Katyn victims

[Greenhorn]

Itakdalej

Thank you for your dedicated detail to this thread. You have been a one-man research team to a not so well know tragedy and your badges and awards are second to non! Dziekuje bardzo!

Green

[Krakow1]

Thank You for Your kind words.

[Krakow1]

Here is a rare picture in my collection of Major General (ret) Kazimierz Dzierzanowski born in 1872 a son of a Polish veteran of 1863 Uprising. Born in 1872 in Haluszczynce. He is not on any "Katyn" Lists, however his name is on a so called "Ukrainian List"
He was a Lt. Colonel, Artillery in Austrian Army, then commanded Polish units in Moravia that he brought with him to Poland.
His service in Polish Army officially begins November 1919. He fought with distinction in Polish russian war, getting praised for his conduct in battle at Minsk and Bobrujsk. In 1925 he commanded the Warsaw Military Academy. He retired in 1932 and settled in Lvow.
In 1939 he did not participate in defense of the city on account of being sick and old age. Was arrested on 3rd October 1939 and dissapeared. General Sikorski had considered him for Commander of the Polish Army in Soviet Union in 1941, however he was not to be found.....

[A.J. Zawadzki]

"And So On" - Great portrait! Thanks for sharing and also for providing the biographical information.

Regards,
Tony

[Krakow1]

One quick note about the "Ukrainian List" also called the "Cwietuchin List". In 1994 Polish authorities were given a list of 3435 names of Polish Citizens killed by NKVD in Ukraine. Here he is at # 892.
In Kryska Karski and Zurakowski book called "Generals of Independent Poland" they say that the General was shot in Kijew, Ukraine sometime in 1939.
In 2011 Polish IPN had exumed graves in forest Bykownia close to Kijew. Of course they were not the first ones to do that, earlier about 1970 NKVD had cleared all the victims belongings from the graves (or almost all)making it difficult to identify the remains. However few Polish things were found belonging to people on the Ukrainian List.
All together there are estimated 120 thousand human remains burried there. Most of them are victims of early communist rules.
However, NKVD had fenced in in 1939 a spot for all of the newer victims and that was where the Polish items were found. The latest estimate was abt 1700 Polish victims were burried there. Another NKVD grave site had in 1970 apartment buildings build on top so that there can be no exumation.

[Krakow1]

Here is a scan of the "Dziennik Personalny" (Human Resource Journal) dated 22 December 1934 published in Warsaw, Poland by MSW (Ministry of Military Affairs). On the right hand side the columns says: "appointed to a position" and third one from top is General Smorawinski being promoted to a Commander of Corps District II.
1939, 17th of September the soviets invade Poland and on 17th September 1939 General Smorawinski comes to city of Wlodzimierz Ukrainski in the evening and has to sent home some of the soldiers. There were 12 Battalions there and more people/volunteers kept coming.(No weapons, uniforms, food, etc) On the 19th of September the soviets make it to Wlodzimierz Wolynski in the evening and after they surrounded the School of Officer Cadets of Artillery Reserve General Smorawinski talks with soviets. He makes a deal with soviet commander. The Polish troops have to leave their weapons and they will be allowed to go and cross the Bug River. 20th of September 1939 the Polish troops leave Wlodzimierz Wolynski however as soon as they entered woods on the outskirts of the city they were surrounded by soviets, Officers had to give up their side arms and everyone got turned around again and marched toward city of Luck. All the Officers went to Kozielsk Camp.

[Krakow1]

His bio from "Katyn- Cementary Book " In 1920 he comanded the 4th Legions Regiment. Winner of KW x 4, Virtuti Militari.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Here’s a sombre and seldom seen photograph showing the exhumed corpse of General Mieczysław Smorawiński (from 'Katyń : zbrodnia i propaganda [crime and propaganda] by Krzysztof Szczepanik and Janusz Zgudka). The photograph was taken following the start of the exhumations on March 29, 1943.

Also posted is a link to a short but well made Polish language biographical film about the murdered general:

Epitafia Katy

Regards,
Tony

[Reynard]

The photo below (taken in 1919) shows my great uncle Edward Sztark who was murdered at Katyn. He is the one sitting bottom row on the left. Beyond that, I know little else.



The men in the picture are, bottom row l-r, Edward Sztark, Juliusz Ulrych, Artur Maruszewski (my grandfather) and in the top row, l-r, Daniel Sztark & Emil Sztark.

[Krakow1]

Here is his bio from "Katyn - Cementery Book "
He has a low AM number meaning he was found and identified early during the German exumation. Also murdered on the end.

Regards,