Fate of Polish village of Łukawiec

[dastier]

Does anyone know if the Polish village of Łukawiec in the prewar Lwow Voivodeship (now located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, aka the Subcarpathian Voivodeship) was ever attacked by the UPA or Ukrainian insurgents? A Kresy web site states that the village of Lukawiec in the Wołyń Voivodeship - 443 inhabitants - was destroyed by UPA/OUN/Banderowcy. Lost and destroyed towns and villages

I have not been able to confirm this so I don't know if this is a reliable source. In fact I have not been able to find a village called Lukawiec in the Wołyń Voivodeship. I am aware that the OUN/UPA massacred Poles in other villages in Wołyń. Thanks.

[StefanM]

One online reference:

May 1944

- we wsi Łukawiec pow. Lubaczów miejscowi Ukraińcy zamordowali 3 Polaków, w tym 20-letnią dziewczynę i 16-letniego chłopca

In the village of Lukawiec, Lubaczów, local Ukrainians murdered 3 Poles, including 20-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy.

***

stankiewicze.com does contain a lot of very useful information—I even found grandfather is listed in Warsaw's Pawiak prisoner deaths 1944

However I did notice that they are using the familiar and brutal image of children tied to a tree with barbed wire as an illustration of Ukranian nationalist crimes against Poles....



... I am not sure but I believe the distinguished historian of the Polish nationalist movement Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz has corrected the widespread misrepresentation and attribution of the image, describing the photo as being actually of the children of a lunatic mother who murdered her own offspring and tied them with barbed wire to a tree. A criminal act by an insane mother rather than a crime perpetrated by the Ukranian nationalists. I think the original photo is from the 1920's but wish I could find the Chodakiewicz reference for this again?

[harryamb2]

that photo is terrible,sent a shiver down my back.

[meyle77]

UPA did terrible things to Poles that are worst than barbarism of Germans and Soviets combined. Torture, mutilation, rape, murder etc were trademarks of UPA in Wolyn.

[StefanM]

UPA did terrible things to Poles that are worst than barbarism of Germans and Soviets combined. Torture, mutilation, rape, murder etc were trademarks of UPA in Wolyn.

Historian and Bloodlands author Timothy Snyder concluded the UPA killed as many Ukrainians as it did Poles.

[meyle77]

Polish IPN did similar studies and according to them number of Ukrainians killed is lower than ethnic Poles. The reasoning could be that Poles considered all as Poles, who lived within 1939 borders, hence including some Ukrainian victims as Poles. Regardless, UPA and OUN were criminal organizations and their members should be prosecuted if involved in crimes.

[StefanM]

Polish IPN did similar studies and according to them number of Ukrainians killed is lower than ethnic Poles. The reasoning could be that Poles considered all as Poles, who lived within 1939 borders, hence including some Ukrainian victims as Poles. Regardless, UPA and OUN were criminal organizations and their members should be prosecuted if involved in crimes.

Falls outside the scope of this militaria collectors forum... I have strayed again so respectfully decline continuing discussion further

[meyle77]

Agreed.

[dastier]

One online reference:

May 1944

- we wsi Łukawiec pow. Lubaczów miejscowi Ukraińcy zamordowali 3 Polaków, w tym 20-letnią dziewczynę i 16-letniego chłopca

In the village of Lukawiec, Lubaczów, local Ukrainians murdered 3 Poles, including 20-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy.

Thanks 4thskorpion, that's all that I'm trying to find out as my uncle who disappeared after the Soviet invasion was from Łukawiec. The Eastern BorderLands of the II Polish Republic - Kresy Wschodnie II Rzeczpospolitej web site had indicated that a village called Lukawiec had been destroyed by UPA/OUN/Banderowcy.

This is obviously not the same village.

[StefanM]

Thanks 4thskorpion, that's all that I'm trying to find out as my uncle who disappeared after the Soviet invasion was from Łukawiec. The Eastern BorderLands of the II Polish Republic - Kresy Wschodnie II Rzeczpospolitej web site had indicated that a village called Lukawiec had been destroyed by UPA/OUN/Banderowcy.

This is obviously not the same village.

Or Kresy data is incorrect?

Because of all the turmoil both during the war and early post-war with boundary changes; the huge population expulsions and transfers across former and newly gained Polish territories; the place name changes etc, finding accurate archival information is often made much more difficult.

Wish you good luck in your quest for further information.