TWO sisters have launched an appeal for information about a Polish war hero who died in the town.
They are hoping to find our more about Barbara Gorsicka, who was part of the Polish Resistance during the Second World War.
Along with her father Fraciszek Przytula and sister Marina, Barbara was involved in the famous Warsaw Uprising, a failed attempt to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany in 1944.
But the family were separated and, when the conflicted ended, scattered across the globe: Francesk to Brazil, Marina to America and Barbara to Manchester.
Barbara died in Macclesfield in 1992, aged 64.
Now Marina's daughters, Alexandra Viets and Kasha Viets-Wood, from America, are trying to trace information about their aunt.
Alexandra, who found out about her aunt while researching her family history, said: "Until I began my research we did not know of Barbara's existence. I came across her details in an archive in London called the Polish Underground Movement State Trust.
"The information I have about Barbara is scant but I have traced her to Macclesfield where she died.
"As you can imagine, we are very anxious to find any information about Barbara as this is one of the missing links for us."Barbara was born in Kalish, Poland, on September 2, 1928, to Fraciszek and Eugenia Przytula.
She was the middle child with a younger brother, Zbiegniew, and an older sister Marina.
During the war Eugenia and Zbiegniew were killed. Barbara fought in the Warsaw Uprising with the code name ADA.
She was help captive in several transit camps until the end of the war when she emigrated to London. She moved north under her married name Groscika.
Fraciszek fought against the Germans until he was captured and imprisoned in occupied France for two years.
He escaped to London and enlisted with the Polish forces under British command. After the war he emigrated to Brazil.Marina was a courier, nurse and officer in the Resistance and was decorated with the Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest award for courage. She eventually settled in America and died in 1989.
Kasha, who is helping with the research, said she is mystified as to why there was no contact between the sisters.
She said: "My mother never spoke of her family. She told us they were all dead, so we didn't know anything until a couple of years ago, when my sister started her research and started to connect the dots.
"I believe that both my mum and sister were Polish war heroes. After the war the family all got separated, and I don't even know if my mum knew her sister even survived the war before she died.
"It saddens me very much to think that she had been alive all of this time and we never knew she even existed."
If you can help the sisters call reporter Stuart Greer on 0161 2112061 or email them directly on alexandraviets@earthlink.net .
