Monte Cassino cross

[andrzejku98]

Hello tkz,

Many thanks for your post, I have looked through the Register of Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross only to discover the following when awarded the Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 2315 the Recipients details were as follows :

Rank : Plutonowy (Lance Sergeant)

Surname : Besser

Christian Name : Antoni

Date of Birth : 5th April 1915

Army Number : (also found on His ID Tags) : 1915-86-III

Unit : 12th Podolski Lancers Regiment

By the end of the war in Europe he was serving as a Plutonowy in the 7th Lubelski Lancers Regiment.

After that I could not find a trace of him, until 1961 when he visited the USA from Buenos Aires.

That is all that I was able to discover for you tkz.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[tkz]

You're welcome, Tkz.

I think we all here would love to see those medals that are in your possession especially the Monte Cassino Cross.

If this is not a problem for you, then could you post the pictures of it?

Thank you in advance
Konrad

My pleasure, I hope I've not breached any etiquette by posting some other medals on this thread - just let me know if I have!


MCC 2318 Front


MCC 2318 Rear


2nd Corp paraphernalia - I believe one is from my Grandfathers regimental insignia (15 Pułk Ułanów Poznańskich) I cannot remember what the large black crossed one is.


I understand these are Klemens Bibik UK Govt issued medals. My grandfathers were unfortunately stolen but I have his UK record of issued medals from MoD.


Some more bits that were kept by my Grandfather and Klemens


This one I believe is a Cross of Merit (Krzyż Zasługi). It was apparently awarded to my father's father, however, I have no backstory or further information. I'm waiting for the UK MoD to issue his military record.


My mother's fathers 2nd Corp papers


My mother's fathers 15 Pułk Ułanów Poznańskich papers - they erroneously named him Waclaw on this one!

Hello tkz,

Many thanks for your post, I have looked through the Register of Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross only to discover the following when awarded the Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 2315 the Recipients details were as follows :

Best wishes

Andrzej

Hi Andrzej, apologies the MCC number was 2318

[conrado]

2nd Corp paraphernalia - I believe one is from my Grandfathers regimental insignia (15 Pułk Ułanów Poznańskich) I cannot remember what the large black crossed one is.

Tkz,

Thank you very much for the pictures. It is always good to see such a beautiful items of our Polish heroes!

This large crossed badge on top left is the Commemorative Badge of the 12th Podolski Lancers Regiment.

You wrote that your grandfather's medals were stolen. Your grandfather served in the 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment. I have looked through the Register of the 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment and there is not starszy ułan Józef Wietrzychowski awarded the Monte Cassino Cross in it. So either your grandfather did not take part in the Battle of Monte Cassino or served in another unit than 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment... In other Lancers Regiments he is not listed as well.

Could you share with us your grandfather's military service in the 2nd Polish Corps?


Regards
Konrad

[andrzejku98]

Hello tkz,

No problem at least know we know the correct number of the Monte Cassino Cross when awarded the Recipients details were as follows :

Rank : St.Ul. (Lance Corporal/Cavalry)

Surname : Bibik

Christian name : Klemens

Date of Birth : 23rd November 1914

Army Number : (also found on His ID tags) : 1914-125-III

Unit : 12PULP

By the end of the war he had been promoted to Kapral, he came to the UK and settled down to civilian life, he died in December 1996 in Newark-upon-Trent, in Nottinghamshire.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[tkz]

Tkz,

Thank you very much for the pictures. It is always good to see such a beautiful items of our Polish heroes!

This large crossed badge on top left is the Commemorative Badge of the 12th Podolski Lancers Regiment.

Thanks - I guess the mixture of my grandfathers, Klemens' medals and my poor memory has confused things! I will separate them into specific boxes!

You are most welcome and it's the least I can do - the reason I found this forum was from other searches I am conducting on Waclaw Jacyna, who was awarded the MCC amongst others...but that's a whole other story.

You wrote that your grandfather's medals were stolen. Your grandfather served in the 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment. I have looked through the Register of the 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment and there is not starszy ułan Józef Wietrzychowski awarded the Monte Cassino Cross in it. So either your grandfather did not take part in the Battle of Monte Cassino or served in another unit than 15th Poznański Lancers Regiment... In other Lancers Regiments he is not listed as well.

Could you share with us your grandfather's military service in the 2nd Polish Corps?

