The Polish community in South Africa has paid tribute to the heroism and sacrifice of the pilots and crew of 31 and 34 squadrons of the South African Air Force who participated in the Warsaw Flights to bring much-needed supplies during the brief but fierce struggle to liberate the Polish capital from German occupation in 1944.
The uprising, which lasted just over 60 days from August to October 1944, has been described as the single largest concentrated military effort undertaken by resistance forces to oppose German occupation during World War II.
The Polish Underground Home Army faced the daunting task of expelling the German army and ending five years of brutal occupation.
Despite the heroism and sacrifice of Poles and their allies, the uprising's failure allowed the pro-Soviet Polish administration, rather than the Polish government-in-exile in London, to gain control of Poland. Bitter and brutal fighting saw the Polish capital razed to the ground and cost the lives of over 150-thousand Poles, most of them civilians. The exact number of casualties is not known.
Pastor Robin Peterson who officiated at the memorial service at the Katyn Memorial in Melrose, Johannesburg, said he and his family recently undertook a memorable trip to Poland to be part of the 80 th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising and the Warsaw Flights. One of their destinations was the Warsaw Rising Museum, which left a profound impression on Petersen.
