Find out info about Virtuti Militari recipient?

**3mk** · 03-15-2010, 02:46 AM

Hey guys,
I think my Great Grandfather was awarded the Virtuti Militari.I found his name in this online recipient list and I would like to find out if It was really him.Does anyone know how I can find more information?His name is
Wojciech
Klos

Thanks

Regards
Emil

P.s heres the recipient online list
FEEFHS: Polish Order of the Virtuti Militari Recipients

**StefanM** · 03-15-2010, 07:54 PM

by 3mk

Hey guys,
I think my Great Grandfather was awarded the Virtuti Militari.I found his name in this online recipient list and I would like to find out if It was really him.Does anyone know how I can find more information?His name is
Wojciech
Klos

Thanks

Regards
Emil

P.s heres the recipient online list
FEEFHS: Polish Order of the Virtuti Militari Recipients

Hi Emil,

I think you would need to contact the Central Military Archives (Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe, CAW) in Warsaw with biographic details for your G.G.Father.

Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe
Czerwonych Beretów bl. 124,
00-910 Warszawa
Kancelaria tel./fax (022) 681-46-37
caw@wp.mil.pl
Informacja Archiwalna tel. (022) 681-45-84
informacja.caw@wp.mil.pl

There is also the Jozef Pilsudski Institute in New York
which keeps some military archives from 1918 - 1943
http://www.pilsudski.org/Polish/Zbio...hiwum-119.html

The Pilsudski Institute of America
180 Second Ave.
NY 10003

Tel: 212 505-9077
Fax: 212 505-9052
e-mail: info@pilsudski.org

**3mk** · 03-15-2010, 08:36 PM

Thanks Stephan,
Ill try contacting them,Should I send an email or right a letter?
Thanks

Regards
Emil

**DRAGON** · 03-15-2010, 10:48 PM

Hello Emil,
All I can help you with is The following:
Klos, Wojciech. Kapral. VM5 Nr.6877, 1 Korpus Polski, Awarded 10th May 1922. I hope this is of some use to you, best of luck with your research.
Regards,
Dragon

**3mk** · 03-15-2010, 11:31 PM

Hey Dragon,
This is ALOT of help!Was the 1 Korpus Polski Polish troops who served in the Russian army right??
Thanks again Dragon

Regards
Emil

**3mk** · 03-15-2010, 11:37 PM

Hey again,!
I found out that the 1 Korpus Polski was the Polish corps in Russia,Where my Great-Grandfather fought,I think this is him!Ill send a letter to the Central Military Archives Stephan mentioned,Hopefully I can even get a picture!Thanks again!!

Regards
Emil

**A.J. Zawadzki** · 03-19-2010, 12:15 AM

Good luck with your research Emil. I’d suggest that you contact family members in Poland to dig through old photographs. Be thorough and try to contact as many of the older generation on your father’s side including great uncles and aunts. A VM was a big deal and a huge status symbol. Recipients were granted privileges and perks by the state. If your great grandfather was indeed a VM winner than you can bet he was a prominent family member that would have had a certain amount of ‘fame’, and this would very likely have translated into him being well photographed, maybe even in uniform. Now would that be nice to see?!

Keep us posted in your hunt for information.

Regards,
Tony

**3mk** · 03-19-2010, 02:13 AM

Hey Tony,
I can only get stories from the family , After the September campaign my Great Uncle avoided capture.In late 1939 my Grandfather and his parents were kicked out of there home and Hungarian SS officers were now living there , So 1 night my Grandpa Great Uncle and a couple of other soldiers (My Uncle was in 1 of the first AK groups,My Grandpa told me he was active as eary as late November of 1939!) burned the place down with molotov cocktails sadly burning everything.The only thing my Grandfather had after that was a picture of his Mother my Great Grandmother.

If I get anymore information Ill keep you guys posted!And if anyone wants to they can post stories cross`s documents and such of other recipients!

Regards
Emil

**A.J. Zawadzki** · 03-19-2010, 03:28 AM

Hi Emil, Your family history is typical of so many in Poland during those terrible years. Just be certain not to leave any stone unturned. Contact as many Klos family descendents as possible and ask to see old pictures. You may be surprised at what you find. As I said, a VM winner would have had celebrity status and there’s a reasonable chance that some pictures of Ol’ Soldier Klos would still exist somewhere. I am planning a trip to Poland to see my uncles, aunts and cousins either this year or next (my first time back since a being young boy back in the Soviet occupation era) and you can bet that I will be scouring photo albums and listening to family stories.

Regards,
Tony