Late in the Day

Poland's sizeable contribution to the British war effort in World War II has never been adequately recognized by Britain. Polish aid to Britain included the first breaking of the German "Enigma" code in 1932-33 by three Polish mathematicians (Marjan Rejewski, Henryk Zygalski and Jerzy Rozycki) which laid the basis for British intelligence efforts at Bletchley Park during the actual war, and the information supplied by Polish spies on several vital areas: Hitler's invasion of Russia, the VI and V2 rockets and other secret weapons, and the Nazi defences in France in advance of the D-Day landings. The thousands of Polish troops stationed in Britain during the war also contributed greatly to the British and Allied war effort.

In 1946 a Victory Parade was held in London, without Polish participation. Stalin had objected to a Polish presence at the ceremonies, and his wishes were obeyed by the British government, which was afraid of offending him.

This Sunday another parade will take place on the Mall, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, and a contingent of Polish war veterans will head it. In a report on the preparations for the parade, the Financial Times throws some light on interesting aspects of the new British attitude:

It's very good that it's happening. But it's a bit late in the day," says 95-year-old Witold Leitgeber, a former Polish army captain who, like many others, settled in Britain after the war.

Jan Zielonka, lecturer in European politics at Oxford University, says: "Historically, Polish contribution to the war has never been sufficiently acknowledged. Poland provided the fourth largest Allied army in the war yet they were excluded from marching in the celebration because Stalin wanted it so."

The invitation to the Polish veterans is the latest in a series of British gestures to respond to historical Polish grievances.

Tony Blair, the prime minister, has addressed these complaints as part of efforts to build relations with the European Union's new members, especially Poland.

The parade coincides with the start of the UK's presidency of the EU, but British and Polish officials insist that the invitation has nothing to do with the UK's current political challenges in Europe. "It's not about politics. It's about acknowledging the Poles' valuable contributions to the Allies' victory," said the Foreign Office.

Officials said the invitation was issued in April, after months of planning. The ground was laid two years ago when Mr Blair formally expressed regret to Poland for the 1946 parade snub.

However, putting right the historical record has improved bilateral ties in a broader sense.

Adam Rotfeld, Poland's foreign minister, told the Financial Times yesterday: "These issues are important in Poland because Poles have been deceived so often about their history (notably, under communism). This matters to our national identity."

(Hat tip: Marius)