On 28 October 2024 we honored the Polish pilots who confronted the Luftwaffe and Reggia Aeronautica over Africa in 1943, at the Tunisian Mareth Defensive Line Museum.
The unveiling of the plaque in Mareth and the “Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom” exhibition in Tunis recall the heroism of Polish soldiers and the strength of their determination in the fight against totalitarianism. A delegation from the Institute of National Remembrance and representatives of the Polish and Tunisian communities jointly commemorated Poles who fought over Africa during World War II.
Deputy President Karol Polejowski represented the IPN at the unveiling of a memorial plaque to F/Lt. Stanisław Skalski’s Polish Fighting Team, a group of top-notch aviators who volunteered for missions on the African Front, and proved as successful there as over Europe. To show how many more there were where these pilots came from, Mr. Polejowski also opened our "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" exhibit on the Museum grounds. It tells the stories of the Poles evacuated from the USSR in 1942 and their legendary exploits on WW2 fronts.
The IPN Deputy Head unveiled the IPN-funded plaque with the Polish Ambassador to Tunisia Justyna Porazińska, Governor of the Gabès province Radhouen Ncibi and General Samir Chemi of the Mareth Museum.
At the unveiling ceremony, Deputy President Polejowski said,
"Poles find Tunisia an attractive destination. Both our nations ought to get to know each other, learn about our respective cultures and traditions, and identify the moments in history when our paths crossed. Such a moment was Polish Fighting Team’s service in Africa, worthy of commemoration in a distinguished venue of the Mareth Defensive Line Museum, formerly central part of the fortifications that played a pivotal role in the Western Desert Campaign."
The opening of the "Trails Of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" exhibition in Tunisia.
The highlight of the IPN delegation's visit to Tunisia was yesterday’s opening of the “Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom” exhibition at the Polish Embassy in Tunis.
The event was attended by numerous diplomatic and military representatives. The ceremony was opened by Justyna Porazińska Poland Ambassador to Tunisia. The floor was then taken by Karol Polejowski, the IPN Deputy President who spoke about the exhibition underlining its unique character. It is our opportunity to recall the places of remembrance scattered throughout the world, from Asia via the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, to both the Americas.
The project will cover more than 50 countries around the world, located on six continents. We presented the exhibition in Argentina, South Africa, the United States, Mexico, Canada, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belgium and the Netherlands, among others. The exhibition was presented in 80 venues worldwide.
The pretext for telling Polish history in so many countries around the world is an exhibition consisting of two parts: a general one telling the odyssey of Poles during WW2 and a local one. This time the local one was mostly about the history of the Polish Fighting Team also known as Skalski’s Circus and the Polish airmen.
“The "trail of hope" of the Polish airmen during WW2 was woven with many threads that repeatedly crossed the African continent. Through Algeria and Morocco, Polish airmen fighting in France in June and July 1940 reached Britain,” said Karol Polejowski. “Many airmen navigated through life's wilderness with the unrelenting hope of reaching Poland, many never fulfilled it. Today we can pay tribute to them”, he added.
