The Background

Nicola Ogrizovic, more commonly known as Nick, grew up on a small farm holding in the village of Brlog in Yugoslavia. He enjoyed a humble, but safe childhood living with his Mother, Father and 2 sisters, until the outbreak of World War 2 and a passage of history which would change him and his family’s lives forever. Firstly, as war broke out across Europe, his village came under siege from Nazi soldiers; Nick’s father fought bravely and was part of the local resistance which tried valiantly to keep the enemies at bay. In a fire fight, a Nazi soldier was killed and as a result the Nazi soldiers marched into the small Yugoslav town the following day and shot Nick’s father dead in a vengeance killing.

Nick was forced to flea the area for his own safety and did so under gunfire, helping injured comrades along the way. He escaped unscathed; his rain jacket less so, was littered with bullet holes. Nick was just 14 years old.

What then started was a 5 year journey which saw Nick crossing borders, living in forests, fighting the allied cause before being captured and imprisoned in a POW camp in Italy. He saw out the war there until being given the chance to come and work in the UK.

Nick went on to live a wonderful life in the UK, married to Maureen (for 60 years!), taking British citizenship and having 3 children, including  Coventry City legend and FA Cup winner Steve, and 7 grandchildren. He sadly passed away in August 2014, with his family around him, having suffered from Alzheimer’s for some time.

The mission

Sadly, Nick never returned to Yugoslavia. The political instability throughout the 80’s and 90’s and subsequent ethnic cleansing of the area meant he lost contact with his Mother and Sisters. He never knew what happened to them.

Now, 70 years on from initially leaving, his Grandsons, Sam and Chris, plan to retrace his steps, starting at the family home in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire and finishing by planting a tree in his native Brlog, now Croatia. The journey is approximately 1500 miles and they plan to achieve it with nothing but £20 in their pocket, the modern day equivalent of what he would have had back in 1940.

The trek, aptly named ‘Papa's Journey’, will raise awareness of Alzheimer’s as well as a significant amount of money for the cause; but more importantly for the Ogrizovic family, it will be a way to remember a great man who’s journey and stories will remain in the family for generations to come.