Verbatim

Egypt 1942
full image

Edward Oleszkiewicz had many adventures as a teenager fighting in The Middle East during the second world war. While it was a matter of life, death and harsh conditions he managed to have some laughs as well.

His parents were Polish, although he grew up in Romania. In 1940 he fled the invading Nazi army by being smuggled onto a boat which eventually led him to Haifa, where he joined The Polish Carpathian Brigade.

He fought as a rat of Tobruk, alongside the Australians, under General Leslie Morshead. This required keeping your head down and your wits about you, as they were constantly under seige.

There Edward gained the nickname 'Grenade Eddie' because of his fondness for using hand grenades in all sorts of situations. He also witnessed a memorable encounter between an Australian gunner and a British captain that saw the gunner affectionately call the captain 'Shorty Pants'.

After the war the Australian government invited these Polish Rats of Tobruk to immigrate to Australia because of the relationship they formed on the battlefield with the Australian soldiers.

Story Researcher and Producer

Phillip Briant