A rare piece of history from the Warsaw Rising 1944

[StefanM]

A new addition (once it arrives from Warsaw) to my small AK collection, a little piece of history from the Warsaw Rising. I know I paid far too much to acquire this little painted cardboard piece of history but the story behind it is a poignant one...the more so as the 70th anniversary of the ill-fated Warsaw Rising is just weeks away.



Made by one of the nurses in a Home Army field hospital at ul. Wspólna 27 during the Rising 1944 this cardboard ryngraf was hung by a piece of string over the bed of a young AK soldier, Włodzimierz "Korybut" Michalkiewicz, who was seriously wounded in the stomach. "Korybut" was cared for by an equally young nurse but sadly the soldier died after five days, which affected the nurse looking after him very deeply.

After the capitulation of Warsaw the nurse was deported to Germany as a PoW and some time later to a PoW camp in Belgium, she managed to keep the ryngraf with her throughout that time - and for the rest of her life after the end of WWII. The ryngraf featured in an article about the AK nurse and her story in the Polish press so once I get hold of a copy I will post the full story in the thread with some better photos of the little handmade and painted ryngraf.

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Kapral podchorąży. Włodzimierz "Korybut" Michalkiewicz
Okręg Warszawski Armii Krajowej -I Obwód "Radwan" (Śródmieście)- 3. Rejon "Ratusz - Wojskowa Służba Ochrony Powstania - VI zgrupowanie WSOP - batalion "Bełt"
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[harryamb2]

a good enough reason to pay over the odds for it,great she survived.

[Kevin Grootaers]

Looks good.

[StefanM]

Interesting to think that this little card ryngraf was somewhere in the group of nurses (below photos) on their way to PoW and work camps in Germany. Photos (courtesy Warsaw Rising Museum) of the medics and nurses of the Wspólna street field hospital taken by Czeslaw Gerwel "Orłoś" during the Rising including the evacuation of the nurses and medics from Wspólna after the capitulation.

[kindzjal]

I know I paid far too much to acquire this little painted cardboard piece of history

First off all I would like to congratulate You with this purchase! A original and very typical AK '44 eagle and gorget.
I don't know what amount of money You paid, but (IMHO) for that kind of scarce relic You never can pay too much!
Do You realise how many of those "WarsawUprising" gorgets (or eagles) are to be found in musea and in private collections around the world? There are just few of them which survived all those years. And most of them are made out off metal!
This one is a very, very rare piece of Polish history.
I can also tell You that there is a group of collectors "hunting" for those items, so You are a very lucky guy

After the capitulation of Warsaw the nurse was deported to Germany as a PoW and some time later to a PoW camp in Belgium

It's the first time I hear that WU veterans were sent to PoW camps in Belgium
Can You specivy which camp exactly we talk about?

[StefanM]

Do You realise how many of those "Warsaw Uprising" gorgets (or eagles) are to be found in musea and in private collections around the world? There are just few of them which survived all those years. And most of them are made out off metal!

I must admit, this is the first such handmade cardboard ryngraf I have seen and was immediately attracted by the fascinating back story surrounding its creation.

This one is a very, very rare piece of Polish history.

I am beginning to think it is even rarer than I first thought

I can also tell You that there is a group of collectors "hunting" for those items, so You are a very lucky guy.

Thank you The ryngraf is still in the postal system between Warszawa and London and once it arrives I am planning to take it to SPP-PUMST so it can be further researched.

It's the first time I hear that WU veterans were sent to PoW camps in Belgium Can You specivy which camp exactly we talk about?

I also did not know PoWs' from the Rising were transferred to Belgium and am hoping when I get a copy of the magazine article about the nurse and her ryngraf it will provide more information.

[kindzjal]

I can only say this again: You are a very lucky guy
Take a look at the few gorgets which are to be found at the WU Museum in Warsaw:



IMHO this one is the most interesting:



This one is very tipical:



And now take a look at Your purchase

[StefanM]

Do you have the publication data on this catalogue?

[kindzjal]

Katalog Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego, 2009.
ISBN 978-83-60142-26-4

[kindzjal]

I also did not know PoWs' from the Rising were transferred to Belgium and am hoping when I get a copy of the magazine article about the nurse and her ryngraf it will provide more information.

The whole problem with this story is the fact that there was no POW camp existing at this time in Belgium!
This could be a forced labour camp, but not a POW camp.