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Help Identifying Pins/General Infomation

Article about: Apologize in advance if I do anything wrong, if you let me know I'll try my quickest to fix it. Recently my family has been trying to do research into my paternal grandfather, however he was

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    Default Help Identifying Pins/General Infomation

    Apologize in advance if I do anything wrong, if you let me know I'll try my quickest to fix it.

    Recently my family has been trying to do research into my great-grandfather, however he was a very private individual who passed-on before I was born. One of the few clues we do have is this set of pins - which a quick google search pointed me in the direction of this website.

    We knew him as Jozef Czykun, but it's possible he anglicized his name slightly when he moved to the UK after the war. We've heard a couple of stories about him from others, but we don't know what is hear-say and what is true.

    Any information you can tell us about these, as well as ways of finding more about him (who to contact about service records etc) will be very much appreciated.

    Once again, apologize for the large images, but I thought posting them in the resolution they were capture at would be the most useful.

    Help Identifying Pins/General InfomationHelp Identifying Pins/General InfomationHelp Identifying Pins/General InfomationHelp Identifying Pins/General Infomation
    Last edited by Silly; 12-17-2014 at 08:04 PM.

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    you stand a good chance of finding info.but it takes time and diligence.

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    Hello “Silly” – welcome to the forum. No problem at all with your inaugural post. I’m away from my reference sources so cannot provide you with any specific information other than your grandfather served in the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade. The two parachute badges would have been from his uniform where they were applied to the collar points – see photo below. The other is his qualification badge. The wreath soldered onto the diving eagle signifies that he served in a combat situation, most likely Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Gary J. or one of the other chaps here will likely chime in with more details about your grandfather’s service.

    Cheers,
    Tony
    Attached Images Attached Images Help Identifying Pins/General Infomation 
    All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.

    "Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne

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    WWII Combat Parachute Wings, established after Operation Market Garden on 20 November, 1944...There may be a Polish Airborne Veteran's Association on the Internet as well, btw....
    cheers, Glenn

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    Don't know if this'll help for people, or if it's just surplus information.

    A relative managed to send me a copy of his death certificate, so I finally have his D.O.B (5th February, 1911) though his place of birth was listed, rather unhelpfully, as merely 'Poland'.

    Googling his name, (I'll be honest, I've always known him as Grandfather Joe, which is why I first wrote incorrectly that he was my grandfather when he was my great grandfather) I saw Czykun Józef on a list of honorary citizens of Mława - Veterans of the Battle of Mława.

    Of course, I've no idea if it's him, or how common the name is - but there's bound clearly records out there somewhere.

    Thanks for the help so far, it's all great for myself and family.

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    I’ll add that the badge pictured was manufactured by Kirkwood & Son of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Gr.Techn. marked spinner is not original to this badge. Gr.Techn was the other official producer of badges for the Polish parachute brigade, Their spinners are often found on the Kirkwood badges. Once again, Gary J., our resident expert on the parachute brigade, will hopefully chime in with more details for you.

    Regards,
    Tony
    All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.

    "Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne

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    Hello Silly.

    From information listed in the Polish Parachute Brigade Book by Kpt.Jan Lorys, the Badge Numbered 3690 was awarded to Rifleman JOZEF CZYKUN who also received the Combat Wreath Numbered 255.

    Best wishes and Welcome to the Forum

    Andrzej

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    Hello again Silly,

    From the website Find my Past, I have gleaned the following information on your Great Grandfather: ( I hope that I have got the right one)

    Date of Birth: 5th February 1911

    Date of Death: 3rd Quarter (July-Sept) 1972, Pontypool, Monmouthshire, Death Registered in Volume 8C on Page 1194.

    Jozef Married a Margaret James who was Born on the 9th December 1917 in the 1st Quarter (Jan-Mar) 1954 in Pontypool Marriage Register Volume 8C, Page 676.

    Margaret Czykun died in the 3rd Quarter (July-Sept) 1994 in Pontypool, Monmouthshire, District NumberL 8372B, Register Number: B36B, Entry Number: 018, Registered in August 1994.

    To obtain your Great Grandfathers Service Record you will have to contact the British Ministry of Defence (Polish Records Section), you can find the forms to print on their website.

    They do charge now and you will have to provide proof that you are Jozef's Relative, be sure to ask for copies of his British and Polish Service Records.

    Best wishes

    Andrzej

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    That's absolutely the right one, thanks alot for going above and beyond.

  10. #10

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    Hello Silly,

    A little more information from some lists that I have, your Great Grandfather Jozef Czykun served in the 3rd Company under the command of Porucznik (Lieutenant) Zbigniew Ziemski, the total company strength being 105 men.

    Best wishes

    Andrzej

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