Brunon Kowalewski electrician

Bruno Kowalewski 1946

Robert (Bob) Carson snr (Bruno Kowalewski) 1960

Parents:

• Birth*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician was born on 20 August 1924 at Gdynia, Poland, .¹
• He was the son of Jan Kowalewski and Anna Lemanska.
• (Groom) Marriage*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician married Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier, daughter of Alexander Young Dickson jute mill oiler and Mary Keith Paterson Johnston hotelier, on 13 December 1947 at Lochee, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, ; Margaret was married from the house at 39 Step Row where the family had been living for about a year.^2,3
• Divorce*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier were divorced in January 1973 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, ; Robert Carson (formerly Bruno Kowalewski) v Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson or Carson (formerly Kowaleski): Divorce.⁴
• (Deceased) Death*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician died on 26 May 1992 at Roxburghe House, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , at age 67.⁵

• Name Variation: Brunon Kowalewski electrician was also known as Bruno.
• Name Variation: As of circa 1948, Brunon Kowalewski electrician was also known as Robert Carson.
• Address*: As of January 1948, Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier lived at 10 Campbell Street, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, .⁶
• (Informant) Birth: Brunon Kowalewski electrician registered the birth of Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor' on 21 January 1949 at Maternity Hospital, Dundee, Scotland, ; extract from register of births states Robert Carson; 1949, January 21, 4h 25m am; Maternity Hospital Dundee; Father : Bruno Carson (formerly Kowalewski) Pig Breeder, Usual Residence 10 Campbell Street, Dundee; Mother : Margaret Ness McGregor Carson, ms Dickson; Marriage : 1947, December 13th, Lochee, Dundee; Informant : Bruno Carson, father; Signed : 1949, February 4th, Dundee; Registrar : R Howden.^7,8
  
• (Witness) Newspaper Article: Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier was mentioned in a newspaper article about Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor' on 22 January 1949. KOWALEWSKI - At DRI on Jan 21 1949, to Mr and Mrs Kowalewski (nee Margaret Dickson), 10 Campbell Street - a son (Both Well.)⁹
  
• (Witness) Photograph: Brunon Kowalewski electrician is in this photograph taken in February 1949 at Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , along with Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor', Mary Keith Paterson Johnston hotelier and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier Robert Carson's christening.⁷
  

  
• (Witness) Photograph: Brunon Kowalewski electrician is in this photograph taken in March 1949 at Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , along with Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor', Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier Robert Carson in the pram.⁷
  

  
• (Witness) Photograph: Brunon Kowalewski electrician is in this photograph taken in December 1949 at Campbell Street, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , along with Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor', Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier Bobby's first Christmas.⁷
  

  
• Address: As of before 7 July 1954, Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier lived at 17 Napier Place, Dryburgh, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, .¹⁰
• Address: As of 1964, Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Margaret Ness McGregor Dickson hotelier lived at 6 Norwood Crescent, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, .¹⁰
• (Awarded to) Award*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician was awarded the an unknown person on 8 April 1977 at Warsaw, Poland, , Society QSO
  with foreign Polonia
  Polonia
  grants
  Robert Carson
  Diploma
  for outstanding achievements
  in the work
  strengthening of patriotic ties
  Poles in the matrix
  
  The Secretary-General
  President
  
  Warsaw, 8 April 1977
  
  No. 233.⁷
  
  
• (Witness) Photograph: He is in this photograph taken in 1978 at Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , along with Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor'.⁷
  
• (Witness) Photograph: Brunon Kowalewski electrician is in this photograph taken in September 1980 at Murraygate, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , along with Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor'.⁷
  
• Property Purchase*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician and Robert Carson 'the Computer Doctor' purchased a property at at 2 Gillburn Road, Dundee, Angus, Scotland, , in 1990.¹¹
  

  This aerial view captured May 2018

  Photograph by Pat

Census & Directory Entries

Principal

10 April 1963

Brunon Kowalewski electrician registered the ownership of a vehicle on 10 April 1963 Green 1703cc Ford Saloon; OYJ 212; W Carson, 17 Napier Place, Dundee at Dundee, Angus, Scotland, .12

Military Service

• Military Service*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician served with the Polish Free Army in Britain between 1939 and 1948 Bruno Kowalewski chat about 1989
  First session
  Notes made after our chat (& fairly disjointed)
  
  Gdansk – free State – Lived Matania (Matarnia)
  4am handing out sweets – papers from father – occupied – Prussian soldiers
  2 months later – go to Germany to work – took to Bavarian border near Austria – 200 Polish prisoners working in camp – power stations – private digs – paid apprentice wages – Swiss border just across the river. Whole shift went across border. Refugees for 3 days. Polish authorities in Switzerland – wanting recruits for Polish Army in France. – Got out of France 3 / 4 weeks before Dunkirk – youngsters – Portsmouth, then to Catterick – training – Norway by ship – submarines – back to St Andrews (via Greenland?). Back to Catterick – Algiers – more training – Alamein after battle- chasing back thru’ desert. Back to UK – regrouped near Greenock. 2 wks after D-Day.
  Polish 1^st Tank division – nr Aachen wounded. Sherman tanks. Polish hosp past Perth. 1000 in cemetery there. Shipped back to UK after war. Reenlisted in ’46 at Buddon as British Army. Demobbed in ’48 in Dec – one of the last.
  Brother Hanny (Jan) was in Italy – demobbed from Barry / Buddon – back to Poland. 6/8 months in Labour camps because of being in the army.
  Brother Franek conscripted into German Army 1945 – infantry. Wounded in Germany.
  Brother Kajek in Airforce V1/2 bombers. Taken to Russia for 18 months. Took whole factory to Russia & reassembled. Poles taken for 3 months for Communist education. E Germans sent home, W Germans stayed.
  
