Monte Cassino cross

**andrzejku98** · 10-31-2020, 10:22 AM

Hello Everyone,

Another Monte Cassino Cross up for sale, this time on Ebay :

Monte Cassino Cross along with Legitymacja and the Army Medal all awarded to the following Recipient :

Rank : Bomb.

Surname : Tutaj

Christian Name : Henryk

Date of Birth : 1st April 1921

Fathers Name : Bronisław

Army Number : 1921-43-III

Unit : 7PAPpanc

During the September Campaign he was either a Regular or Reservist.

After the end of the War in Europe he settled down to civilian life in England and died on the 3rd April 1990 in Dover.

Link to the Auction page is below :

Poland. Polish Monte Cassino medal to Tutaj | eBay

Best wishes

Andrzej

**andrzejku98** · 11-01-2020, 12:48 PM

Hello Everyone,

Some more Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross who stayed in Italy buried at the Polish War Cemetery in Loreto :

Ppor. Jerzy Machowicz, Born 13th October 1923, Army Number : 1923-36-III, Unit : 5BSK, Date of Death : Wednesday 5th July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 9194 (awarded when a St.Strz.Pchor.).

Ppor. Jerzy Machowicz.

Strz. Antoni Majewski, Born 8th April 1908, Army Number : 1908-72-III, Unit : 5BSK, Date of Death : Tuesday 4th July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 9222

Kan. Jan Majstruk, Born 29th September 1912, Army Number : 1912-192-III, Unit : 7PAK, Date of Death : Saturday 24th June 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 32742

Strz. Roman Makaruk, Born 15th January 1905, Army Number : 1905-101-III, Unit : 5KSan., Date of Death : Saturday 22nd July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 26660

Kapral Edward Makutynowicz, Born 5th February 1910, Army Number : 1910-21-III, Unit : 6BSK, Date of Death : Monday 3rd July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 9225

Kan. Teofil Malinowski, Born 1st January 1918, Army Number : 1918-106-III, Unit : 1PAPom., Date of Death : Saturday 8th July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 38074

Plut. Piotr Markiewicz, Born 9th January 1908, Army Number : 1908-133-III, Unit : 5BCKM, Date of Death : Thursday 24th August 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 24834

St.Sap. Jan Moszaro, Born 23rd March 1916, Army Number : 1916-27-III, Unit : 10BSap., Date of Death : Wednesday 19th July 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 39690

Major Antoni Maszewski, Born 5th May 1908, Army Number : 1908-122-III, Unit : 4BSK, Date of Death : Sunday 6th August 1944, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 1630 (awarded when a Kapitan serving in 6BSK) also some Records state his date of death as Saturday 5th August 1944.

Also awarded the Silver Cross Virtuti Militari Legitymacja Numbered : 10731

Kpt. Antoni Maszewski

1931 Brussels Antoni Maszewski running for Poland

1932 Vienna, Austria, Antoni Maszewski winning the 800 metres race.

Book cover about the life of Antoni Maszewski.

That's all for now, click on the photographs to enlarge in a new page.

Best wishes

Andrzej

**andrzejku98** · 11-02-2020, 03:02 PM

Hello Everyone,

Another week and 2 more Monte Cassino Crosses for sale on Ebay :

Monte Cassino Cross Numbered 27812 awarded to :

Rank : Sierz.

Surname : Ostrowski

Christian Name : Antoni

Date of Birth : 5th January 1899

Army Number : 1899-34-III

Unit : 15KZaop. (15th Transport Company, 5th Kresowa Infantry Division).

After the end of the war in Europe in settled down to Civilian Life in Leicester where he died in April 1973.

Link to the auction page is below :

Monte Cassino medal to Ostrowski. | eBay

Now on to the next Monte Cassino Cross :

Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 773

The last 3 photographs I found online.

Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 773

Rank. Ppor.sp.

