Polish Medal Group

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Chaps, I'm not sure I've posted this in the correct thread & please move it if it is wrong; but can anybody help with some info about the medals below. My friend has bought them & is not a forum member, although I'm sure he could join if he tried hard enough!! lol His main question is: -

The main question is, is it an unusual group? Is it likely the extra medals belong to him? (Although one is a duplicate but of different metal & ribbon?) Are the medals consistent with him being a member of the resistance or one that had been in Auschwitz?

He'd be grateful for any help,

Thanks,

Richard.

[StefanM]

Richard, hi,

I have taken the liberty of moving your thread to the appropriate AK section

This is an extremely nice original group of medals and documents to AK soldiers!

Yes, they could all have been awarded to the same person.

If you wanted to obtain more information about "Kruk" I would suggest contact SPP-PUMST in London who will have the records for him as the AK verification records are deposited in their archives.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi 4thskorpion, thanks for the great info. I'll pass the details onto my friend Ian & we'll see what we can find out. He's in touch with the chaps daughter, so she might have some extra info, Cheers, Richard.

[StefanM]

Stefan "Kruk" Krzesicki was AK soldier in Okręg Białystok ZWZ Armii Krajowej (AK), Grajewo district. This was a large Home Army formation consisting of some 33,156 personnel including 1,833 women.

Below: Organisation and area of operations



Link to history (in Polish) of Okręg Białystok ZWZ/AK:

Okręg Białostocki ZWZ/AK

Below is the Białystok AK colour:




This is a great online reference of AK colours:

Sztandary wojskowe | Sztandary Armi Krajowej

[DUJAILAH]

Hi, many thanks for the great info. I'll pass it on to my mate. He's told me that Stefan recently has passed away. He was living near me in Devon & his family are still local. I presume he must have left Poland soon after the war. Did many Home Army personnel leave Poland after the war? Cheers, Richard.

[StefanM]

Most of the AK and other Polish underground resistance soldiers that landed up in Britain after the war came via liberation from German PoW camps and enlistment with the Polish Forces in the West either in Germany, France, Holland etc or with Anders 2PolCorps in Italy and were demobilised back in the UK after the Western Allies de-recognised the Polish government in exile based in London in favour of the Polish communist regime in Warsaw. Others came from DP camps in western Europe and although a few Poles did manage to escape from communist Poland it was difficult and dangerous both for the "escapee" and equally for any family members the escapee left back in Poland.

[DUJAILAH]

Thanks for the reply. Ian's asked his daughter & he was in Auschwitz & later Belsen where he must have been liberated by the British & ended up in the UK. Seems logical.

[StefanM]

I would be surprised if the Krzesicki doesn't have some more identity documents issued by the Allies from his DP camp or confirming his PoW status at Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen camps.

But why I wonder why on earth has the family given up these important and totally irreplaceable pieces of their family history? A real tragedy IMO.

[DUJAILAH]

I think Ian needs to ask the family if they have any other papers or even better pictures of him. It would be great to keep the complete story together.

Yeah, it's also beyond me why families sell their history like that. But I suppose if they kept all their items we collectors would have nothing to collect!!

[StefanM]

The AK Białystok veteran association in Poland my be able to provide more information:

Okręg Białystok Światowego Związku Zołnierzy Armii Krajowej

Adres: 15-440 Białystok ul. Malmeda 8 p.31
Telefon: 85-743-64-45
Prezes: Witold Czarnecki