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“The underground, we would go at night and paint this on walls and doors.  In the morning the Germans, they would be very, very angry about it.  You would be shot if you were caught painting it.  I didn’t paint it, I was not brave enough.”

I worked for the Polish underground army [during World War II].  We would dislocate railways, smuggle ammunition, anything to obstruct the Germans.  I was in the Warsaw Uprising, fighting the Germans in the forest.  My brother was killed.  Three quarters of the underground were killed.  But still, I escape.  [Marian then joined the Polish Army which was under British command]

At the end of the war I come to Britain to be demobbed.  But we couldn’t go back to Poland because Russia was controlling it.  We weren’t Communists.  We would be killed.

There are always regrets.  If you lose everything you had over there, your family, your farm, your roots.  But I never regret coming to Britain, to Cardiff.  I class myself lucky to escape from Poland.  Three of my family died under Russian rule.  Yes, I am very grateful.”