Władisław was born in Oborniki, near Poznań, Poland, 17 June 1853, the son of Barbara Starosta.
Paulina Tyc (1843 - 1922)
Paulina was born in Oborniki in 1843, the daughter of Karol Tyc and Rosalia Jarusz who were married in Łukowo in 1839. They also had a son, Franciscus (c.1841).
When they were born, this area was in the Grand Duchy of Posen which was part of Prussia, and it became part of the German Empire in 1871.
They were married at Objezierze in 1878. He was 25, she was 35. Władisław died in Oborniki 16 October 1906 aged 53.
After her husband's death Paulina maried Stanisław Borowicz in Oborniki (1863) and had at least one son, Casimir (1866). She Lived long enough to see Poland become an independent state in 1918.
She died in Oborniki 15 December 1922 aged 79.
They had two children:
Roman Starosta married Antonia .... .. and lived at Swarzędz, near Poznań.
Edmund Starosta was born in 1882. See next.
Edmund Starosta (1882 - 1941)
Edmund was born 17 October 1882 in Oborniki (Germany at that time but Poland from 1918). He was a roofer and a sergeant Major in the Polish Police Force.
Jadwiga was born 31 October 1888. She lived in Oborniki.
This area became part of Poland after the first world war, but in September 1939, the Nazis again invaded Poland. One month later, Edmund, Jadwiga and their daughter, Helena, were resettled in the 'Government General' region, at Warsaw and then at Szydłowiec, Radom.
While there, Edmund was put in prison and then, on 8th November 1940, was taken to Auschwitz concentration camp where he was given the number 6098 and where he died 3rd February 1941.
After the war, Jadwiga returned to the family home in Oborniki.
They had four children:
Eleonora Starosta was born about 1912. During the german occupation she was on the 'Volksdeutsche list', meaning that she claimed to have German origins and collaborated with the Nazis.
She married Zdzisław Palinkiewicz and they lived in the flat above the parental home in Oborniki. They had two sons, Benedykt Wojciech (Wojtek) in 1940 and Adam (Adas) in 1945.
Helena Starosta *** was born in Oborniki 1 May 1913.
While she was in Szydłowiec during the war, she met Stanisław (Staszek) Skrzypek who came from a neighbouring village.
They were married and had their first child there. After the war they returned to the family home in Oborniki.
They visited her brother, Marian, and his family in Scotland in 1968. They had three children, Marian (Rysiu) in 1942, Maria (Lilka) in 1943 *** and Barbara (Basia) in 1945. Staszek died 6 July 1981, Helena 6 Jan 1991, both in Oborniki.
Marian Edmund Starosta *** was born 15 August 1914. See next.
Wincenty Starosta was born 1918. He married Zofia Chmielewska and had four children, Maria, Grzegor, Andrzej and Edmund. Vincenty died in an accident in 1970. Sofia died in 1992.
Marian Edmund Starosta *** (1914 - 1970)
Marian was born 15 August 1914 in Oborniki (Germany at that time, but Poland from 1918).
He did two years national service (1934 to 1936) in the 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment. Six months of this was spent at NCO's School and he was promoted to Corporal 15 May 1936.
After this he trained to become a policeman and served in the Polish Police Force until the outbreak of World War II.
Following the invasion of Poland by German troops in September 1939 he was interned in Hungary?, but escaped by tunnelling and made his way with other Polish men to France.
In May 1940 he joined a Polish unit at Coëtquidan in Brittany. The Polish soldiers fought alongside British and French troops in an attempt to stem the advance of the Nazis through France,
but they were unsuccessful and were driven back to Dunkirk from where Marian was evacuated to England.
After the fall of France, Britain was on full alert and was preparing for the threat of invasion. By July 1940 remnants of the Polish Army were being assembled and reorganized in Scotland.
Marian joined the 1st Polish Rifle Brigade, part of the 1st Polish Armoured Division.
Their duties were building defences along the coast between Fife and Angus. Marian was stationed at Coatbridge and in Dundee, where he met his wife to be.
In January 1941 he was assigned to the Officer Cadet School in Dundee as a car driver.
Margaret, known as Peg, was born 11th July 1915 at 18 Craigie Street, Dundee. She was educated at Glebelands Primary School and Stobswell Girls Junior Secondary School.
She also lived at 10 Craigie Street and worked as a shop-assistant for a short time, before training as a weaver in a jute mill. She also taught ballroom dancing.
On 21 February 1940 she married Fred Pattison Dorward, gunner in the Royal Navy, who died six weeks later on HMS Hunter in the second battle of Norvik.
Fred was the son of David Dorward, dock labourer, and Mary Pattison. Peg then worked as a cinema usherette in the King's cinema in Dundee where she met Marian.
They were married 26 December 1942 and their first child was born the following November. In October 1943 Marian joined the 9th Rifle Battalion.
As part of the preparations for the Normandy landings, the division was moved to the Borders in the spring of 1944 for intensive training. Marian was allowed to take his wife and baby with him to Galashiels.
In July 1944, after further training in East Anglia, the 1st Polish Armoured Division transferred to Normandy.
From August 1944 until the end of the war in May 1945 he was involved in front-line action in the campaign to drive the Nazis back through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
After the war Marian was in Germany until late 1946, being promoted to sergeant in April that year. On 3 December 1946 he was posted to the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division in the UK as a translator.
He is recorded as having a good knowledge of spoken and written English and German as well as some Russian. He returned to Dundee, and also had a short stay in Auchtermuchty (again with his family).
He left the army in February 1948 having spent the last three months as a reserve corporal. His medals were the France-Germany Star, the Defence Medal (Dunkerque), the War medal 1939-45 and the Army Medal.
Marian worked as a process worker for SAI and ICI in Monifieth and Carnoustie, as a driver for the Gas Board and later did maintenance work, cleaning and occasional driving of buses for Dundee Corporation.
He acquired British nationality by naturalisation 12 March 1949. Peg again worked as a shop-assistant.
Marian visited his family in Poland three times after the war, once with a Polish friend and twice with his own family.
They lived at 10 Craigie Street, 12 Raglan Street and 4 Ballantrae Road. Marian's work with the buses involved permanent night-shift, and it was at work that he died of a heart-attack 17 May 1970, aged 55, just a few months before the birth of his first grandchild.
Peg moved to a small flat at 36 Fettercairn Drive (1976) and later to sheltered accommodation at 91 Forthill Drive (1984).
She once more visited Marian's relations in Poland, and made several trips to Germany to visit her daughter and husband. She died of lung cancer 14 February 1995 at her daughter's house.
Marian and Peg had two children, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
