Katyn victims

[Reynard]

Thanks, that's really appreciated.

[Krakow1]

Also he was in 29 Infantry (Kaniowski) Regiment in Sept 1939. They ended their fight around Warsaw. There were no soviets there. Did he have family in Ukraine, Belorussia that he was going to see? possibly trying to get to Romania and got arrested by the soviets while crossing the border as many others like him.

Regards,

[Krakow1]

Also when found in Katyn he was identified by the following posessions:
Three postcards, a letter and copy of his baptism.
Also he had a box top that was hand carved.

[Krakow1]

Also before War he was a factory manager in Kalisz, factory was named "Ultramaryna "

[Reynard]

It's possible that he might have tried to get to Romania as I have one family member (much more senior militarily and politically) who did escape that way and ended up in Cyprus. But somehow I think it unlikely as most of the family stayed in Kalisz and were fine. The problem is, no one in the family talked about it much so a lot of it is pure conjecture.

However, my great grandfather had a sister who lived in Russia at the time (how or why she moved there, I don't know). A few weeks after the war broke out, she arrived back in Kalisz where her brother (my great grandfather) and the rest of the family lived. The logical conclusion is that Edward was sent to rescue his aunt, and that is how he might have been caught up in the arrests.

However, I have recently come across a whole stack of my grandmother's personal letters from during the war (Edward was her younger brother) - she escaped to the UK along with grandfather. Am hoping that once I go through them, I may find out more, but it's a bit of a long shot. If I turn up something, I'll definitely post it.

BTW, the factory he was a manager of made paint and soap.

[Reynard]

A little bit more information - and a reason to check every envelope, no matter how unpromising...

In among my grandfather's papers, I found this letter from the Szef Biura Dla Spraw Rodzin Wojskowych:



It confirms that my grandfather was still trying to find out what had happened to Edward Sztark in late 1941.

A slightly more interesting envelope - covered in "general gouvernement" stamps and postmakrked "Warschau" turned out to contain a letter dated 15th March 1941. It was forwarded on to my grandfather via a PO box in Lisboa, Portugal, from Edward's (and my grandmother's) half-sister Eugenia. An extract reads as follows:

O Edku nie mamy zadnych wiadomosci przeszlo rok. Bardzo jestem o niego niespokojna - jedyny list z Kozielska 39 roku z listopada.

I guess so many families were in exactly the same situation... Hope this is useful info.

[Krakow1]

Here is a book that I have called: "September's Soldiers. Fallen and murdered in the East" put out by MON, CAW, MWP, Sikorski Institute.
They have a couple of pages on LT Col Jerzy Dabrowski, nom de guerre "Lupaszko" (not to be confused with Maj. Szendzielarz of the same nom de guerre later executed by polish communist). Lt Col Dabrowski (there is also another way they spell his name Dambrowski) was a son of a russian general. He started his military service in russian cavalry in 1910 in 2nd Regiment Courland Uhlans. Later in 1915 he was in charge of a cavalry squadron on partisan duties. on 24/10 1917 he joined the Polish Forces in russia. On 25/11 1918 he started to organize a self defense battalion for Wilno and vicinities, about December 1918 they were absorbed into 1st Wilno Uhlan Regiment that was led by his brother Rotmistrz Wladyslaw Dabrowski. And to work they went.... They fought for Wilno, later fought germans, bolsheviks. The name Lupaszko became very famous in the East and many volunteers came to be in that unit. June 1919 the unit name is changed to 13th Uhlan Regiment. They were very famous for their enterprising cavalry raids against russians. In 1939 Col Dambrowski was in charge of 110th Uhlan Regiment. Another famous soldier in that Rgt was Hubal (Major Dobrzanski). The Rgt was going toward Warsaw steadily fighting soviets when on 28 September 1939 after Warsaw has fallen Lt Col Dabrowski (sick with fever) had an Officers meeting and had declared that further fight in uniform makes no sense, that he will go and fight as a partisan(something he knew best), however (Famous Hubal movie scene) Hubal declared that he will take over and will fight in uniform and . For many years (because of communist false history) it was believed that Lt Col Dabrowski simply did not want to fight any longer (some of Hubal biography books, the movie) but that just was not true, he wanted to fight as he knew best, as a partisan. Lt Col Dabrowski was sick, went to Lithuania to a hospital where he was taken prisoner by soviets and taken to a prison in Minsk (Lithuanian). He underwent a very tough interrogations, tortured badly and murdered either 17/12/1940 or 9/7/ 1941. They tore out his nails, broken his arms, ribs, etc. His awards included a Virtuti Militari, KW four times, Cross of Independence, Golden Cross of Merit.
"Czesc Jego Pamieci"

[Scout]

Thank you for posting these very (IMO) solemn pics and items.
To me, Katyn has always been especially horrific amongst a multitude of other massacres of WWII.
The very symbol of a nation which again and again rose only to be torn apart by outside forces.
The Russian denial until far too is simply abhorrent.
Not a single issue about the massacre of Katyn was pleasent.
Even an innocent doctor from Denmark who went to exhume/investigate bodies (albeit under the auspicies of the Germans) and make an objective report, was mercilessly persecuted in Denmark by communists post WWII for going there, although he was not pro-nazi (quite the opposite he was in the Resistance in DK). 12 forensic doctors from occupied countries were picked by the Germans to investigate in Katyn. Helge Thramsen was the name of the doctor from Denmark.

[Mturk]

I am not sure how to upload a photo, but add my grandfather as a Katyn victim, Ukraine List. Franciszek Andrzej Turkiewicz
Head of Criminal Investigations State Police Lwow
Born in Grodek 1898, Polish Scout 1910
Austrian Army Pilsduski's legion and Defender of LwowLatest rumor is buried at Bykivena, but no known grave.
#2988 on the list.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello Mturk and welcome to the forum! Please click here for instructions on how to upload photos:

New picture posting feature - How to guide !

Cheers,
Tony