Polish 'Lightning' ship defends UK's Cowes 75 yrs ago
Residents and authorities of Cowes, a town on the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England, on Saturday and Sunday marked the 75th anniversary of the town's defence from the German Luftwaffe by Polish destroyer Blyskawica (Polish for 'lightning').
On the night of May 5, 1942, the Blyskawica crew under Captain Wojciech Francki fended off an air attack by the German Luftwaffe and then helped Cowes residents to put out fires and aided the rescue operation. About 70 people died in the air raids.
The attack damaged most of the houses in the town as Luftwaffe targeted Cowes and the entire Isle of Wight due to its shipbuilding industry, PAP was told by Sarah Burdett, a historian from the East Cowes Heritage Centre.
Twenty-six destroyers as well as reconnaissance aircraft were built on the island during the war.
The Polish ship was anchored in Cowes during the attack due to repairs in a local shipyard which, incidentally, had built Blyskawica in 1935-1936. At that time it was the fastest and the biggest destroyer in Europe, a state-of-the-art vessel, said Burdett.
According to regulations, Blyskawica had to be disarmed for the repairs but when Captain Francki spotted German reconnaissance planes he ordered the crew to arm the ship again, against the law and procedures, and sounded the alarm.
When the air raid started, Francki immediately ordered the crew to return fire and engage the enemy, said the historian. Polish seamen were also sent in a small boat to the Cowes bay with smoke bombs to limit visibility.
When the battle ended, the Polish crew were sent to the town to help the residents put down fires and rescue people from the rubble.
The town's inhabitants had been friends with Polish people for years, Burdett stressed.
"In all, the Blyskawica spent two years in Cowes for repairs and shipyard visits, and before that it was under construction in 1935-1936", Burdett said.
The observances of the ORP Blyskawica crew feat anniversary began on Saturday and lasted until late Sunday. Polish flags were flown on the city center buildings. Picnics, artistic performances and parades took place.
On Saturday morning, as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the city's defence, five crews entered a race around the Isle of Wight for the Ambassador's Cup.
Robert Milner of the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes commented to PAP that "the wind and the weather are almost perfect". He also said that he expected the first crew to be at the finish line in about 8-9 hours.
Leszek Ulewicz from the Polish Club Yacht Club in London, the organiser of the race, said he was counting on his crew winning.
Before noon short prayers were said and a celebration was held in the main square in Cowes. The daughter of the ship’s Polish commander, Janina Doroszkowska, was among those attending the ceremony.
"It is a great joy and very touching to see Polish flags hanging on the houses in the city centre", she said in an interview with PAP, adding that her father had "made his decision against the orders of the admiralty, so if something had gone wrong, he would have had to stand trial."
"Every year, the contribution of the Polish people is remembered here. My mother told me that in 1942, the day after Cowes' defence, my father's cabin was all in flowers - they were so grateful", she said.
Cowes Mayor David Jones told PAP that the anniversary makes it possible to remember the victims of the raids and the difficulties that city residents had to contend with during the war. It is also a time to remember the support they received from the Polish people, he said.
"This has strengthened the relationship between us and your people", he said, adding that this was only one example of the support the British received from the Polish people. Another case in point is the help of Polish pilots in the 1940 Battle of Britain, he said.
Vice Admiral of the Navy Stanislaw Zarychta thanked England's south coast Isle of Wight's town of Cowes for preserving the Polish tradition of the Polish Army and the memory of ORP Blyskawica, which in 1942 defended the city against the German raid.
"We have heard a lot of kind words here", said Zarychta, who met with journalists on the ORP Gniezno transport/minesweeper warship which came all the way from Poland to Cowes to take part in the 75th anniversary of the German air raids and Polish famous ship defence of the British town.
Throughout the whole day, Polish sailors hosted on board the Polish ship tourists who came in on small boats and motorboats for a tour.
"What is important to us is the tradition of cherishing (relations with) Cowes - not only through the prism of alliance with NATO, but most importantly in the context of friendship with the local community that is involved in sustaining memory. We are here because of them", said Zarychta, adding "this is the first time I have been here and what strikes me most is that everybody is involved, including the local community, the Polish community, the Association of Friends of ORP Błyskawica, etc.".
Attending the Sunday ceremonies were Polish Vice Admiral Stanislaw Zarychta, Isle of Wight Lord Lieutenant Martin White, Polish Ambassador in Britain Arkady Rzegocki and the Mayors of both parts of Cowes, Cowes and East Cowes.
Also present was Janina Doroszkowska, the daughter of ORP Blyskawica's wartime captain Wojciech Francki, who was in charge of the ship during its defence of Cowes. In her address she thanked Cowes inhabitants for their memory of her father and his crew.
Rzegocki and White unveiled a memorial plaque to seventy victims of the attack on Cowes and the ORP Blyskawica crew.
Celebrations of the Blyskawica's defense of Cowes 75th anniversary were concluded Sunday with a solemn parade featuring a military orchestra marching through the Polish flag-flown center of Cowes. (PAP)
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