3. Kazimierz Chomacki – Escape Again

Order to leave

Following General Sikorski’s order Kazik joined the rest of the Polish force who decided to make their way to England by what ever means available.

Kazik and his group were directed to Dunkirk but failed to find a route out as the British Expeditionary force had already been plucked from the beaches. He was told to flee to the west coast.

The retreat down the French coast was becoming chaotic by this time with ship after ship pulling troops, personnel and refugees from the ports along its Atlantic sea board.

The Blue Star Line’s S.S. Arandora Star had been busy rescuing troops from Narvik, Norway and was ordered to help in the evacuation of remaining forces and other people from France.

She was sent to try and get into the last port where there was any hope of picking up survivors – the port of St. Jean de Luz. Luckily Kazik and his friends had managed to find their way to this port and found themselves amongst almost 1,000 Polish staff and troops awaiting rescue on the harbour.

The Arandora Star

The German and Allied forces were now sweeping quickly down the French mainland determined to capture all remaining troops.

On the 24 June 1940 at 9:30 am the Arandora Star finally cast off with 1,700 refuges on board clearing the harbour just as German bombers came over the hills.

The invading forces chose to consolidate their hold and occupied the port at 11 am and left the ship unhindered as she waited outside the harbour until almost 2 pm when they joined the convoy.

They zig-zagged their way back for five days landing at Liverpool on the bright and rainy morning of the 29 June. The Polish forces were sailing to their „Island of Last Hope”.

After disembarkation Kazik was transported to Blackpool where he received training in English and underwent appraisals for further training.Kazik had embarked on being a pilot and joining in the defence of Britain.

The Arandora Star was not so lucky – she was ordered to sea once again and at 4:00 am on the 2 July 1940, with a cargo of 1,673 soles, German and Italian internees and some prisoners of war, set sail to cross the Atlantic to Canada. 2 hours later she was sunk by a torpedo 75 miles west of the Bloody Foreland, County Donegal - half the lives were lost.

A year later on the 1 August 1941 saw Kazik with the 15 E.F.T.S. (Elementary Flying Training School) unit at Carlisle learning to fly the Magister being certified competent as a pilot on the 19 September 1941. His examiner recording Kazimierz had „notable aptitude as a navigator” – well he did find his way across most of the middle hemisphere to reach this point.

His service at Carlisle now finished, Kazimierz was posted to 2 P.S.F.T.S. (Polish Secondary Flying Training School) in Grantham on the 10 November 1941 and thereby begins the next story...