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Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

Article about: I am trying to build a Polish family tree and we have this photo of a young soldier that was among family photos. We believe it is our Grandfather or if not maybe Grandfathers brother. I'm n

  1. #1

    Default Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

    I am trying to build a Polish family tree and we have this photo of a young soldier that was among family photos. We believe it is our Grandfather or if not maybe Grandfathers brother. I'm not sure what era this photo is from but on the back it is stamped with the mark of Strumillo-Pietraszkiewicz, Warsaw. I did a search on this premises and it seems from phone records that J. Strumillo-Pietraszkiewicz was the owner here from 1930-1938 so I'm guessing the photo was taken in this time frame.
    Grandfather and his family were Polish but from an area that is now in Lithuania near the border with Belarus.

    Does that make sense considering the uniform he is wearing? Is it from this period and can anyone identify the uniform markings?

    The uniform looks Polish but I cant find another Polish uniform online with the same badge on the collar. It looks like a crossed sword and sabre surrounded by a feather or branch. Any idea on the medals he is wearing?

    Hope someone can help, we are very curious!!

    Emma
    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photosNeed help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

  2. #2
    MAP
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    Have rotated the photo for you.

    Hopefully someone will be around shortly to help out.

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

  3. #3

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    Thanks for that, I didn't know how to rotate it

  4. #4

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    Hello Emma,

    May I be the first to welcome you to the Forum, I sincerely hope that you do not mind me cropping your photograph to show more detail

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

    On his Rogatywka (GarrisonCap) below the Crowned Eagle is the Single Rank Bar denoting a St.Strz. or St.Szer., he wears the same rank strip on his Epaulettes.

    On the Collar is the Badge of the N.C.O.'s School Collar Badges.

    That is as far as I can say Emma, hopefully one of the other Forum Members will contribute some further information.

    Once again Welcome to the Forum.

    Best wishes

    Andrzej

  5. #5

    Smile

    Thanks so much Andrzej!

    So maybe he was a Private trying to become an NCO in the NCO school in Warsaw. I was trying to find out which NCO school this might be and I found this reference: Ujazdow Castle - Wikipedia
    "Captured by the German army in 1915, on April 10, 1917 it was transferred to the Polish Legions and became the main military hospital for Polish units fighting alongside the Central Powers (the more modern Ujazdów hospital located nearby remained a German-only hospital).

    After Poland regained her independence in 1918, the internal design of the castle was yet again modified. Since the 1920s it housed several parts of the Warsaw NCO school. The main staircase was restored to its 18th-century representative design. An interesting feature of the staircase was a set of stone tablets placed there May 15, 1927, commemorating the names of all known Polish military medics who perished in wars between 1797 and 1920.[1] Additional tablets commemorated Karol Kaczkowski, Zdzisław Lubaszewski and a sculpture by Edward Wittig commemorating all military medics. After the Polish Defensive War of 1939, the Red Cross organized a school for WIA soldiers. The castle was burnt out and damaged by the Germans following the Warsaw Uprising of 1944."


    Is there any register where I can check his surname to see if he is on military records? His surname was Kurkul which is not very common in Poland. Could be Michal (Grandfather) or Janusz (Uncle). We know that Janusz was in the Polish Army but not sure where, he would have been born in the 1930s though which made me think this photo wasnt him.

    Still wondering about those medals, maybe other members recognise them? They are probably commemorative as he is very young to have seen service.

    Thanks again Andrzej

  6. #6

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    Hello Emma,

    Many thanks for your reply, please accept my apologies for not putting the English translation of his rank which in the photograph is Lance Corporal,

    The first medal shown I though that it might be the 10th Anniversary of Independence Medal but the effigy is facing the wrong way.

    When this terrible Pandemic is over it would be wise to write to the Polish Military Records in Warsaw, there address is below.

    Central Military Archives,
    ul. Czerwonych Beretów 124,
    00-910 Warsaw-Rembertów,
    Polska-Poland.

    Once again Emma apologies

    Best wishes

    Andrzej

  7. #7

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    Hello Emma,

    I think I identified these medals. These are two sports medals awarded for participating in sports competitions - marches in which military teams took part.

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

    Medal Nr 1:

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

    Award medal - this one - for first place in group C during the IX March of Sulejówek - Belweder on 19th March 1934. Medal made in the factory of J. Sztechman, diameter 32 mm, silver-plated brass

    Medal Nr 2:

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos

    Award medal - this one - for III place during the Warsaw - Sulejówek march on 19th March 1930. Bas-relief on the obverse by Olga Niewska. Diameter 30 mm, signed by A. Nagalski, made of brass. White and red ribbon


    And regarding Michał Kurkul below is information about him from the Central Military Archives database:

    Need help to identify this Polish Soldiers uniform from family photos


    I hope that this information is for some help to you.


    Regards
    Konrad

  8. #8

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    Thanks Andrzej for this info about his rank and school badge, I will write to the Military Archives. This forum is great!

  9. #9

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    Konrad
    Thank you so much, it is amazing that you were able to identify these medals! The knowledge available on this forum is excellent and I really appreciate your help. I will write to Military archives to ask for anymore information that they may have.

    Kind Regards
    Emma

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