Meet the Family

Celebrating the baptism of Elżbieta Janda, Częstochowa, March 19, 1944.

The lady behind the cake is my great grandmother Helena Górska, just before her 90th birthday. Her daughter-in-law, my grandmother Władysława z domu Caban is just behind her to the left, and my grandfather Czesław Sejfried is 3rd from the left in the back.

Everyone appears pretty happy in this picture, despite the fact that they are well into the fifth year of the German occupation of Poland. Perhaps they feel that things are going to turn around soon.

That same day, 11 German divisions crossed the border from Austria to occupy Hungary, in a desperate move to ensure Hungary's continued support in the war.

The next day, March 2oth, in Italy, my other grandfather, Michał Woroniecki, would take part in a raid on the town of Alfadena with the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division of the Polish 2nd Corps.

The previous night, 846 aircraft of the RAF's Bomber Command, 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, and 17 Mosquitos, had flown a bombing mission over Frankfurt.

And just a few days earlier, on the Eastern Front, the Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front had broken through German defenses and reached the Bug river.

Outside, in the winter darkness, armies were massed for battle all over Europe. Yet for a few hours, in this room, a family celebrated, ate, drank, laughed, and perhaps forgot their cares and worries long enough to enjoy life just a little.