Irena Anders

Who was Irena Anders?

Irena Anders was a Polish stage actress and singer. During WWII she worked in the troupe of Henryk Wars and later in the "Polish Parade" band, giving performances for the Polish Armed Forces in the West. She was one of the first singers to sing the Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino.

Born as Iryna Jarosiewicz into a Polish-Rusyn family in Bruntál, she used the stage name Renata Bogdańska. After World War II, she remained in the United Kingdom. In 1948, she married General Władysław Anders. She starred in several movies. In 2003, a documentary film was made about her. On 12 May 2007, the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski awarded Anders the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, "for outstanding contribution to the independence of the Polish Republic, for Polish community and social activities" .

She died, aged 90 from a heart attack on 29 November 2010, in London.