Isle of Wight Alliance councillor for East Cowes, Cllr Karl Love, was joined by East Cowes Town councillor, Tracy Reardon, at the weekend to commemorate the lives of Captain Wojciech Francki and the Crew of ORP Blyskawica.
The Blyskawica was the second of two Grom-class destroyers to be built by Isle of Wight shipbuilders, J. Samuel White.
They were built in the yards of East Cowes and fitted out in West Cowes.
Cllr Love told News OnTheWight,
“It was a great privilege for Tracy and I to attend this ceremony, along with other members of our town and that of the people of West Cowes.
“The friendship between Poland and our towns is as strong as it ever was.
“It was great to see the Polish making the effort to cross the ocean, and to see the flowers outside in the small square.”
He added,
“The Painters Arms, which was the favourite pub of Polish sailors during World War II , remains much the same today as it was then.”
Background
Last year saw the 80th anniversary of the defence of Cowes and East Cowes by Polish destroyer, ORP Błyskawica.
To find out more, please visit the Friends of the ORP Blyskawica Society’s Website.
