Our patient, Marian Milewski, was awarded the Warsaw Uprising Medal for his participation in the Warsaw Uprising.
During one of our Day Centre sessions, Marian brought in the medal he had received from the Polish Embassy to show fellow patients and volunteers. Marian showed the group his medal and spoke about his time during the war.
Marian was awarded the medal by the President of the Warsaw Uprising Veterans Union for his ‘priceless involvement’ in the World War II resistance movement.
The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was a 63-day operation by the Polish Resistance Home Army to liberate Warsaw from Germany occupation of the city.
Marian helped disrupt German railways, smuggled ammunition, and did anything he could to disrupt the Nazi German armies in Warsaw.
After the uprising, Marian escaped Warsaw and joined the Polish Army, which was under British command. As the war ended, Marian moved to Cardiff and never looked back.
In 2007, Marian took part in Cardiff Museum’s Roots to Cardiff: How the world made a city exhibition. The display told the story of thousands of immigrants that have made Cardiff their home and shaped it into the city we know today.
Marian’s daughter, Lynda, was very proud of her Dad and said:
“He was born in 1922 in a small village in Poland, one of 13+ children. He was 17 when the war broke out and became active in the Polish Resistance in Warsaw and was in the Warsaw Uprising, enduring unimaginable hardships. He was smuggled out of Poland after the war and eventually settled in Cardiff, marrying in 1949 and having two children, myself and my sister.
Dad suffered from ill health from the age of 50 when he had the first of many heart attacks. He lost his wife in 2002 and although fiercely independent needed support from us to deal with this new stage of his life. He was determined to stay in his own home and fought ill health with the same determination that had seen him through many difficult times.
After yet another severe heart attack in January 2016 he spent a couple of months in hospital being told it would be difficult for him to live alone in his home again and us being told that if we insisted on taking him home it would only be for a very short time. It was what he wanted and so he went home and this is where City Hospice stepped in.
They gave us practical and emotional support during which was a difficult time for us all. They were always at the end of the phone if we needed any help or advice but most importantly of all they cared for Dad. They arranged for him to be picked up and taken to their hospice for afternoons where he could socialise with others and enjoy various forms of entertainment whilst at the same time the lovely nurses were quietly monitoring his condition and taking care of him without him realising.
Towards the end of his life he was awarded this medal for his participation in the Warsaw Uprising. When he mentioned this to City Hospice they made a fuss of him and took photos to include in their newsletter. They made him feel very special.
Dad passed away shortly afterwards aged 95, loved by all of us as always but also loved, supported and most of all respected by all the lovely people at City Hospice. Thank you so much everyone.”
