba72-1f0836d9f5a0","media_id":"db057a78-bceb-4443-aaf1-e453b6b26b1f","title":"Memory Project Image #7345","alt":"Pawel Koczula","caption":"Papiers d\u2019identit\u00e9 polonaise de Pawel Koczula, 1939.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7345 - Veteran #4046","source":"Pawel Koczula","locale":"fr","credit":"Pawel Koczula"}]} "Memory Project Image #7345")
Transcript
In 1939, when the war broke out, I was a civilian, just 20 years old, and we were evacuated from my place, Nadwiślańska [Poland], because the Germans are coming in, so evacuation started. In [Camp de] Coëtquidan [a military educational facility in France], when I reported, after registration and doctor’s checkups, they gave me work at the reporting office. After a few days, in the morning, there was an officer coming in; and he look at me, I look at him, and that was my teacher from the public school, Captain Kroupa. At that time, he said, Pawel, what the heck you doing here? You are not going to stay in the office, you belong to the officer school; and that’s why I was transferred to officer school, because I didn’t have any proof that I finish high school to go to the officers’ school. And he could certify that. So I went to Guer officers’ school, finish it, and after finishing and exams, I was transferred to the Polish [Independent] Highland Brigade, which was preparing for journey to Norway, or took part in the fighting in Norway; Narvik. After finishing and bring freedoms for the Norwegians in Narvik, we see the port of Narvik with 27 masts above the water. Among them was a Polish boat [ORP] Blyskawica [Polish destroyer]. But the Germans were progressing in France because that was the time of invasion of France. So we had to finish Norwegian campaign, close it and fast going to France, otherwise we would lose out supply. The French, they were already going home and shouting to us: fini la guerre, fini la guerre [the war is over]. But a group of us, we decided that we are going back to Brest and try to catch a boat to Great Britain, to England. We succeeded and we landed in Portsmouth in England on the 26 June, 1944. In 1942, I got my promotion to second lieutenant and I was transferred to the 1st Polish Armoured Division and I took part with the division through all the action in Europe from 1944 on. And I was with the division until 1947. In 1946, I married a Dutch girl and in 1947, 1948, we immigrate to Canada.
