Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych) – Pre-WW2 Types

[andrzejku98]

Hello Igor,

Yes the Names of Foreign Recipients with Numbers for their KW were published in the Army Daily Orders, "Dziennik Personalny" by the Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowych (Personal Journal of the Ministry of Military Affairs).

Best wishes

Andrzej

[Igor Ostapenko]

Thank you, Andrzej ! ��

[Krakow1]

Going back through the Krogules book I found this. "Forgotten awards, or the awards prior to Cross of Valor. And only ones that got converted later to the actual Cross are mentioned. There were : 474 awards on 5th march 1920.

All together there were 996 confirmed.

About 1/4 of these awards qualified for Virtuti Militari.

Almost 2 years later, so in 1922 , these awards were converted to a Cross Of Valor.

This is rarer than any Cross Certificate.

Attachment 1319933

[Krakow1]

One for General (Captain at the time) Bernard Mond. Click on picture to enlarge it.

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

The lowest Numbered KW with Legit, that I was able to find was awarded to Por. Felicjan Sterba 40pp Numbered 467.



Photograph of Felicjan Sterba as a Kapitan in the 40pp wearing the KW and Bar.



Legitymacja for the KW numbered 467





KW with Bar reverse Numbered 467



2nd Award of the KW Legit showing both Numbers 467 and 2nd Award Numbered 32366

In 1920 he was part of the proposed team for the Olympics, but because of the war with the soviets, Poland did not send a team.



Awards and Badges awarded to Felicjan Sterba



The Lwów Eaglets Dyplom Numbered 6271

in 1926 he decided that his career in the Polish Armed Forces needed to move in a different direction for him so he joined the Air Force.



Major Obs. Felicjan Sterba KW x 2, ZKZ, SKZ. etc whilst serving in the 4th Air Regiment.



During WW2 he made his way to France and onto England where he served as a Pplk. dypl. obs. receiving the ML (Air Force Medal and Bar).

After the end of the war he joined the Polish Resettlement Corps and died on the 30th July 1948 in Aldershot were he was buried.



Grave of Pplk. Dypl. Felicjan Sterba in Aldershot.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

I came across the following whilst surfing the other day and thought that I would share it with you all.



KW Dyplom to Italian Colonel Tonnini KW Numbered 42286 with 2 bars.

Approved by General Sosnkowski

Best wishes

Andrzej

[Wisnia]

Hello Everyone

Names of Foreign Recipients with Numbers for their KW were published in the Army Daily Orders, "Dziennik Personalny" by the Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowych (Personal Journal of the Ministry of Military Affairs).
Unfortunately, most of the numbers are not there.
I found the KW numbers awarded to officers of the French and Estonian armies.
The entry in the journal looks like the name, surname, military unit, how many times it was awarded.














Leg KW number 50310 was awarded to szeregowy ŚWIETLICKI Henryk KWx3




Leg KW number 53868 was awarded to sierżant WŁODARCZYK Jakób,unit 2 pp Legionów.




KW awarded to officers of the French army:







KW awarded to officers of the Estonian army:



KW awarded to officers of the Polish army.KW number 34374 and 34312.The rest without numbers:





Best wishes

Artur

[kosa]

2nd lieutenant Zakrzewski Jan was father of Anna Bożena Zakrzewska (1925-1944) aka Hanka Biała, a liaison officer and a nurse in the Zośka baon. She was killed in action in Warsaw Uprising on the 11th of August 1944. She was awarded the Cross of Valour posthumously. Jan Zakrzewski was hot air balloon champion in 1925.

Best,
Kosa

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Thanks again for your post Wisnia . It appears that I am able to fill in the missing cross number awarded to Estonian Lieutenant Colonel Jaan Junkur: 51316







Regards,
Tony

[kosa]

2nd lieutenant Zakrzewski Jan was father of Anna Bożena Zakrzewska (1925-1944) aka Hanka Biała, a liaison officer and a nurse in the Zośka baon. She was killed in action in Warsaw Uprising on the 11th of August 1944. She was awarded the Cross of Valour posthumously. Jan Zakrzewski was hot air balloon champion in 1925.

Best,
Kosa

2nd lieutenant Jan Zakrzewski and Anna. Photo taken in Warsaw in September 1938 upon return of the Polish gas balloon team from the Gordon Bennett Cup.
*The woman next to him is his wife Irena. Irena died in 1985 and Jan died in 1991. Both are buried in the Wolski Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland.

Best,
Kosa