Searching for Tadek Ziemba

[Conoroflynn]

Hello. Thanks for the add!
I am trying to find out about my Great Grandfather Tadek (possibly a nickname of Tadeusz?) Ziemba. My Gran and myself would have very little information on him and ss we do not have a death cert cannot get the information from the Gov.uk site. He would have been stationed around The Boarders, Scotland during the mid 40s. All we know is that he was from Krakow and said he drove one of the first Churchill tanks. I am guessing he was in the 1st Armored division who were stationed at Melrose? I am wondering if you have any info on this? Or any information or help on my Great Grandfather.
Thanks again!

[thewideeyedowl]

Good evening, and a very warm welcome to Brit Gen...

Well, this is an interesting enquiry, so I did a quick search and came upon a useful website that lists the locations of the different Polish army units in Scotland during WW2: https://www.polishforcesinbritain.info/Locations.htm. In particular, take note of Tables 2 and 3, which mention Melrose. You will see that it was the HQ of the 1st Armoured Division and then the Armoured Grenadier Division - no names mentioned, though.

Sorry that this is not much help but it might get you started on the right track.

Off to roost.

Owl

[katarzyna]

Do you know if your gt grandfather married here or had he married in Poland before the war?
Google " Scotlands People " to find the Statutory Records for Births, Deaths and Marriages - you won't find Scottish records on GRO.
I did a quick search and could not find a marriage or death for Tadeusz but did find a birth for a ZIEMBA TADEUSZ Male b 1948 ref 685/8 987 Leith - was this his son?
If you think it is then you could order the certificate through the site for £12.
Unlike England and Wales, a Scottish birth cert includes the date and place of the parents' marriage.

[Conoroflynn]

Cheers! Fantastic link!

[Conoroflynn]

Cheers! To my knowledge the regiment he possibly was in left for Normady in 1944. Im not sure if he came back or not.

[brentor boy]

The CWGC site has the death of a Major Juliusz A Ziemba, age 49, Polish Army, on 31 Dec 1944. Buried Corstorphine Hill Cemetery, Edinburgh.

P S Photo of his gravestone on-line

[katarzyna]

From your first post are we assuming that your gran is his daughter? If so it would be helpful to know where she was born and what year - not her name as she is still living but it would define an area of search.

Zięba is an alternative name for Ziemba and pronounced the same way. It would be written as Zieba in England.
Many Poles living here after the war did not apply for naturalisation until the 1950's or even 1960's.
I found this in The National Archives but as it does not give an age it's just a possible to look into.
Reference: HO 334/422/53900
Description:
Naturalisation Certificate: Tadeusz Zieba. From Poland. Resident in Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Certificate BNA53900 issued 13 April 1959.

[Lesley Robertson]

FreeBMD has a 1961 death registration for a Tadeusz S Zieba aged 43 in Salford. It might be worth getting the certificate.

They have other Ziebas and Zeimbas, but none with a likely forename.