Clun clue takes Marta's quest forward
A Polish woman's attempt to unlock the mysteries of the past from her grandfather's time in wartime Shropshire has now switched its focus to the Clun area in the south of the county.
Marta Hozewska has been trying to track down Margaret A. Davies, who was born in Wellington in 1947, as she has a hope, albeit a slim one, that Margaret if still alive might be able to shed light on what happened to precious memorabilia and photos which, if they still exist, would have priceless sentimental value to the family.
Marta's war hero grandfather, Sergeant Antoni Kaczmarz, was a regular visitor during the war to the home of the Preece family at 6 Nevil Road in Wellington. How the friendship was forged is a riddle, as nothing has so far emerged to suggest he was ever based in Shropshire.
And when he was killed in a mission in February 1945 while serving in a Polish squadron of the RAF, Antoni's effects were, at his wish, sent to Eva Preece – who as the married Mrs Eva Davies was to become Margaret's mother two years later.
Marta, who is from Wroclaw, Poland, thinks her grandfather's effects, which for obvious reasons could not be forwarded to family in Nazi-occupied Poland, might have included letters and photographs from his widow Maria.
She is clinging to the faint hope that they might have been passed down from Eva to Margaret, who would now be aged about 71.
She has visited Wellington tracing Antoni's footsteps, but drew a blank in terms of finding out more. However a story in the Shropshire Star featuring her quest has yielded a potential clue.
"So far I received two reactions to the article," said Marta.
"One from is a professional genealogist, Jeremy. His advised me to purchase Eva Davies's death certificate. Maybe this shows Margaret and her address? Jeremy wrote that Eva Davies died during 1977.
"A second person, Mike, wanted to help me. From information provided by him I understood that Margaret A. Davies married a Leslie J. Davies in December 1965 in Clun. In this case she did not change her name – incredible!
"So, step by step, maybe we are closer and closer to finding Margaret. We will see."
Anyone who can help Marta in her quest can contact her at marta.hozewska@gmail.com by email.