Surname : Siemik

Christian Name : Józef

Date of Birth : 12th March 1915

Army Number : 1915-51-III

Unit : 2BSK

Date of Death : 12th May 1944

Also awarded the Silver Cross Virtuti Militari Legitymacja Numbered : 10019

Link to the auction is below :

Polish monte cassino officers medals KIA | eBay

Best wishes

Andrzej

**conrado** · 11-04-2020, 06:17 PM

Hello Everyone,

Face of a Recipient of the Monte Cassino Cross:

Kapitan (porucznik whilst awarding) Leon Dzienniak, Army Number: 1905-101-III, Unit: KG6LBP (Headquarters Staff 6 Lwow Infantry Brigade), Monte Cassino Cross Nr: 17622, also awarded the Virtuti Militari Silver Cross Nr: 11323 and the Cross of Valour

Leon Dzienniak pre war photo

During the Battle of Monte Cassino por. Leon Dzienniak was a liaison officer. Melchior Wańkowicz writes about it in his book "The Battle of Monte Cassino".

After the end of warfare kpt. Leon Dzienniak was seconded for a few months as the commander of the NCO school in San Benedetto del Tronto (in the Ancona area).

Kpt. Loen Dzienniak signature in the book during his stay in San Benedetto del Tronto

In 1947 he returned to Poland. In Warsaw when he settled down he acted socially getting involved in the work of many social organizations. He died after a long illness on 22nd January 1990. He lived 85 years. The obituary says "... he was a modest and noble Man and he will remain so in our memory". He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Regards
Konrad

**conrado** · 11-06-2020, 09:27 AM

Hello Everyone,

I found this photos on facebook and I think that I would share them with all of you:

Recipient of the Monte Cassino Cross Nr 5 Senior Commanders - General Nikodem Sulik, General Officer Commanding 5 Kresowa Infantry Division

Monte Cassino Cross Numbered 5 awarded to General Nikodem Sulik - obverse and reverse

The Cross was found many years ago in one of the antiquities shops by two collectors - father and son. They contacted the daughter of gen. Nikodem Sulik who insisted that they continue to look after her father's medal.

Regards
Konrad

**andrzejku98** · 11-06-2020, 12:24 PM

Hello Everyone,

Another Monte Cassino Cross for sale on Allegro :

Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 32321 when awarded the Recipients details were as follows :

Rank : Kapral

Surname : Oleski

Christian Name : Wojciech

Date of Birth : 1910

Army Number : 1910-3-III

Unit : Dowodztwa Grupy Artylerii (HQ Group Artillery)

Link to the web page is below click on the link :

KRZYŻ pamiatkowy MonteCassino - Oryginał 9889051331 - Allegro.pl

Best wishes

Andrzej

**seyda** · 11-06-2020, 01:22 PM

Photos and Monte Cassino Cross of MACIEJ RUTKOWSKI, soldier of 8th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment

**Adrian Stevenson** · 11-06-2020, 07:04 PM

I have a Cross coming up at work this month. Still to catalogue it. Will post it here in the next few days.

Cheers, Ade.

**andrzejku98** · 11-06-2020, 10:16 PM

Hello Seyda,

Many thanks for your post showing the items belonging to Kan. Maciej Rutkowski, I can add the following information for you :

Rank : Kan. (Atilleryman)

Surname : Rutkowski

Christian Name : Maciej

Date of Birth : 17th February 1904

Name of Father : Andrzej

Army Number : (also found on His ID Tags) : 1904-71-III

Unit : 8PAPLotCie.

I have also found some information for him during the September 1939 Campaign and after release joined the Anders Army :

I hope that the above information is of some use and help to you Seyda, I will look through the Regimental History and let you know if I find anything more on him.

Best wishes

Andrzej

**conrado** · 11-07-2020, 12:19 PM

Hello Everyone,

Referring to Andrzej's post #4053 in the Battle of Monte Cassino was also took part the football players of the pre-war Polish national football team and soldiers of the 2nd Corps:

Antoni Gałecki - the most outstanding defender in the history of the ŁKS Łódź (Łódź Sports Club),

Bolesław Józef Habowski aka "Karta"- striker of Wisła Kraków and Junak Drohobycz

Antoni Komendo-Borowski aka "Sarenka" - a football player of Jagiellonia Białystok and Pogoń Lwów.

Antoni Gałecki (MCC Nr: ?) was born on June 4, 1906 in Łódź. He made his debut for the Polish national team in 1928 in a match against Czechoslovakia. Then he played in it 17 more times. In 1936 at the Olympic Games in Berlin he and his friends took fourth place. He played in all Polish games at the Olympics. In 1938 he played at the World Cup in France. He played among others in the famous match with Brazil, lost by Poland after extra time 5:6. More than once he had to fight for the ball with Leonidas, the most famous footballer before the Pele era.

