The Polish Community in Weeting 1947.

When the second World War ended in Europe the Polish 2nd Corps were in Italy. The vast majority of these soldiers and their families where displaced persons.(DP's). They had lost their homelands , a concession made to the Russians by the Allied leaders.

At the time the British were grateful of the Polish effort in helping to defeat the Germans so they absorbed about 150,000 people into the UK. they were to be housed in former military camps scattered throughout the country. Just one of these camps being "Weeting Hall Camp" which housed about 80 families or 400 people. These were transient camps people would come and go in an attempt to be reunited with relatives such was life after the war.

The Polish community soon established a church, a shop (Kantyna) and at times the Polish kids may of been in the majority at the local English school. Apart from farming and forestry related work local employment was rather restrictive and as other opportunities arose elsewhere the Polish community began to dwindle and by about the mid 1950's the camp no longer existed.

Some families were extremely happy to make Weeting their permanent homes such as the Chwarszcynski's, Swierdzewski's , Lukaniuk's , Pawloska's, Juzwiak's and Pianko's but the bulk of the community dispersed globally.

Occasionally children brought up in the camp will return as a "pilgrimage" only to find there is nothing remaining of "Little Poland".

The Polish camp at Weeting