The Katyn Forest Massacre

[3mk]

Hi guys

Interesting thread, learned a bit from it! Here are 2 examples of Serbian propaganda posters I found online.

(A Serb watches over from Ravna Gora)
KATYN
12,000 Executed Polish Officers
DEATH: "POOR THEM, EVEN I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM!"


KATYN = RAVNA GORA
12,000

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

I just thought that you might like to see some photographs of Polish Officers who were killed by the Russians at Katyn, Charkow and Miednoje, I have also used the Rocznik Oficerski (Officers Yearbooks) for 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932 to plot their service and hope that you will find it interesting:

Attachment 406417


Kapitan. piechoty (Infantry) Juliusz Eugeniusz Niemczewski, Born in Oslawach Bialych on the 10th October 1897, awarded the KW (Cross of Valour) during the Polish Soviet War, his 1923 entry list him as a Porucznik (Lieutenant) in the 54pp with seniority from 1st June 1919 with the KW, in 1924 he was by know a Kapitan with seniority from the 1st June 1923 and still with the 54pp.

Four years later in 1928 he is still a Kapitan and still serving in the 54pp, and by 1932 he has moved onto the D.O.K. Nr 1 in Warsaw under the command of General Bryg. Czeslaw Januszkiewicz , has an Inspector of Cadets now with the KN (Cross of Independence), KW (Cross of Valour), SKZ (Silver Cross of Merit), he was Later to be awarded a bar to the Silver Cross of Merit before September 1939.

He was murdered at Charkow in 1940



Next is Major. Lek. Dent. Jan Tadeusz Sapiejewski, Born in Warsaw on the 17th June 1892 his 1923 entry list's him as a Porucznicy (Lieutenant) with seniority from 1st June 1919 with the 4th Medical Battalion based at the District Hospital at Skierniewice, By 1924 he was a Kapitan (Captain) with seniority from 1st July 1923, now based at the Central Medical School he was listed as being attached to the Medical School in both 1928 and 1932. He was promoted to Major with seniority from the 19th March 1938 and by that time he had been awarded both the MN (Independence Medal) and ZKZ (Gold Cross of Merit).






He was Murdered at Katyn in 1940

I hope that you enjoy reading and seeing photographs of those Officers Murdered by the Russians.

Andrzejku

[andrzejku98]

Hi Everyone,

I have just got the time to add one more face of those Officers Murdered at Katyn.

Kapitan Kazimierz Sarnowicz, Born on the 29th November 1892 in Kutno, he served in the Polish Legion during the 1st World War in both the 2nd & 3rd Legion Infantry Regiments and then in 1920 with the 5ppLeg.

By 1923 he was a Kapitan with seniority from the 1st June 1919 serving in the 68pp, but no awards listed for him, by 1924 he was still a Kapitan and still serving with the 68pp but now listed with the awards of the Silver Cross of the Order Virtuti Militari Nr: 6643 and with the KW (Cross of Valour) with 3 Bars denoting 4 awards.

By 1928 he was still a Kapitan but was now serving with the K.O.P. and in 1932 he was now serving with the 1 Pulk Piechoty Legjonow (1st Legion Infantry Regiment), still a Kapitan but now with the Virtuti Militari, KN (Cross of Independence), KW4.

Attachment 406449

Kapitan Sarnowicz was murdered at Katyn in 1940.

Best wishes

Andrzejku

[StefanM]

(A Serb watches over from Ravna Gora)
KATYN
12,000 Executed Polish Officers
DEATH: "POOR THEM, EVEN I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM!"

Hi Emil,

Thanks for sharing.

Below: A lighter version that shows the poster details more clearly



Anyone collecting the numerous commemorative Katyn table medals produced in Poland?

[andrzejku98]

Hi All,

The next Officer is Kapitan Adam Kowalczyk seen her with his wife Melani and Daughters Janina & Danuta

Attachment 406615


Kapitan Adam Kowalczyk was born in Bialek on the 11th October 1894, in 1914 he was conscripted into the German Army and fought on the Western Front, fighting at Amiens, France on 8th August 1918 he was wounded in the neck and took no further part in the fighting. In November 1918 he returned to Nialek and took part in the Greater Poland Uprising and also in the Polish-Soviet War during which he was awarded the Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari Nr: 4633 and the KW (Cross of Valour) with 3 Bars denoting 4 awards.

