A POLISH doctor who moved to Wales 50 years ago has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Dr ‘Papa’ Boladz of, Ystradgynlais, celebrated the landmark occasion on December 21 and was presented with a gift from Cllr David Price, chairman of Powys Council.
Born in Poland in 1909, Dr Boladz was educated in Warsaw at the Military Academy when he qualified as a doctor.
When war broke out, he was sent to the Eastern Front to fight against the Russians.
He was captured but, while en route to Katyn, managed to escape.
After the fall of Poland, he became a leading member of the Polish Resistance movement and was awarded the Military Cross of Merit for his bravery.
Dr Boladz spent the following years trying to avoid official attention but was eventually arrested by the Gestapo and incarcerated in three different concentration camps.
He was liberated by American forces in May 1945 and reunited with his family, joining Polish Forces in Italy under the command of General Anders.
Dr Boladz came to Wales with his family in 1949 and settled in Colbren, working as a GP. In 1951, the family moved to Ystradgynlais, where he continued to work as a GP for 40 years before retiring at the age of 78.
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