Poles in Britain
Polish Britain.
Records of a community in exile.
After 1939 tens of thousands of Poles made Britain their home: soldiers, airmen and sailors, their families from the camps, and workers recruited from post-war Europe. These guides show where their records are and how to use them.
01 / Arrival & settlement
How families came to Britain.
Resettlement camps, hostels and labour schemes left registers, files and photographs.
02 / Becoming British
Names, papers and nationality.
Naturalisation files and name changes connect the British family with its Polish origins.
03 / Service & remembrance
The Polish forces in Britain.
Archives, memorials and graves that record the men and women who served.
04 / Community history
Polish life in Britain.
Background to the Polish community, from the war years to today.
Research in Poland
Want to know where the family came from?
We trace Polish soldiers, their families and their home towns in Polish and British archives and explain what we find in English.