Bar containing 2 military ribbons presented to Henryk Potok
Object numberM2022/007:006
TitleBar containing 2 military ribbons presented to Henryk Potok
DescriptionMilitary medal bar (2 ribbons) awarded to Henryk Potok. The ribbons include; the Star of Italy and the War Medal 1939-1945.
This collection of material relates to Polish Jews, Henryk and Erna Potok (nee Ratz) who married in 1934 and had their first daughter, Anita in 1938.
The family lived in Krakow, Poland, however Henryk's parents, Izaak and Amalia, were landowners, operating farms for timber and cattle, 250 kilometres east of Krakow. When war broke out in September 1939, Henryk with his wife, child and extended Potok family were holidaying on the family farm. As the situation turned worse, the group decided to flee further towards the Russian border by car. At the border, they were turned back and the family settled in Lwow.
In Lwow, the family were deported with Jews and Poles by the Russians to Siberia in 1940. The extended Potok family became separated with Henryk and Erna were sent to Samarkand and later Tashkent forced labour camps. Anita recalls her mother stating the situation was desperate with many dying from the cold and starvation. The couple were forced to work in the forests, chopping down wood. Henryk's brother, Jerzy, described the work of a forced labourer in Siberia including a 5am start work, cutting trees into logs and stacking to obtain bread. These stacks were required to 4 cubic metres per person. 'The 400 grams of bread was black absolutely black the Russians stole the flour and replaced with more water. We wrapped feet in old newspapers to keep warm with work in forests.'
In 1941, with the agreement between the exiled Polish government and Stalin, Henryk was conscripted to the new Polish army under General Wladyslaw Anders. He was stationed in Monte Cassino, Italy as well as Alexandria, serving as a military driver, picking up casualties from the previous battles and engagements.
Now separated, Erna and Anita continued to live in Siberia until 1942. Anita recalls she became blind due to malnutrition and her mother applied to travel as an adult companion for a convoy of orphans to Tehran. From there they stayed until they could travel to Haifa at the end of 1942. Erna continued to work in Tel Aviv in the Polish Army canteen.
After the war ended, Erna received a letter from her brother in Sydney. With his sponsorship, she immigrated to Australia with the expectation of meeting her husband there. Although Henryk was able to visit the family on leave infrequently in Tel Aviv during the war, he was not immediately discharged until the end of 1946. The family were reunited in Australia in 1947.
This collection of material relates to Polish Jews, Henryk and Erna Potok (nee Ratz) who married in 1934 and had their first daughter, Anita in 1938.
The family lived in Krakow, Poland, however Henryk's parents, Izaak and Amalia, were landowners, operating farms for timber and cattle, 250 kilometres east of Krakow. When war broke out in September 1939, Henryk with his wife, child and extended Potok family were holidaying on the family farm. As the situation turned worse, the group decided to flee further towards the Russian border by car. At the border, they were turned back and the family settled in Lwow.
In Lwow, the family were deported with Jews and Poles by the Russians to Siberia in 1940. The extended Potok family became separated with Henryk and Erna were sent to Samarkand and later Tashkent forced labour camps. Anita recalls her mother stating the situation was desperate with many dying from the cold and starvation. The couple were forced to work in the forests, chopping down wood. Henryk's brother, Jerzy, described the work of a forced labourer in Siberia including a 5am start work, cutting trees into logs and stacking to obtain bread. These stacks were required to 4 cubic metres per person. 'The 400 grams of bread was black absolutely black the Russians stole the flour and replaced with more water. We wrapped feet in old newspapers to keep warm with work in forests.'
In 1941, with the agreement between the exiled Polish government and Stalin, Henryk was conscripted to the new Polish army under General Wladyslaw Anders. He was stationed in Monte Cassino, Italy as well as Alexandria, serving as a military driver, picking up casualties from the previous battles and engagements.
Now separated, Erna and Anita continued to live in Siberia until 1942. Anita recalls she became blind due to malnutrition and her mother applied to travel as an adult companion for a convoy of orphans to Tehran. From there they stayed until they could travel to Haifa at the end of 1942. Erna continued to work in Tel Aviv in the Polish Army canteen.
After the war ended, Erna received a letter from her brother in Sydney. With his sponsorship, she immigrated to Australia with the expectation of meeting her husband there. Although Henryk was able to visit the family on leave infrequently in Tel Aviv during the war, he was not immediately discharged until the end of 1946. The family were reunited in Australia in 1947.
Subjectarmed forces, soldiers, survival
Object namemilitary medals
Dimensions
- width: 67.00 mm
height: 10.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum collection, Donated by Freda Potok. This object is donated in memory of Henryk Potok.
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.