Willie Glaser at Passover Dinner

This photograph was taken in 1942 in Dundee, Scotland. It depicts Polish soldiers, accompanied by women and other civilians, at a dinner for Passover, an important Jewish holiday. Willie Glaser is in front of the standing group on the far right of the picture, wearing glasses.

Willie Glaser, Polish Soldier in Scotland

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This photograph depicts Polish soldiers, accompanied by women and other civilians, at a dinner for Passover, an important Jewish holiday. Willie Glaser is in front of the standing group on the far right of the picture, wearing glasses.

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Polish soldiers in Scotland during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration. Willie Glaser is standing in the third row wearing glasses.

Willie Glaser, Polish Soldier in Scotland

Willie Glaser was born in Germany to Polish Jewish parents. In 1939, he went to Ireland to reunite with his sister, who had escape throught the Kindertransport and was living with a Jewish family in Belfast. In 1941, 20-year-old Willie joined the 1^st division of the Polish army stationed in Dundee, Scotland. The division was sent to Normandy with the Canadian army in 1944. Willie Glaser participated in the liberation of France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Willie’s parents, his brother and two sisters were killed during the Holocaust. After the war, the Canadian government provided working visas to Polish veterans. Willie took the opportunity and immigrated to Canada.

Willie Glaser donated this photograph to the Montreal Holocaust Museum in 2010.

This project is part of the implementation of the Plan culturel numérique du Québec.