Aquiring Polish Naval Records

On the 18th of November 1939 the Polish Navy signed its first agreement with the British government that would see a mutual cooperation that enabled the two countries to become allies and fight together during the Second World War.[1]

Artur Nowaczyk was a member of the Polish navy and served on many of the Polish Naval ships. In 1942 he was involved in convoy operation PQ15 in the Atlantic and Arctic onboard ORP Garland. On May 27, seven German aircraft ‘Ju-88’s’, attacked the Garland and although it did not receive a direct hit, the explosions were in close enough proximity that she suffered significant damage and loss of life. The Garland travelled to Murmansk to deliver the wounded from not only the Garland, but also the Jastrzab.[2] Artur Nowaczyk was one of the enlisted men who was decorated with the Krzyz Walecznych or Cross of Valour for his bravery and assistance at this time.

Polish Naval records for WW2 are available from the Ministry of Defence APC Polish Enquiries in England. Although the process of obtaining these records is somewhat arduous, it is definitely well worth it to obtain information relating to your family member.

NOR-PolishDiscOffice@mod.uk

http://militarybadgecollection.com/2010/12/14/polish-ww2-medals.htm

[1] M.A. Peszke, Poland’s Navy: 1918 – 1945. (New York: Hippocrene Books Inc., 1999), p.179.

[2] M.A. Peszke, Poland’s Navy: 1918 – 1945. (New York: Hippocrene Books Inc., 1999), pp. 118-119.

The Eight Hour Day

For most of us, working an eight-hour day is just the norm, but how did it develop? Australia, from 1860-1890, was experiencing a rapid growth in wealth that was transforming the middle class, yet the working classes were not reaping the benefits of their labour. Most were paid just enough to subsist; working long hours in poor conditions. One of the most fundamental roles of unions at this time was standardising working hours in order to obtain a family / work balance. Even though the eight-hour day was first achieved by the Operative Stonemason’s Society in 1856, it resonated within union movements through out the latter half of the 19th century. Newspapers and employers attacked the eight-hour day and felt it would inevitably fail, yet the eight-hour system only further spread through varying industries. Working less enabled people to enjoy family time and self-education, which was more often seen as the domain of the middle classes. Learning to read and write was becoming a reality for the working class as a result of the eight-hour day, and unions were providing a vast array of literary information to further the development of their members.[1]

Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924), Thursday 29 April 1920, page 2

[1]  Michael Cannon, Life in the Cities. (Victoria: Viking O’Neil, 1988), p.248.

The Melbourne Tailoresses' Strike 1882-83

The Melbourne Tailoresses’ Strike in 1882-83 was seen as the ‘emergence of a women-centred, trade unionism’ whose role was to call for the upgrading of wages and conditions. Reduction of garment rates often halved the income earned, hours worked were long, and working at home was expected. This industrial action was momentous as it was the first instance within the British Empire where women, who were perceived to be unskilled, had attracted such publicity. The workers had managed to garner the support of not only the public but of unions representing numerous trades. At the time, this was significant as women were seen as inferior to their male peers. The role of the union was paramount in highlighting that women rarely only had themselves to care for, but also provided for children and extended families. The strike was not completely successful with its role of negotiation, however the union felt they had accomplished small steps to gaining a better employment relationship and more importantly, female workers had gained a ‘new- found assertiveness’ within the community. This was invaluable as women were being recognised as wageworkers that contributed to the economy and society.[1]

Photo: Melbourne Textile Factory, Museum Victoria PA004794

http://www.womenworkingtogether.com.au/6.Moving%20into%20the%20Public%20World.html

[1]  D. Thorton,’”We have no redress unless we strike”: Class, Gender and Activism in the Melbourne Tailoresses’ Strike, 1882-1883’, Labour History: A Journal of Labour and Social History. May, no. 96, (2009), pp. 24-32.

Women Who Made A Difference

I enjoy researching pioneering women, those who subverted patriarchal society to defend their beliefs, and one such woman was Indigenous activist Faith Bandler (1918-2015). Bandler was one of the most prominent activists of the 1950s, and along with Pearl Gibbs, they co-founded the Australian-Aboriginal Fellowship (AAF). The main objective of this organisation was to generate an amicable relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in New South Wales. One of the most successful petitions devised by the AAF was to change the Constitution in regards to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This petition, established by Jessie Street, a white feminist activist, along with Bandler and Gibbs, effectively enabled the success of the 1967 Referendum.  

Bandler's activism and resistance saw her under surveillance from the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) for decades. Volume One of her file (1950-1962) is a well-documented collection of newspaper cuttings, minutes from protest meetings, surveillance notes and correspondence in relation to her Indigenous identity.  The detail contained in this file provides insight into the agency Faith Bandler had, and the way she confronted issues of repression and brought those issues into public consciousness. Particularly in an era where being Black and a woman, was subject to public scrutiny and was perceived as a detriment.