After the outbreak of the war Antoni fought in the September Campaign in the rank of Corporal. He was interned in a POW camp in Hungary from where he escaped and reached Palestine. Here he joined Anders' Army. He fought at Tobruk and in the Battle of Monte Cassino. After the end of the war he was a lecturer at the driver's school at the Army Training Center in Italy where he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Later he left for England but in 1947 he decided to return to Poland. Only four times he appeared on the pitch in a league match for the ŁKS Łódź team. Unfortunately for a soldier from Anders' Army there was no place in the league team... He died on December 14, 1958 in Łódź. He was 52 years old.

Plutonowy Bolesław Józef Habowski (MCC Nr: ?) was born on September 13, 1914 in Kraków. Habowski made his debut in Wisła Kraków on June 11, 1933 in an away derby match against Cracovia Kraków.

Bolesław Habowski in the Wisła Kraków league match against Ruch Chorzów in June 1936

Before the outbreak of the war he played in two matches of the Polish national team: in October 1937 in a 4-0 victory with Yugoslavia and in September 1938 in the match against Latvia. The Poles lost to the Latvians 1:2 and the only goal for our representation was scored in the 34th minute by Habowski. In 1938 he received a favorable offer to play in Junak Drohobycz. He took advantage of it but did not play with his new friends for a long time. After the outbreak of the war he did not leave the country like most of Junak's players. The ball helped him get through hard times. In 1940–1941 he played for two Moscow clubs - Dynamo and Spartak. In 1942 he managed to get to the Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade. After its disassembly in the same year the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division was established on its basis with which Habowski went through the entire combat trail. After the end of the war he decided not to return to Poland. He lived in Great Britain where from 1946 he played in a military team called the "Karpatczycy" or "Carpatians". He died on May 21, 1979 in Wendover, England.

Ppor. Antoni Komendo-Borowski (Unit: 1BSK, MCC Nr: ?) was born on June 6, 1912 in Białystok. He played for the Polish national team only once - on September 15, 1935 in Łódź in a match against Latvia. In a 3-3 draw he scored one of the goals. However in 69 league matches played, he scored 15 goals. Like Gałecki and other soldiers of Anders' army, he remained in Italy in the occupation forces, and in 1946 he moved to Great Britain with the 2nd Corps. However, he did not return to the country. He died on May 12, 1984 in Bradford.

Antoni Komendo-Borowski during a match in Lwów in 1934

Almost the entire team of the Junak Drohobycz Military-Civil Sports Club from the Borderlands along with the president płk Mieczysław Młotek at the helm joined the Anders' Army. The players of Junak Drohobycz and other clubs formed the representation of the Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade, which played matches in the Middle East and Italy during the breaks between military training and fights at the front.

The goalkeeper of this team was Stanisław Gerula (vel Geruli) (MCC Nr: ?) Officer Cadet of the Military Police 3rd Squadron. Before the war, as a 20-year-old, he made his debut in June 1934 for Wisła Kraków. He has only played six games in the league. In 1936 he moved to Junak Drohobycz. In the last season before the outbreak of the war Gerula led Junak to the first place in the Lviv district league. During the war he was a soldier of the Szare Szeregi. Together with his friends from Junak he belonged to the group of the so-called white couriers and led people who were at risk of deportation by the Soviets to Hungary. In the end he himself stayed outside the country - through Yugoslavia he went to Syria and began his service in the Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade. He took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino and then for the breakthrough of the Gothic Line and in the offensive in the Lombardy Valley. After the war he remained in the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division in Italy and moved with it to Great Britain. After the demobilization of the 3 DSK he remained permanently in England. Gerula was the initiator of the creation of the Carpatians military team. He defended its colors in 1946–1947. Then he played for the following clubs: Orient Leyton, Walthamstow Avenue and Polonia New York. He ended his career in 1953. He was the first Pole to play at the famous Wembley stadium - in the 1952 FA Amateur Cup final.

This is how Gerula, 39, defended at Highbury (Arsenal London FC Stadium) during the repeated match with Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on February 5, 1953. He became the hero of the match defending dozens of shots by Manchester football stars. 53,000 fans eager for sensation came to the game hoping that the amateurs would eliminate the famous rival from the tournament. The game itself played at a thrilling pace did not disappoint, the fans saw seven goals. But five of them were scored by the guests from Manchester and Walthamstow was eliminated from the tournament.