18 Nov 2006

It is with some sadness that I must tell you that we have yesterday learned that Barbara died in California while on a visit there for her sister's funeral, and that Barbara's funeral will take place at the London Oratory Polish church on 22 November 2006, followed by a cremation at the Putney Crematorium.

We were searching for any information about Barbara Rawicz-Nowicka.
Our knowledge is limited:
She was a young Polish prisoner of was was held in Stalag 4B with a New Zealand Airman Bill Smith.  Barbara wrote to Bill for companionship and to improve her English skills.  Bill Kept the letters and the small handkerchief that Barbara embroidered until his death about 10 years ago.  His family has since donated these to the Air Force Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

Barbara Rawicz- Nowicka was born 04 March 1927
Father's name Karol
Mothers maiden name Kozlowska she was a doctor
Barbara was transferred from Stalag 4b to Oberlangen camp
It seems she may have survived the camp and left a message that she was going to Z. Nowicka, Arnstadt, Thuringen, Simens Germany.  Her mother or sister may have been a prisoner at Arnstadt camp.

Barbara fought in the Warsaw uprising. In fact she writes about how hard it was, no food, no weapons.   Her first letter was dated 5^th November 1944 at stalag 4b (where she wrote to the New Zealand airman also a POW in Stalag 4b).  Her last letter was sent from Altenburg on the 24^th of November 1944, where she smuggled the letter to Stalag 4B with some French POWs being sent to Stalag 4B.  We assume that from Altenburg she was transferred to Oberlangden camp. 
She was registered in the Oberlangen Camp for all of the spring and part of the summer of 1945 until the end of the war.
 
She had a number on each of her letters #106.563, and Barracks Number: I PLUTONV KOMPANIA BARAK IV. In her letters she talks about having been at a public school for 6 years and afterwards Gymnazjumn.  She wrote that she had a mother, sister and brother but no names were mentioned.  She also wrote about a summer holiday in 1942 in the country, staying on a farm.

We would dearly like to find out what happened to Barbara.

Do you recognize any of this?

Can you guide us in any way?

If you have no information, do you know of anyone else, anywhere, where we can ask?

Please e-mail me at searchandunite [AT] lewinsdlondon [DOT] org [DOT] uk