Bandler's ASIO file is available at The National Archives of Australia.

Yes' for Aborigines poster authorised by Faith Bandler.  http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/faith-bandlers-gloves

Newspapr Archives - A researcher's dream

It can be a real thrill to find information about your ancestors in newspapers. It gives some historical meaning to the time and puts them within context. One example is that of Thomas Chilton Jasper or TC, who opened the first bank in Plano, Texas in 1882. Newspaper reports show in 1905, how TC received a letter from "Eighteen Strong", stating that his bank was soon to be robbed, so could he “have plenty (of cash) on hander for uss” (sic).  Apparently TC would have taken this as a joke, however the bank had been robbed in 1893, whereby he had received a letter from the “Dalton Boys” saying they were coming. Therefore TC wasn’t taking any chances!

McKinney Dailey Courier, USA. Wednesday 20 December 1905.

Loss and Grief

In modern times it is hard to imagine the amount of grief families must have endured with the loss of loved ones, and when researching family histories, it is an all too common occurrence to find parents who have lost multiple children. One such family is that of Jane Christie Couper and William Alfred Speirs who lost eight of their thirteen children. Jane’s signature is on multiple death certificates and she lost two of her children one day apart. Jeanie Speirs was 6 months old and her brother Archibald was 2. Both died in 1899 from bronchopneumonia. Jane experienced much loss within her lifetime with the death of her husband, 7 siblings, 8 children and 5 grandchildren. It makes us wonder how families coped. Was pregnancy the joyous occasion it is today, or was there always an underlying assumption that things may go wrong, therefore people tried not to become too attached? It certainly makes us grateful for modern medicine!

http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Viewers/DirectDownload/index.aspx

On This Day - 1st July

70 - Roman General Titus and his forces set up battering rams to assault the walls of Jerusalem.[1]

1517 - The Netherlands has the 1st burning of Protestants at the stake.[2]

1837 - England and Wales proceed with a system of civil registration of births, marriages and deaths.[3]

1851 - New South Wales and Victoria separate as Royal Assent is given to create the Colony of Victoria.[4]

1873 - Henry Ossian Flipper of Georgia, who was a former slave, is one of the first African Americans to enter West Point Military Academy. He graduated in 1877.[5]

1900 - Concerned with “Etiquette”. Readers of the Sydney newspaper The Dawn, requested information regarding the ‘manners and customs of good society’. They felt a series of short articles would not go astray.[6]

1932 - The Australian Broadcast Commission (ABC) was launched to the Australian public.[7]

1942 - The Australian Federal Government becomes the sole collector of income tax in Australia as State Income Tax is abolished.[8]

References:

[1] http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/70

[2] http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1517

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_1

[4] http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/today-in-history/today-in-history-july

[5] http://www.historyorb.com/people/henry-ossian-flipper

[6] The Dawn (Sydney, NSW : 1888 - 1905) , Sunday 1 July 1900, page 31.

[7] http://about.abc.net.au/who-we-are/abc-history/

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_1

Who is that?

Nothing is more frustrating for the family researcher than coming across beautiful old photos and having no idea who they are of. Today we take the availability of photographs for granted, but to find pictures of our ancestors in the 19th century is like finding gold! Label your photos. Maybe in 100 years your descendants will be asking "who is that?"

Unfortunately no names for any of these faces.

Winifred May Bailey nee Bowen. (1894-1990)

Women in War

King George VI initiated the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1939. Its purpose was to “interlink” with the RAF by using women as substitutes for men in trades and operations. Although pay rates were approximately two-thirds of their male colleagues, it was an opportunity for women to either be employed, or to earn a higher wage than usual, by experiencing a variety of trades that were primarily the domain of men.[1] Alice Raye Bailey was one such woman who decided to join the WAAF in 1940. Raye was working as a hairdresser in Wales at the start of WW2 and after talking to clients, who worked in munitions factories, decided the WAAF was a better option for her. She trained as a switchboard operator and ended up at the PBX main telephone exchange at the RAF Exeter fighter station. They were first positioned within the Flying Control Tower but due to copious bombings were moved underground. Raye worked shift work and states for the most part her feet were in water. However it was an opportunity to earn 28s per week rather than 20s from hairdressing, and women felt valued because they were contributing to the war effort.  

Alice Raye Bailey 1940

[1] http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/women-of-the-air-force/womens-auxiliary-air-force-waaf-1939-1949.aspx

Life Before Facebook

How did people let others know where they would be and when they would be back, pre-Facebook? They put it in the newspaper. The medium may have changed but updating your 'status' has been around for centuries!!

Wise County Messenger Friday 9th August 1912. USA.

The Courier Gazette Saturday 5th September 1914. USA.

The Interior Journal Friday 16th January 1885. USA.