Polish Airbridge commemorated at special service in Newark Cemetery
The 1944 airbridge to support Poles during their uprising against the Nazis was commemorated at a special service in Newark Cemetery that takes place annually.
The service, which took place at the weekend, happened in the shadow of the Polish Memorial Cross and by the monument to those who took part.
It was attended by many Poles and delegations from both countries, as well as Polish Scouts and drew a sizeable crowd.
It was the first time the service had taken place since the statue of the Polish wartime leader General Władysław Sikorski was unveiled in the Polish War Graves Section of the cemetery where the general was buried until his repatriation. Flowers were laid at the statue’s base.
The Warsaw Uprising, led by the Polish resistance, started at 5pm on August 1, 1944, to try to liberate the capital from Nazi occupation.
They were supported by the RAF, who dropped supplies in an operation known as the Warsaw Airlift.
Losses amongst the Poles and the RAF were high and the uprising ultimately failed.
Photos: Laurence Goff
