To the editor:

I was glad to see a mention of the surrender of Warsaw, Poland, on Sept. 27, 1939 (Historical Highlight, Journal-World, Sept. 27). As I have, however, pointed out in past letters to the editor, this text is incorrect in stating Warsaw surrendered “to the invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.” Warsaw could not surrender to Soviet forces because they did not reach the city. I would suggest replacing this text with the following:

On Sept. 27, 1939, the Polish capital, Warsaw, surrendered to the Germans after three weeks’ bombardment from land and air. In the meanwhile, as Polish armies battled the Nazi war machine without the aid of Poland’s allies, France and Britain, the Polish government and high command retreated east, then southeast to the Polish-Romanian frontier.

When Soviet forces invaded eastern Poland on Sept. 17, the Polish authorities crossed into Romania intending to proceed to France, but were interned by the Romanian government. A new Polish government was established in France on Sept. 30, and a new Polish army was raised there and fought the Germans in France in May-June 1940. As France fell, the Polish government and part of the army managed to evacuate to the British Isles, where Polish pilots helped win the Battle of Britain. Polish armed forces continued to fight Germany on land, sea and air until the end of the war in May 1945, while the Underground Army fought them at home.

Anna M. Cienciala,

Lawrence