Sławomir Rawicz facts for kids

Sławomir Rawicz (born September 1, 1915 – died April 5, 2004) was a Polish Army officer. He was captured by the NKVD (Soviet secret police) after the invasion of Poland in 1939.

Rawicz became well-known because of a book called The Long Walk. In this book, he claimed that he and six other people escaped from a Soviet prison camp in Siberia in 1941. They supposedly walked a very long distance, about 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles). Their incredible journey took them through the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and the Himalayas. They said they finally reached British India in the winter of 1942.

However, in 2006, the BBC reported something different. They found old Soviet records, including statements from Rawicz himself. These records showed that Rawicz was actually set free in 1942. This was part of a general pardon for Poles in the USSR. He was then taken across the Caspian Sea to a refugee camp in Iran. This report suggested that his famous escape to India never happened.

In 2009, another Polish World War II veteran, Witold Gliński, said that The Long Walk story was true. But he claimed it was his own adventure, not Rawicz's. Many people have questioned Gliński's claims too.

Early Life and Army Service

Sławomir Rawicz was born on September 1, 1915, in Pinsk. His father owned land. Sławomir went to private schools and began studying architecture in 1932. In 1937, he joined the Polish Army Reserve. He also went to a school to become an officer. In July 1939, he married his first wife, Vera. She disappeared during World War II.

Rawicz said that after Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union defeated Poland, he went home. The NKVD arrested him on November 19, 1939. He was taken to Minsk, then to Kharkiv for questioning. After that, he went to the Lubyanka prison in Moscow. There, he had an unfair trial. He was forced to say he was a spy, but he didn't at first. He was sentenced to 25 years of hard work in a Siberian prison camp. This was supposedly for spying, just like thousands of others. Later, researchers found documents that suggested Rawicz might have been accused of killing a Soviet NKVD officer.

The Long Walk: Escape and Journey

According to the book, Rawicz and many others were sent to Irkutsk. From there, they had to walk to Gulag Camp 303. This camp was about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. In the camp, Rawicz had to build barracks for prisoners. He also made skis for the Soviet army and fixed the camp leader's radio.

In The Long Walk, Rawicz describes how he and six friends escaped. They left the camp during a big blizzard in 1941. They walked south, staying away from towns. The group included three Polish soldiers, a Latvian landowner, and a Lithuanian architect. An American engineer named "Mr. Smith" was also with them. Later, a 17-year-old Polish girl named Kristina joined them.

They traveled from Siberia all the way to India. They crossed the huge Gobi Desert and the tall Himalayas. Four people from the group died during the journey. Two died in the Gobi Desert, and two died in the Himalayas. The book also mentions seeing two creatures that looked like yeti in the Himalayas.

The book says that four survivors reached British India in March 1942. They found a Gurkha patrol. They were taken to a hospital in Calcutta. At the end of the book, Mr. Smith asked Rawicz what he would do next. Rawicz said he would join the Polish army again. After leaving the hospital, the survivors went their separate ways. Some were still very sick from the hard journey.

Life After Imprisonment

Rawicz claimed that he moved from India to Iraq. Then, he said he went back into the Soviet Union in June 1942. He rejoined the Polish Army on July 24, 1942, in Kermini. He then returned to Iraq with Polish troops. After that, he went to Palestine. There, he spent time getting better in a hospital. He also taught at a military school. He said that General Władysław Anders suggested he go to Britain. This was for training as a pilot for the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain.

Historical Records and Facts

Soviet records confirm that Rawicz was a Polish soldier held prisoner in the USSR. However, these records have different details than The Long Walk. They differ on why he was arrested and where exactly he was held. Polish Army records show that Rawicz left the USSR directly for Iran in 1942. This does not match the story in the book. His arrival in Palestine is confirmed by records, except for details about his health. The story of the escape to India comes only from Rawicz himself.

Captain Rupert Mayne was an intelligence officer in Calcutta. His son said that in 1942, his father interviewed three very thin men. These men claimed they had escaped from a Siberian Gulag camp. Mayne did not give more details. He did not say Rawicz was one of the men. Even after a lot of research, no strong proof has been found to confirm the story.

Postwar Life

After the war, Sławomir Rawicz settled in Sandiacre, Derbyshire, England. He worked at the Nottingham Design Centre. In 1947, he married Marjorie Gregory. They had five children. In the early 1970s, he became a technician at Nottingham Trent University. He worked in the Architectural Ceramics course. A heart attack made him retire early in 1975. He lived a quiet life with his family. He gave public talks and answered letters from fans. He died on April 5, 2004, at the age of 88.

After the newspaper The Observer reviewed The Long Walk, they published a short article. It was called "Long Walker." This was to answer readers' questions about Rawicz's life after the war. The article included facts about his life up to 1956. It also said: "About his real name he preserves secrecy."

About The Long Walk Book

The book The Long Walk was written by Ronald Downing. He wrote it based on his talks with Rawicz. The book was released in the UK in 1956. It has sold over half a million copies around the world. It has also been translated into 25 languages. A special edition for schools by Longmans and Green in 1960 helped make the book very popular. This school edition stopped being printed in the late 1980s.

The film The Way Back, released in 2010, was inspired by this story. It was directed by Peter Weir.

Over the years, many people have doubted if the book's story is true. These critics include Peter Fleming (who was Ian Fleming's brother), Eric Shipton, and Hugh E. Richardson.

Other Stories and Research

Several people have looked into whether the story of The Long Walk is true. Here are some examples:

• Witold Gliński, a Polish war survivor, claimed that he was the one who did "the long walk." Reader's Digest published his story in 2009.
• Leszek Gliniecki, another Polish war survivor, says he has many documents. These documents show that Gliński could not have been part of the Long Walk.
• Linda Willis spent ten years researching most parts of the story. She didn't reach a final conclusion. But she did clear up some details.

Leszek Gliniecki has copies of official documents. These documents state that Witold Gliński was born in 1926. He was sent away to a special settlement in Russia from February 24, 1940, to September 2, 1941. This information means Witold Gliński could not have been part of the Long Walk. Archives of the Polish Army and his death certificate also confirm his birth year.