Yes, I don't believe my Grandfather (Jozef Wietrzchowski) did take part in the battle of Monte Cassino. His records show he was incorporated into the Polish Armed Forces in Italy on 15 Sep 1944. There is mention of '23 Baon Piechoty' on his record. As far as I know he was liberated from the Wehrmacht in Southern France at some point by the Americans and then sent to Egypt and then to Italy - I have photos of him in both countries and of the site of Monte Cassino presumably a few months after the battle itself. I understand the Medals he was entitled to were all of the 'Standard' British ones excluding the MCC.

My other grandfather, Jerzy Stanislaw Tkacz according to his UK Gov. files somehow ended up in France in 1944 with the 'Bauzug' and then left for the UK to join the 1st Polish Paratroop Brigade (Service No. 53149) and PRC (Service No 30040995), spending time in 2 years in Germany 1945-1947 and being entitled to the War Medal. The papers indicate he used the name Jerzy Jaworowski when signing up to the Polish Forces as he was concerned about reprisals back home, which confuses things even more! Unfortunately, he passed away before I was born and so I've not heard his stories, in fact, we are due to go back to Sandomierz to try and establish what family links we still have there and to find his grave as he was repatriated and buried in Poland.

[tkz]

Hello tkz,

No problem at least know we know the correct number of the Monte Cassino Cross when awarded the Recipients details were as follows :

By the end of the war he had been promoted to Kapral, he came to the UK and settled down to civilian life, he died in December 1996 in Newark-upon-Trent, in Nottinghamshire.

Best wishes

Andrzej

Wonderful, thank you Andrzej. Yes, many of both my grandfathers friends settled in the Nottinghamshire area due to the coal mining jobs available at the time. From my memory, Klemens didn't have any family in the UK, hence why he gifted me the medals and paraphernalia he had, I distinctly remember him teaching me how to do a correct Polish salute. He lived together with another of my grandfathers friends until becoming too frail and having to go into care - we visited him during that time but I was still too young to appreciate the opportunity to talk to these men.

[Botmalin]

Artur, thanks a lot for the information.
Best regards
Botmalin

[ValeriiGajewski]

Hello Andrzej!

How do you think, are that three crosses an original?

Trying to find someone instead the great grandefather's cross.

№40573

№34899


№19897


Thank you!

[andrzejku98]

Hello Valerii,

Many thanks for your post yes they are all original crosses, although the first 2 have been cleaned removing their original coating whilst the 3rd from the photograph seems to be in its original form.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[conrado]

Hello Everyone,

Faces of the Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross from 3 DSK:

All these soldiers from 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division combine in one story related to the capture of the Monte Cassino Monastery.



Starszy strzelec (later kapral) Jan Marniok, Army Number: 1923-291-III, Unit: 4th Company of the 4th Battalion, 3 DSK, MCC Nr: ????, also awarded KW

Kpr. Jan Marniok (born 1923, died 1998) as a Ślązak (Silesian) from Katowice was enlisted to German Afrika Korps. In Tunisia he escaped to the British Army and from their prisoner camp he reported to the 2nd Polish Corps of General Władysław Anders.

During the Battle of Monte Cassino st. strz. Jan Marniok took part in the second assault of Polish troops along with his 4th Company of the 4th Carpathian Battalion on the Hill 593, called the "Sacrificial Mountain".



St. strz. Jan Marniok in the middle with comrades in arms, 1945

On 18th May 1944 st. strz. Jan Marniok took from a German Captain who was taken as a prisoner the abbot's rod of the Monte Cassino Monastery. The valuable item, made of ivory, was handed over immediately to porucznik Zygmunt Olechnowicz and then to major Melik Somchjanc who handed the rod to the Commander of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division General Bronisław Duch. Soon, during the official audience of the Commander of the 2nd Polish Corps in the Vatican, General Władysław Anders solemnly transferred the property of the Abbot of the Monastery to Pope Pius XII.



Porucznik Zygmunt Olechnowicz, Army Number: 1909-12-III, Unit: Deputy Commander of the 4th Company of the 4th Battalion, 3 DSK, MCC Nr: ????, also awarded the Viruti Militari Silver Cross and KW



Mjr Melik Somchjanc (see post #178), Unit: 4th Battalion, 3 DSK, MCC Nr: 1901, also awarded the Viruti Militari Silver Cross and KW, holds in his hands the recovered abbot's rod of the Monte Cassino Monastery, May 1944



Genearl Władysław Anders hands over to Pope Pius XII the abbot's rod of the Monte Cassino Monastery.


Regards
Konrad

PS





Wedding of Jan Marniok's grandson who cultivates the memory of his Grandfather and the 2nd Corps' soldiers whilst his wife recreates the history of the PSK (Women's Auxiliary Service), 14th July 2018