SPK Sub-branch No.1 / Koło Nr. 1 Sydney Australia

12/10/2026

Czesław “Chester” Dąbkowski was born on the 14th of February 1915 in Warsaw, Poland. He completed his national service, and in 1939 he was serving as a corporal of the reserves in the anti-tank company of the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade under the command of the legendary Stanisław Maczek.

After the fall of Poland in 1939, Chester made his way to France, like so many other Polish soldiers. Here he again served with the 10th Brigade, and after the fall of France, he was evacuated to the United Kingdom.

Here he joined the 10th Mounted Ri**es Regiment, which was stationed in Scotland. A very competent soldier, he was awarded the unit badge on the 29th of April 1941 and completed various driving and mechanical courses. He mainly served as a mechanic and driver with the 10th Mounted Ri**es, which became the reconnaissance regiment of the 1st Polish Armoured Division.

After the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the 10th Mounted Ri**es landed in France and took part in the Battle of Falaise, in which its CO, Major Jan Maciejowski, was killed. Chester continued to serve with the 10th Mounted Ri**es, taking part in the drive to Germany, the liberation of Belgium and Holland, and the capture of the German port city of Wilhelmshaven in May 1945.

After the end of the Second World War, like so many other Polish soldiers, Chester decided not to return to an uncertain future in communist Poland and joined the Polish Resettlement Corps.

Chester decided to emigrate to Australia and arrived in Australia on the SS Strathnaver in August 1948. He was one of the men who worked for the Hydro-Electric Commission in Tasmania.

Later on, he moved to Melbourne, Victoria, and on 8 September 1954, he married Anna Kernich (aka Wanda) of Greenock, South Australia. Chester continued living in Victoria until he passed away. At this stage, I have not been able to find his exact date of death.

Scanned above are several of Chester’s original documents from his time in the Polish Army. One of note for our Polish-Australian community is the original discharge certificate from the Polish Resettlement Corps, with the cause of discharge being “on emigration to Australia.” Also scanned are several photographs of Chester, including in pre-war Polish uniform (circa 1938), British battledress wearing Poland titles, corporal's rank, 10th Mounted Ri**es unit badge, and collar pennants (circa 1941), as well as a photograph of his arrival in Australia (1948) found in the National Archives of Australia. I have also identified Chester in the famous large group shot of the boys who arrived on the SS Strathnaver.

Whilst Chester was not a SPK 1 Sydney member, it is our duty to make sure all Polish soldiers who came to Australia are never forgotten.

Nicholas Machinko
Secretary SPK 1 Sydney

10/10/2026

SPK1 was honoured to attend the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Maryang San at Ashfield RSL today, in the presence of several Korean War veterans. President Stanisław Żak and Secretary Nicholas Machinko both represented SPK1.

For us at SPK1, it was the perfect opportunity to share Captain Ludwik Zwolanski's story. A special board was displayed for the occasion.

For those who do not know, Ludwik Zwolanski was a pre-war officer in the Polish Army and a paratrooper who took part in Operation Market Garden (A Bridge Too Far) where he gained fame for being the officer who swam the Rhine! He was a recipient of the Virtuti Militari and the first Polish migrant to join the Australian Army.

He fought in the Korean War as a platoon commander with 3 RAR and was awarded the US Bronze Star with the V for Valor device by the US President.

A big thank you to the wonderfull organizers for inviting us to this event.

30/09/2026

Zapraszamy wszystkich na kolejne spotkanie z naszym zawsze uśmiechniętym AKowcem I komandosem L**hem. Tym razem troszkę bardziej na luzie I będzie z nami bardzo specjalny gość z Polski, Paweł 'Naval' Mateńczuk. Paweł jest weteranem Jednostki Wojskowej GROM, autor kilkanustu książek(bestsellers), jednym z najbardziej odznaczonych żołnierzy IIIRP I obecnie pracuje w Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej jako pełnomocnik Ministra Obrony Narodowej.
Unikatowa okazja jak na nasze Australijskie warunki poznać dwóch takich kombatantów w jednym dniu. Proszę przyjść, przywitać się, zadać pytania, zrobić sobie zdjęcia, dostać autograf.
Serdecznie wszystkich zapraszamy, Festiwal Polski w Plumpton 25.10.2026

W razie jakichkolwiek pytań prosimy o kontakt przez nasz messenger lub z naszym sekretarzem Nicholas Machinko Tel: 0450 393 368

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We would like to invite everyone to another meeting with our ever-smiling Home Army (AK) veteran and commando, L**h. This time, the atmosphere will be a bit more relaxed, and we will be joined by a very special guest from Poland: Paweł 'Naval' Mateńczuk. Paweł is a veteran of the GROM military unit, the author of numerous bestselling books, and one of the most highly decorated soldiers of the Third Polish Republic; he currently works at the Polish Ministry of Defense as a plenipotentiary to the Minister. This is a rare opportunity—especially for Australia—to meet two such veterans on the same day. Come along to say hello, ask questions, take photos, and get an autograph.

