Monte Cassino cross

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

Just one photograph from the Polish Cemetery at Monte Cassino 3 graves in particular all Commando's



St.Strzelec Henryk Klajber killed in action 18th January 1944.

St.Strzelec Stefan Slowinski also killed in action on the 18th January 1944.

St.Strzelec Ferdynand Decker the 3rd Commando killed on the 18th January 1944.

None of the above where awarded the Monte Cassino Cross.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

Some more photographs of Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross:



Troops from 15th Rifle Battalion, 5KDP. 3rd from the right Podporucznik Wladyslaw Matulewicz MCC 17003 and 2nd from the right Strzelec Stanislaw Skopiec MCC 17529.



Polish War Correspondent Melchior Wankowicz with a german Mortar in hand.



Grave of Strzelec (Rifleman) Tadeusz Kozlowski 4BSK, Killed in action 18th May 1944 MCC 913

Whilst compiling this entry I noticed that I was the only member along with 29 Guest's looking at this thread.

Best wishes

Andrzej

p.s. click the photographs to enlarge in a new page

[ostro]

Dear Andrzejku,
Thanks for looking up Mazanek. I guess he must have joined after the battle.

As for the three dead commandos with no MCCs. At the time they were part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, 6 Troop (Polish) and were killed in support of the British 78th Infantry Division crossing the Garigliano River. The unit became part of 2nd Corps in April 1944.

Regards, Mark Ostrowski

[andrzejku98]

Hello Mark,

Many thanks for your reply, which I already knew that Polish Commandos had been in action from late 1943, here is another grave also located at Monte Cassino.



grave of Rotmistrz sp Stanislaw Woloszowski

plus better photographs of the already mentioned graves



St Strz sp. Henryk Klajber



St Strz sp. Stefan Slowinski



St Strz sp. Ferdynand Decker

Best wishes

Andrzej

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

Some more Faces of Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross, all from the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (3DSK).



Plutowny Wladyslaw Augustyn MCC 14649



Kapitan Jozef Bachman VM KW SKZzM MCC 1178



Sierzant Jan Bartosz MCC 2822



St. Strzelec Bronislaw Bartoszek VM MCC 2850



Porucznik Lucjan Badocha MCC 1123



St. Strzelec sp. Jan Chiniewicz MCC 816



Kapral pch. Mieczyslaw Chuchera MCC 3288



Sierzant Stefan Chyb MCC 3535



Kapral pch. Wladyslaw Cupryk MCC 3672



Strzelec Jan Ciesielski MCC 3690



Strzelec Edward Duchnowski MCC 4170

Best wishes

Andrzej

[ostro]

Dear Panie Andrzejku,

And so after a small digression into things medical – back to work. So this Cassino Units Recipients List still has a couple of gaps that we might fill:
32270 to 32300 (30 crosses)
34946 to 34960 (14 crosses)
45973 to 46012 (39 crosses)
Is there any pattern to these or are they just individuals who got missed out in the first round of allocation? Any information you could supply would, as always, be gratefully appreciated.

Best regards, Mark

[andrzejku98]

Hello Mark,

At this rate I am going to start charging you for my time (Ha-Ha),

MCC Nr: 32270-32300 - Not Awarded

MCC Nr: 34947- 34949 - 11PAC

MCC Nr: 34950-34951 - Dowodztwa Grupy Artylerii

MCC Nr: 34852 - 34960 - Not Awarded

MCC Nr: 45973 - 318KKiBR

MCC Nr: 45974 - 45986 - Dtwo 26. Pol.Osp.Zaop.

MCC Nr: 45987 - 45999 - Dtwo. 27. Pol.Osp.Zaop.

MCC Nr: 46000 - 46012 - Dtwo.28.Pol.Osp.Zaop.

I sincerely hope that the above answer's your questions.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[ostro]

Andrzejku,

Well I certainly owe you several pints!!! Again... many thanks. Nearly finished!!
One problem with this lot - Dtwo 26./27./28. Pol. Osp. Zaop. Do you or anyone else have any ideas? Command, 26 Field Supply Something or Something Supply. It’s the Osp... What is that? As far as I can see there are no units with 26/27/28 for them to command... the closest is
45430-45459 326 Supply Dump
45460-45501 327 Supply Dump
45502-45539 328 Supply Dump... so possibly there is a connection. This will require some lateral thought.

Best regards, Mark

[Mateusz]

Hi Everyone,

I've read every post in this thread and didnt see any mention of the Guard Battalion, where my Great-Grandfather served. Sadly, I do not know much about him, since I never met my Grandfather, and lets just say he and my Grandmother had their differences (its complicated). If you can provide me with ANY kind of information about him or his unit, I will be eternally greatful. Pozdrawiam.





these 2 images pretty much sum up everything that I know about him, and that he died in 1967 in England.

[andrzejku98]

Hello Mateusz,

And may I be the first to welcome you to the Forum, with regards to your Great Grandfather Strzelec (Rifleman) Maksymilian Switajski, he was born in 1901, his Army Number (also found on his ID Tags): 1901-130-III, his Commanding Officer was Podpulkownik (Lieutenant Colonel) Bronislaw Poplatek and at the time of awarding the Monte Cassino Cross there were 201 soldiers in the Guard Battalion,

It would probably be best to write to the British Ministry of Defence to ask for copies of his service record (all copies that they have) because the Polish 2nd Corps was under British 8th Army Command.

I have tried to get onto the Index of victims of soviet repression without any luck, if they have your Great Grandfather in their records it would tell you when he was arrested his date of birth, Fathers Name and in some cases Mothers Name, Date of joining the Anders Army etc.

If any of the other Forum members can chip in, I sincerely hope they will.

Anyway Mateusz you have Maksymilian's Monte Cassino Cross and Legitymacja along with his Medal Wojska (Army Medal) both with original Hook and Eye Ribbons plus his British ID Card.

Best wishes

Andrzej