Ppor. Henryk Prejzner and ppor. Michał Bakun from 2nd Polish Corps (Anders Army)

[conrado]

Hello Everyone,

I would like to present you some facts regarding two Polish exiles to Siberia. When the war broke out they were both 2nd Lieutenants of the reserve: ppor. (later por.) Henryk Prejzner and ppor. Michał Bakun. Since 1932 Henryk was the husband of Michał's sister.

On Febryary 10, 1940 they were transported to a village Złota Górka in the Tajszet of Irkutsk region in Siberia.



Deportation route from Czarna Wieś to Złota Górka in the Irkutsk region

They both were foresters:



Legitymacja of forester Henryk Prejzner No. I-557 issued in Siedlce, 1935





Foresters Henryk Prejzner (on the left) and Michał Bakun, 1932

They both together with their families were deported to the East deep into Soviet Russia. In Siberia Henryk and Michał worked in the taiga in felling trees.



Map made by hand by Henryk Prejzner. It presents a fragment of the taiga near Tajszet - visible distribution of workers' plots, Złota Górka, 1941

After Sikorski-Majski arrangement they joined the Anders Army. They came to Dżałał-Abad where the HeadQuarters and Staff of the 5th Infantry Division was located.













Ppor. Henryk Prejzner's Legitymacja of the 5 Dywizja Piechoty (5th Infantry Division) of the Polish Armed Forces in the USSR, Dżałał-Abad, 30.07.1942

Ppor. Henryk Prejzner served in the Ośrodek Zapasowy of the 5 Dywizja Piechoty in the position of head of the quartermaster's office. From 1942 he stayed in Iran, Palestine, Israel and Egypt.



Map sketched in pencil by ppor. Henryk Prejzner shows a fragment of Iraq northeast of Baghdad, Iraq 1942-1943.





Palestine, Setember or October 1943: Ppor. Henryk Prejzner (Army Number: 1905-167-III, 1st from the left on top) and ppor. Michał Bakun (2nd from the right, Unit: ?), and also two other soldiers - st. szer. Remigiusz Ozimek (later (?) plut. pchor. Remigiusz Ozimek, Army Number: 1924-18-III, Unit: 12 Pułk Ułanów Podolskich, 3 DSK, awarded Cross of Valour (KW), 1st from the right) and por. Czesław Juszczak (Unit: ?, 2nd from the left).





Certificate of completion of the course of economic officers, Gadera, Israel, 17.12.1943





Participants of the course of economic officers in Gadera, Israel, 15.12.1943, ppor. Henryk Prejzner in the top row 5th from the right

In early 1944 ppor. Henryk Prejzner was promoted to the rank of porucznik.



Por. Henryk Prejzner in Qassasin, Egypt, 1944





Soldiers PSZ on camels and one on horseback at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt 1944, 1st from the left por. Henryk Prajzner

In the meantime por. Henryk Prajzner also traveled to Italy. But the most interesting thing is that in Egypt he bought a photo camera. He took a lot of photos with it in Iran, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Italy.



Kodak Vollenda 620 photo camera acquired in Egypt by por. Henryk Prejzner





A collection of por. Henryk Prajzner's photographic negatives arranged in eight albums



Certificate for the purchase of an American demobil flight jacket by por. Henryk Prejzner via the Polish Red Cross in Egypt and is entitled to have it, 12.09.1946



Document informing about the demobilization of por. Prejzner dated October 28, 1947, transfer to reserve, and release from general military duty, Qassasin, Egypt, July 18, 1947

Links to the por. Henryk Prejzner's photo albums:

PHOTO ALBUM OF LIEUTENANT HENRYK PREJZNER WITH PHOTOS FROM STAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH THE ANDERS ARMY

ALBUM WITH PHOTOGRAPHS OF LIEUTENANT HENRYK PREJZNER PRESENTING THE MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECTURE

PHOTO ALBUM OF LIEUTENANT HENRYK PREJZNER DURING THE STAY OF THE POLISH ARMED FORCES IN THE WEST IN ITALY

PS



1) Por. Henryk Prejzner, Army Number: 1905-167-III
2) Ppor. Michał Bakun
3) St. szer. later plut. pchor. Remigiusz Ozimek, Army Number: 1924-18-III, Unit: 12 Pułk Ułanów Podolskich, 3 DSK
4) Por. Czesław Juszczak

I'm pretty sure that all soldiers from this photo were not awarded the Monte Cassino Cross probably except plut. pchor. Remigiusz Ozimek, Army Number: 1924-18-III, Unit: 12 Pułk Ułanów Podolskich, 3 DSK, also awarded Cross of Valour (KW).

Andrzej, could you be so kind and confirm this?


Regards
Konrad

[andrzejku98]

Hello Konrad,

Many thanks for your post, you are correct In stating that not everyone in the photograph was awarded the Monte Cassino Cross.

1) Not Awarded

2) Cross Numbered : 34375 11PAC

3) Cross Numbered : 9613 Kpr. 12PULP

4) Not Awarded.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[TMZ]

Just to note - the 3DSK list has plut. pchor. Remigiusz Ozimek, 12 Pułk Ułanów Podolskich

as 1924-18-III rather than 1924-28-III

Not sure which is correct.

[conrado]

TMZ, you are right. I have already corrected.

Thank you
Konrad