Do Broni

05/03/2026

We could not let the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire's first flight go by without celebrating what a huge role the aircraft and it's many subsequent types would have!

Beautiful, elegant, powerful and fearsome...but that's enough about us!
The Supermarine Spitfire wasn't bad either ;)

Happy birthday old girl! It is such an honour to regularly work with you and your sisters! ❤️

16/02/2026

We are devastated to learn of the passing of a great friend and mentor, Buzz Hope.

Buzz was one of the most dedicated historians I have ever met. His many many books on Bomber Command "and in the morning" series are a vital part of any good research library and I will cherish Buzz's words, so beautifully enclosed within those pages forever.

Buzz was an inspiration to many; a mentor; a walking encyclopedia; a legend of the living history scene; but most importantly, he was a good friend.
His words of advice and encouragement guided and heartened me whether baking in a hot field, or slipping and sliding in the mud of a washed out airfield somewhere in England.

A single Facebook post cannot do justice to the gentleman and scholar that Buzz was, but we as a group, and I personally wish him peace after his long battle with cancer. Our thoughts are with Buzz's friends and family this evening as we raise a glass in his memory.

Per Ardua ad Astra 🌠
Blue skies my friend...🥲

10/02/2026

***Non-reenacting post***

Today marks the 86th anniversary of the first mass deportation of Poles to Siberia at the hands of the Soviets.

My own family was torn apart, just like almost 2 million other people who suffered a similar experience.

This is an element of wartime history which is almost NEVER covered in popular media, and rarely even makes a footnote amongst some of those who are professional historians.

Through luck, hard work, luck, a hardy upbringing, and more luck, my grandfather Tadeusz survived the freezing winters of Novosibirsk, before making the long trek to freedom by way of Russia to India via (modern day) Iran.
I have never known a stronger man than my grandfather, and as a non-english speaking "Alien" from the east, his life wasn't easy upon settling in the UK. He did manage to raise a family with my Grandma Eileen, culminating in 7 sons, and lord knows how many grandchildren at this point!

Similarly through luck and the positive power of social media, I was contacted regarding what turned out to be my Grandfather's cousins who also suffered at the hands of the Soviets.
The attached photo shows Stanisław Józefczyk in his PAF uniform (somewhere in Italy we believe) during his time as groundcrew for 318 (Polish) Squadron-he was a lorry driver for the most part!
The other, far more harrowing photo shows Stan's younger sister Władisława Józefczyk upon arrival in one of the "orphanage" camps in Kazakhstan. She would go on to regain her health and trained in the Polish Army Cadet Corps in Palestine, with the war ending before she was old enough to serve in theatre as such.

I am yet to see a great outpouring of national remembrance anywhere in the west, and this simply reflects the post-war geopolitical complexity that surrounded the loss of Polish lands to the USSR. Commemorations of these deportations tend to be small, private affairs, but my hope is that mine, and so many other family stories become recognised as part of the broad tapestry of human experience of the Second World War.

If you bothered to read this far, thank you as you are already helping to turn the tide...

31/12/2025

"What do you mean 2025 is over?!" :O 😅
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Thank you to everyone who has supported us this season as we launched into a multi-faceted and complex project to portray elements of Polish Second World War experiences through living history.
This project only continues to grow as 2026 dawns on us and we already have a number of events lined up for the upcoming season so stay tuned for details!

We want to thank in particular those groups, events and organisations that have been invaluable in letting us display, pestered them with questions, or assisted in academic research-if we have missed anyone off this list, blame FB! 😅
- Piechota, Poland 1939 Reenactment Group
- Leek Polish Connection
- The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
- Leek Town Council
- Muzeum Armii Krajowej im. gen. Emila Fieldorfa "Nila" w Krakowie
- RAF Harpur Hill-LHG & WAAFs on Tour
- '44
- Polish Heritage Flight
- Papplewick Pumping Station
- Avoncroft Museum

A great thanks to all those who have also snapped shots of us this season including Daz's Photography (featured here), WARTOG, SW Photography and PaddyPicsPhotography amongst many more! We very much appreciate your efforts and help in capturing what we do.

We look forward to the new season as 2026 looms, and planning is well underway with events already in the calendar and more requests flowing in!

We wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! 😁🇵🇱🎊🍾🍻

24/12/2025

Wesołych Świąt to all our friends and followers! 😁

We remember all those for whom Christmas was a special time of year where a little peace and solace was found amidst the hardships of war.
We hold all those still suffering today who may not have a joyful Christmas due to ongoing conflicts globally in our hearts, and continue our mission to inform the public today so that we can learn and empathise with those still going through it.

Otherwise we look forward to seeing folks in the new year with all new and exciting displays ready to go!
Merry Christmas all! 😁🇵🇱🎄🎁❤️

21/12/2025

As we approach Christmas, it is always a time to reflect on what we have and cherish-be that friends and family, health and happiness, or even something as simple as a basic meal that sustains us for another day. This video by the fantastic Eats History shows a good day's eating in a Soviet gulag. My own family were held prisoner after the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, eventually being transported to Novosibirsk in deepeat Russia. This sort of meal would have been very similar to what they recieved as prisoners of that authoritarian and hateful regime. We are thankful every day that those ancestors lived, and that we have been able to learn from there suffering so that we might better value the little things in life today...

Eating Like a Soviet Gulag Prisoner for a Day (Educational Only)

Most historical recipes I recreate are delicious or at least interesting.
This one was neither.
This one was a lesson.

Today I ate a full day of actual Soviet gulag rations based on NKVD records and testimonies from The Gulag Archipelago. Prisoners survived on about 1200 calories a day while performing brutal forced labor in freezing temperatures. Their meals were not food. They were a method of control.

Breakfast: thin barley porridge, stale bread, hot water
Lunch: scrap bone broth with potato peels and cabbage scraps
Dinner: the same broth with a handful of barley, a small piece of bread, and one tablespoon of sugar

Millions passed through Stalin’s gulags, and for many, this was all they ate.
It was enough to keep a person alive, but not enough to let them live.

I made this video as a tribute to those who endured unimaginable suffering and as a reminder to be grateful during this season of abundance. Out of respect, I will not be rating this meal.

If you want to learn the history behind each dish, here is the full write up and recipe reconstruction:

👉 https://eatshistory.com/the-diet-of-the-gulag-eating-like-a-soviet-gulag-prisoner-for-a-day/

29/11/2025

Wow wow wow! :O 😍

15/11/2025

Another photo of our two infantrymen doing a spot of sightseeing in an affluent area between training manoeuvres, 1939.
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As the reenactment season draws to a close and with winter starting to take hold, we look back to some of the events of 2025 with much fondness.

We drive forward into 2026 with event planning in full swing, and impression improvement and adaptation underway as the work never ceases!

Thank you to all event organisers and fellow groups we have worked with-we look forward to doing it all again before too long!

11/11/2025

Today we remember all those who gave their lives in the fight against tyranny.

Poles mark this day as bittersweet as we also celebrate the rebirth of the Polish state following 123 years of repression under the heels of Prussia, Russia and Austria-Hungary.

We remember also our families-torn apart and spread across the globe by conflict.

We remember their struggles in a world where displaced people were (and still are) treated so poorly.

We remember the contributions to the communities they joined and helped to shape following the Second World War especially, and reflect on how immigrant communities have moulded their environments for the better subsequently.

We remember the ultimate sacrifices given by the dead, but also those left behind by war; often scarred physically and mentally, we should fight to create a world where such traumas are no longer a part of our modern global society.

We remember them all...

31/10/2025

Happy Halloween ;) We've got our costumes sorted for spooky season! 😅
Do any of you have 40s themed Halloween projects or costumes this year? 🎃🔪🍬🍭

21/10/2025

Two Polish Infantrymen marvel at the scale of modern machinery and architecture whilst in a break from pre-war training.
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Taken at Papplewick Pumping Station whilst admiring the sterling work done by their team of volunteers to keep UK industrial heritage alive and steaming! 😁
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Happy to credit photographer if known, but this was sent to us by a friend 😅
🇵🇱❤️

19/10/2025

It was an epic time at Papplewick Pumping Station this weekend alongside Piechota, Poland 1939 Reenactment Group! 😁

Saturday was incredibly busy with record numbers of visitors coming through the site and many great conversations were had!

Sunday was quieter, but those who braved the weather had the chance to chat all things September Campaign and see how effective the winter uniform is against the cold.

Thanks for having us and we are already looking forward to the next one! 😁🇵🇱❤️

*****
Photo by Papplewick Pumping Station.