- Author
- William F. Cook, MVO, Captain, RAN (Rtd)
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, History - WW2
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- December 1995 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
They covered the landings of allied soldiers and gave fire support to their own countrymen of the Independent Polish Rifle Brigade. “BURZA” operated in the fjords of SKAALAND, GRATANGEN and HERJANG and patrolled the areas to the north east of NARVIK. For a small navy, the Polish losses at NARVIK were heavy; the submarine “ORZEL”, destroyer “GROM” and transport “CHROBRY” being sunk.
On May 24, 1940 “BURZA” was sent with some R.N. destroyers to operate off the French coast, harassing the German advance. She then took part in the evacuation of allied personnel from the Calais area. On one occasion, she and two R.N. ships were subjected to a particularly heavy attack by 27 Messerschmits. HMS “WESSEX” was sunk, HMS “VIMIERA” put out of action and a hit by two bombs blew off “BURZA’s” bow beneath the waterline. She was not immobilised, but had to proceed astern in order not to breach her watertight bulkheads. She reached Dover in this fashion. A cursory look at the ship made the local Admiral suspicious of Franki’s signal that he had suffered heavy damage. He came on board determined to see for himself. Franki took him forward and showed him where the ship’s forefoot had been! The Admiral apologised for doubting the Captain and sent the ship to Cowes for repairs.
Franki was then appointed in command of “BLYSKAWICA”. She had been built in COWES to a Polish design and differed from R.N. destroyers particularly in the matter of speed. She was designed for 39/40 knots and even after the war she reached 40½ knots.
In this ship, he served for two years taking part in numerous convoy actions in the North Atlantic and screening the battle fleet. In one encounter with German bombers near misses dislodged boiler brick work and the stokers steamed the ship back to harbour in intense heat. Commander Franki went ashore in 1942 to command the Naval Reservechool (Polish) at Devonport. This was an officers’ training school. Successful candidates had to have the equivalent of the H.S.C. and have at least 8 months sea experience. The course lasted from 6-8 months and they graduated as Sub-Lieutenants in the reserve. Franki also served for a period on the staff of C-in-C. Western approaches and, for relaxation (?), took “joy rides” on operational flights with Bomber Command and Coastal Command!
He returned to command “BLYSKAWICA” for a short period in 1945/46. At the conclusion of hostilities he was placed in charge of a school for rehabilitation training of Polish Naval personnel preparing to leave the Navy. It was during this assignment that he heard of an offer of employment in New Zealand. He applied and was accepted and took passage with his family in the merchant ship “AKAROA”. As often happened in such cases the job turned out to be nothing like that as advertised; the promised accommodation was nonexistent and the family lived in a cellar while he worked as an unskilled labourer polishing machinery. However, his wife obtained part time work as a seamstress in a convent and while there she heard that the Convent required a lead gardener to look after a 27 acre garden. Although his only experience in gardening had been during school holidays with his grandfather, Franki was given the post, and with it, cottage accommodation. He stayed in the job for 18½ years and by good organisation and ingenuity he reduced the work force from 4 men to 1 and obviously had a very happy life in N.Z. where his three children had an excellent education.
After graduating from University his children settled in positions in Australia and London and he and his wife felt isolated in New Zealand. He was offered a berth as captain of a small ship trading in the Pacific out of Sydney, and they moved to Australia. Again he was let down, for on arrival he found the ship already had a captain! He was advised to seek help from the Sailor’s Guild and through that organisation he obtained, first, employment in Command of a small refrigerator ship bringing prawns from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Brisbane; then as 1st Officer in an oceanographic research ship operating in the Pacific from New Zealand. Franki’s next ship was a 24,000 ton vessel in the phosphate trade. On first meeting his Captain, they struggled to converse in English until each realised that the other was Polish! At short notice, and never having manoeuvred this ship, he had to take over command. In his last ship he had a Korean crew who had been trained by Japanese. His Bos’n couldn’t speak English, Polish or Korean so Franki gave him his instructions by writing them in English in block letters. The Bos’n then used an English/Korean dictionary and from it relayed the orders to the crew. The latter were very efficient, and the strange communication system worked! In 1980, when he was 77, Franki had advised the ship’s owners that he was 65. When he reached 80 in 1983 he decided it was time to “swallow the anchor”!