Due to his leadership role in Scouting, the Gestapo issued a warrant for Tomaszewski's immediate arrest, obliging him to escape into Soviet controlled Przemyśl by crossing the river San under cover of darkness.

Unknown to him, a similar warrant had been issued by the Soviet secret police, the NKVD, and he was captured and sentenced to 15 years hard labour in Siberia for "counter-revolutionary activity".

While in Egypt the situation at Gazala became so desperate that his signals course was suspended and by June 1942, he was, along with other members on his course, requisitioned ad hoc under British command, ferried by night to Tobruk and posted on the front line.

Tomaszewski, was in one of the first platoons to assault the strongpoint of Piedimonte San Germano in Sherman tanks on 20 May [2], at the time the most fortified position in Italy held by detachments of crack German paratroopers equipped with anti-tank emplacements.

Tomaszewski, posted to regimental HQ and in part owing to his previous signals training, regained control of the situation and continued to direct the armoured assault from the frontline until new command was established.

Although faced with difficult terrain, the lack of expected Indian infantry support and dogged German resistance they succeeded in breaching the Hitler Line and taking the town.

Tomaszewski was wounded by shrapnel at the Gothic line but returned to active duty within 2 months, he continued to serve in the 2nd Polish Corps until the end of the Italian Campaign in 1945.