Une histoire franco-écossaise d’un soldat polonais

The fascinating story of Jean (Jan) Novak (1917-2005). Polish by birth, he moved to a small town in the Aisne region of northern France at the age of six. At the outbreak of WW2 he enlisted in the Polish Army in exile in France. After taking part in the Battle of Norvik,
Norway, with the Allied Forces he found himself in Scotland preparing for the Normandy landing and push into Germany with the Maczek Division. He eventually returned to France and married a local girl.

The speaker is Luc Degonville, Mayor of the small town of Manicamp (Aisne) and retired “instituteur”. Jean Novak at the age of 87 visited the local school where the pupils were able to hear his story first hand. This provided another link for them between their town/region and Scotland, the other links being the 18th century Scottish gardener Thomas Blaikie, the bridge from the Aromanches Mulburry Harbour made in Garlieston and the Robert Louis Stevenson route “sur les canaux du Nord”.

This event is organized by the Franco-Scottish Society – Edinburgh Branch