Bronia Siebert

Memories from Bronia Siebert (now 90)

Notes by Barbara Fryc with additions from Lilian Buczak - 2019

Bronia’s family came from Niesmiany in Poland near the border with Germany before the war. Her parents had a farm and also worked in the forests.

In 1939 they were transported to the Urals and worked in the mines. After the amnesty they travelled to Russia, Uzbekistan, then via the Black Sea to Persia (Iran), then to India and Africa - Kilugala in Tanganyika

When they arrived in England in 1948 they were allocated to Marsworth. Bronia was 18 years old when she arrived. Her family lived in a Nissen hut on Site 8. They had a small garden where they grew beetroots and flowers.

Bronia was taught Polish at the Polish School at Marsworth and someone came to the school to teach young adults English but he wasn't very good so she went to college in Luton to learn English so she could work.

She became a seamstress and worked at a hat factory; later she was sewing suits, jackets and coats in Luton She would travel by bus to get to work.

She met her husband Klemens Siebert (an ex-soldier from Letchworth) while selling tickets at a dance at Marsworth. They were married in 1954 in Aylesbury and the reception was held in their barracks at the hostel. She remembers they had sardine sandwiches for the meal. In 1956 (1961?) they moved to Luton and lived together with her parents until they saved enough to buy their own home. They then moved to Dunstable.

Her husband died a while ago, due to ill health Bronia had to go into a nursing home.