We warmly invite everyone to the Polish Festival in Plumpton on October 25, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact us via Messenger or reach out to our secretary Nicholas Machinko at 0450 393 368

21/09/2026

On behalf of SPK Sydney and myself I would like to thank everyone who attended yesterdays event 'from Scout to Commando'. It was trully wonderfull to see so many people attend and seeing L**h and Illonka's smiles at the end I think it was worth it!

I would especially like to thank our great friend and I Vice-President L**h Gade who wanted to share part of his incredible story with the community and his wonderfull wife Illonka and their children who also attended. It was my honour to co-ordinate this event with Lajkonik, Polish Song and Dance Ensemble Sydney and Ursula Lang from Lajkonik, and I would especially like to thank Ursula for all her hard work in making this event happen and all the wonderfull members and perfomers of Lajkonik. A big thank you also to all the amazing behind the scenes volunteers who made this event happen!

Thank you to all our special guests who attended including Vice-Consul Katarzyna Fałkowska and her husband Piotr from Konsulat Generalny RP w Sydney, Father Artur Botur, Adam Biziuk President of the Federation of Polish Associations in NSW, Piotr Gajkowski honorary President of the Federation of Polish Associations in NSW, L**h's friends from Parramatta RSL and the Commando Association, Marysia Nowak and all the wonderfull scouts from ZHP - Hufiec Polesie i Hufiec Kraków - Sydney, to our amazing youth from Polish Australian Youth Gathering, Dr. Richard Adams-Dzierzba our II Vice-President of SPK Sydney and National Committee member Maciej Jarysz of the Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantow.

I do apologize if I missed anyone. I hope everyone enjoyed hearing L**h's amazing story and please reach out to us at SPK1 if you would like to hear more of L**h's story.

Nicholas Machinko
Secretary SPK1

20/09/2026

Thank you for being there! 🇵🇱

18/09/2026

17/09/2026

15/09/2026

Remembering Flight Lieutenant Mieczysław Gorzula 1919-2005

The 15th of September is commemorated as Battle of Britain Day, marking one of the most significant days of the Battle of Britain in 1940.

On this day, we remember not only the courage and sacrifice of the many men who defended Britain from the skies, but also the remarkable Polish pilots who stood alongside their British and Allied comrades during one of the most critical moments of the Second World War.

Today, we particularly remember Flight Lieutenant Mieczysław Gorzula, a Polish fighter pilot who flew during the Battle and later made Australia his home.

During the Battle of Britain, F/Lt Gorzula flew Hurricanes with No. 229 and No. 607 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. His service did not end with the Battle of Britain. He continued to fly operationally throughout the war, serving with several Polish squadrons, including No. 302, No. 315 and No. 309 Squadrons.

His wartime career was remarkable. Among his many achievements, F/Lt Gorzula was one of the few Allied pilots credited with shooting down a German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter while flying a piston-engine aircraft—an extraordinary feat considering the enormous speed advantage of the revolutionary German jet.

For his courage and service, he was awarded the Cross of Valour with two bars.

After the war, F/Lt Gorzula made Australia his home and spent the majority of his life in Canberra. His journey from a young Polish airman fighting for freedom in the skies over Europe to a veteran who built his life in Australia is a powerful reminder of the contribution Polish servicemen and women made to the Allied war effort—and of the many Polish veterans who eventually made Australia their home.

On this Battle of Britain Day, we honour Flight Lieutenant Mieczysław Gorzula.

We remember his courage, his service and his sacrifice.

We remember the Polish pilots who flew alongside the RAF during the Battle of Britain.
And we remember the generations of Polish veterans who came to Australia and helped build the Polish-Australian community we know today.

Lest we forget.

Cześć Jego Pamięci.

NM

09/09/2026

To all our followers, please don't forget there are 2 great events coming up, both on the 20th of September. For those in Queensland please make your way to the Polish Spring Festival in Capalaba for a fun filled day with the Polish community. And for those in New South Wales make sure you make your way to Marayong for a chat with our WW2 Home Army veteran Les Gade to hear an amazing story of life in occupied Poland, the Warsaw uprising, life as a prisoner of war and being a post-war immigrant in Australia.

03/09/2026