It started with a map ...

In 2022, I found a map in my mother's attic. It was a map I'd seen before, many years ago. I remember seeing it hanging in my grandfather's study as a child, among his model WWII aeroplanes and wartime photographs. The map charts his journey from Poland, as he escaped the Nazi invasion, through Europe and Africa, and finally England, where he joined the Royal Air Force as a rear gunner on Wellingtons.

Like many of his generation, he spoke little about his experiences during the war. The memories were understandably painful, so we never pressed him. However, there are a few things I remember: his photo album with the many Biro crosses next to his fallen comrades, the large scar on his leg from when his aircraft was shot down, the medals he wore proudly at my passing-out ceremony at RAF Halton. Everyone who met my grandad loved him. He had a warm spirit and even in his 90s you could see sparks of a cheeky and charming young man. He was a legend.

Finding his map lit a fire inside me, a need to share a story untold, before it is lost to history. A story that is, however, currently incomplete. There are many things I don't know about what happened to my grandad, some of which I know I will never be able to find out. But, as I try to search for missing pieces and start filling in the gaps, I wanted to offer others the opportunity to come on this journey of discovery with me. I plan to post updates monthly as I research different aspects of my grandfather's life and explore different avenues, with the hope to one day share his story beyond this newsletter, in a book that can be passed on to future generations.

Thank you for joining me on what is going to be an epic project, and if you have any stories of your own or of relatives from WWII, I'd love to hear them!

Jessica