1939
In 1939, the Brojek family were living in Drohiczyn*. It was here that 16 year old Mieczyslaw was arrested and taken away by the Russian soldiers.
After the arrest, Mieczyslaw was taken to UFA in UKRAINE and then onto TASHKENT in KAZAKHSTAN where he and five other boys had to take care of six generators, they had to check the oil and water and make sure that they were kept fuelled.
One day whilst walking through the streets of Tashkent, Mieczyslaw noticed bodies lying in the street and on the pavements, so he approached a man sitting in a shop doorway apparently asleep. When he shook the man’s shoulder to awaken him he fell to one side, he was also dead. It transpired that the City had been the victim of TYPHOID! Mieczyslaw noticed that most of the victims were only 30 to 40 Years old! So he decided to get out of the City as quickly as he could.
1941
As he was making his way out of the city he was surprised to see a Polish soldier, during the conversation that he had with the Polish soldier he was told the whereabouts of the Polish Regiment and that he should go and join them. So on the 20 August 1941 Mieczyslaw went to the Polish Regiment and signed on. Once again he had to falsify his date of birth, as he would not be 18 until August.
1943
Mieczyslaw was sent from Tashkent to Syria for training. From Syria he went onto Israel.
In 1943 he was sent from Israel to Italy, fighting through Italy until they reached MONTE CASSINO. Here under the command of General Anders they fought valiantly against the German Army. They were under constant bombardment from German Artillery. It was during this bombardment that Mieczyslaw and two friends jumped into a shell crater for shelter. Unfortunately for them a shell followed them into the crater, Mieczyslaw was badly wounded and unfortunately his two friends were killed.
Mieczyslaw had most of his uniform blown off of him, leaving him wearing only his belt and some tattered remains of his trousers, not enough to preserve his modesty. He ran from the crater and found a jeep with the ignition key in it, so he managed to drive the jeep for about 5 kilometres until he passed out.
1946
He regained consciousness in a Hospital at Campo Basso in Italy. After a short stay in Hospital Mieczyslaw discharged himself and went back to his Regiment. He then spent eight months at Ravina Army Barracks, before coming to England in 1946.
*When the War ended in 1945 this area became a part of the U.S.S.R. (Byelorussia), the Russians evicted the Polish people. The Brojek family settled in the village of Dobiegniewo near Gorzow Wielkopolski in Poland.
A family called Brojek 
My dad was at Monte Casino, brave men ,