The 1923 Rocznik Oficerski (Officers Yearbook) lists Adam has a Porucznik (Lieutenant) serving with the 56pp, with his seniority from the 1st August 1920 with the awards of the VM (5) KW 4. in both the 1924 & 1928 issues he is still a Porucznik with no further awards.

In 1930 the now Kapitan Adam Kowalczyk was transfered to the 7th Battalion of the K.O.P. (Fronyier Defence Force), in the 1932 Rocznik Oficerski he is listed as a Kapitan serving with the K.O.P. with seniority from the 1st January 1929.

Between 1930 & 1934 he had served as Adjutant of the battalion and in 1934 was Officer Commanding the 1st Company and from 1936 to 1938 he was Quartermaster of the Battalion, in the September 1939 Campaign he fought with the Battalion being wounded and then captured by the Russians sent to the P.O.W. camp at Kozielsk he was murdered by the Russians at Katyn.



Kapitan Adam Kowalczyk whilst serving with the 7th Battalion of the K.O.P.

I hope that you find the article interesting

Best wishes

Andrzejku

[andrzejku98]

Hi Everyone,

I had a little spare time and decided to post a few more photographs and details of victims of the Katyn massacre, first to be listed and shown is one photograph which I think you will all like of Post.PP. Bogumil Wiktor Milewski.



If anyone has any information on Bogumil, please post it.

The next is Major Ludwik Grynkiewicz-Sudnik, the son of Antoni and Heleny nee Lazowska, born in Werobej on the 18th March 1895. He joined General Haller's Blue Army in France during WW1, during the War of 1920 he was in command of a Company in 2PSP, for his service during the War he was awarded the Cross of Valour (KW) with 2 Bars, letter moved to 44pp where we find him in 1932 Rocznik Oficerski, has a Kapitan with KW 3, KZ.sr. Promoted to Major between 1933-1939 when he was transfered to 45pp in which he commanded a Battalion.




Next up is Kapitan Dyzma Pogodzinski, the son of Bartlomieja born on the 15th December 1890, during the 1920 War he was a Porucznik, 1923 Rocznik Oficerski list's him in 19pp with the KW, still a Porucznik with seniority from 1st April 1919, 1924 finds him still serving with the 19pp but now has a Kapitan with seniority from 15th August 1924. The Rocznik Oficerski 1928 finds Dyzma still a Kapitan but now serving in the K.O.P., the Rocznik Oficerski 1932 list's him still has a Kapitan but now with the 86pp also awarded the KZ.sr.




The last officer for today is Kapitan Gabrjel Wojkow, born in Rozwadow on the 19th June 1902, his Parents where Jan and Zofia nee Cidow, I could only find his listing in the Rocznik Oficerski for 1932 in which he is listed has serving with the 5pp.Leg as a Dr.Por.Lek, with seniority from 1st January 1931, by 1939 he had been promoted to Kapitan.



I hope that you all like the enclosed photographs especiallyBogumil Milewski's.

Best wishes

Andrzejku

[Datrus]

The Soviets just did what always happens after a communist take over. Cap the heads of the elite. It happened in Russia, Poland, China, Cambodia etc.

Regards, Lars

[milmuseum]

Thank you for keeping this post going. I have found it very moving as we in America were taught nothing about what happened to Poland in our schools. Everyone in the world needs to remember these events and teach them to our children so they can prevent it from ever happening again.

Burt

[dastier]

I concur with milmuseum. Seeing the photographs of these brave men and their families makes their sacrifice and loss more mindful.

I would hope that these photographs and the tragic loss they represent besides being available here, are physically shown for the public and not just in Poland. I am dismayed how the brutality committed against Poles was, and still is, so easily brushed aside by many historians and world leaders.

[Reynard]

Mmmmmm, I think it's a classic case of sweeping certain things under the carpet during wartime, simply because it's convenient to do so. From what I understand, the motives behind publicly ignoring and or denying that the Katyn massacre took place were entirely political; there was more to be gained through that denial than through condemning what took place and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

We also have to bear in mind that Stalin, aided by the NKVD, was quite happy to conduct similar purges against his own people, never mind against those from other countries. He stripped Russia of its academics, political thinkers, industrialists and military leaders during the early to mind 1930s.

In modern conflicts, similar incidents have made headlines and people have been convicted of crimes against Humanity - quite the contrast.