  Bruno Kowalewski chat2 about 1989
  Second session
  Notes made after our chat
  When war (WW2) broke out the Germans needed youngsters to work in the industries. Volunteers were asked for and sent to various areas in Germany. I was sent to the Rhur, near the Swiss border (this under query as the Rhur is NE Germany, not South), about 15 miles or so. We were trained as electricians. I was an apprentice.
  By this time there were also Polish POWs over the border – boats – about 100 men.
  Swiss authorities – kept in camp – only fed one meal a day – sign up – 3 meals.
  Taken to France – disorganised etc – shipped out just 3 weeks before Dunkirk, with French aristocrats etc. Landed Plymouth.
  Trained at Catterick near Doncatser. Stationed at or near Dundee.
  Sent to Algiers – wounded – sent back to Dundee etc.
  When war ended Polish soldiers were given a new uniform, rifle and 5 rounds and put on a ship which sailed from Plymouth to Gdansk. When the ship docked and the men disembarked, they were immediately disarmed (margin note ‘Stalin’). Some were even killed. The Captain of the ship would not let any of the others leave, turned around and sailed for Plymouth again.
  Eventually demobbed in ’47. Evident that Poland was no place to be at that time – Communist rule – Stalin wouldn’t have the Poles who had fought for Britain – no work, no food. Very little choice but to settle in Scotland. At least there was some sort of expatriate community – some 500,000 men.
  
  
  August 2015
  Son Bob Carson recalls information from father.
  
  Him & friend called up at same time – went off to railway station – train they were supposed to catch was going (say) North, so they went the opposite way.
  Clarification that they would be serving with German army.
  Clarification – probably going west, so they went South – by train – missing bit re Border of Switzerland – discussion re route.
  Travelling with best childhood friend.
  By the time they got to the border, they had met up with others – and crossed the border with them.
  Ties in with getting in a boat and rowing overnight – maybe Lake Geneva.
  Now in Switzerland – get themselves up to Red Cross or Embassy – given travel docs – which took them to Britain – likely by sea.
  Confirmation of arrival in Portsmouth.
  Now in Polish Free Army? –
  Eventually posted to Barry/Buddon camp with the Polish Free Army
  Tank fire – Dad lost his hair and it grew back different colour – ginger as opposed to ?
  In tanks corps - What did he do? Mention of Brenn Gun carriers.
  At Buddon he was involved in the cookhouse. Waited at table for officers. Officers mess. When they got the chicken (or something) – they used a machine gun as the birds (maybe geese, ducks) flew over Buddon (resourceful people!)
  In Europe with the tanks – mention of Monte Cassino – big Polish involvement there – not clear, not talked about. Didn’t talk about Europe. Probably quite unpleasant.
  Monte Cassino – Italy – did he serve in other countries? That’s unclear.
  
  Change of name – phone book Carson closest to Kowalewski – OR – box of Carson chocolates at Mum’s bedside in after birth of first child. She had difficulty spelling Kowalewski. Dad told Pat that Kowalewski in Poland was as common as Smith.
  His Polish was ‘Northen’ Polish – like Gaelic is to Scots and was different. – Maybe a dialect?
  Able to speak Polish to the end of his life.
  Michael Demzcuk fought on 3 sides during the war.
  
  Metic was a best friend. He went back to Poland at the end of the war. To his family. He said that he would send a photograph to depict the state of things – if they were standing up , everything was fine. When the photo arrived in Scotland, the guys were all lying down.
  
  Kajek sentenced to 5 years down the salt mines because Dad hadn’t come back.
  
  We met Metic when we visited Poland in 1963. He wanted to hide in the car and come away with the family.^13,14
  
• Military Service*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician served with an unknown person between 26 May 1940 and 4 June 1940 at Dunkirk, Germany, .¹⁴
• Military Service: Brunon Kowalewski electrician served with an unknown person between 23 October 1942 and 11 November 1942 at El Alamein, Egypt, .¹⁴
• Military Service: Brunon Kowalewski electrician served with an unknown person from 17 January 1944 to 18 May 1944 at Monte Cassino, Italy, .¹⁴
• Military Service: Brunon Kowalewski electrician served with an unknown person on 6 June 1944 at Normany, France, , D-day / Normandy Landings.¹⁴

Notes

• Note for Web*: Brunon Kowalewski electrician Bruno Kowalewski chat2 about 1989
  Second session
  Notes made after our chat
  
  Childhood language in Gdynia / Slupsk (pron Swoopks)(northern Poland on Baltic coast) – separate language akin to Gaelic is to Scotland
  School – taught standard Polish & German but still spoke ‘our language’ at home.
  Religious Education – one afternoon during the school week was reserved for RE. It was not taught at the school. You went to your Church – whichever denomination – for this. between 1925 and 1938.¹³