A Zoom event in conjunction with English Heritage on the 80th anniversary of the first mission of the Cichociemni, the elite Polish commandos who trained in Britain to lead the resistance against the Germans in occupied Poland.
The Cichociemni, or the Silent Unseen, were elite special-operations paratroopers trained in the UK to carry out covert operations, sabotage and intelligence-gathering in occupied Poland. Historians agree that they played a key part in helping the Allies defeat the Germans, including gaining key intelligence ahead of the D-Day landings and providing information on the launch bases of V1 and V2 rockets. Between 1941 and 1945, 316 Cichociemni were dropped into occupied Poland. Most of them completed their training at Audley End House, an early 17th-century country house outside Saffron Walden, Essex, England, one of the finest Jacobean houses in the UK.
Andrew Hann, a historian for English Heritage, which looks after Audley End House, said: “We’d love to hear from the public who have a connection or story to share about the Cichociemni at Audley”.
The Event Panelists:
• Andrew Hann – English Heritage Properties Historians’ Team Leader
• Marek Mrozek – Polish Institute & Sikorski Museum
• Ian Valentine – Author of “Audley End House and SOE’s Polish Section”
• Paul McCue – military historian and author from the WW2 Secret Learning Project
• Anthony Massey – historian and lecturer
With Guest Host Paul Latawski – Senior Lecturer in the Defence and International Affairs Department, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The event takes place on Apr 29, 2021 07:00 PM
