Monte Cassino cross

[andrzejku98]

Hello Seyda,

Further to your post Numbered : 4058 and my reply post Numbered 4060, I have been able to look through the Regimental History and have found the following information for you :

British Stars (1939-1945 Star & the Italy Star) Award Legit Numbered : 740

Medal Wojska Legit Numbered : 29418

2nd Corps Badge & Legitymacja Numbered (only 3 Numbers are listed in the Regimental History for some reason) : 768

I sincerely hope that the above information is of some use and help to you Seyda.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[andrzejku98]

Hello Konrad,

In reply to your Post Numbered : 4061, I have looked through the Register of Recipients of the Monte Cassino Cross and have found the following information :

1) Plut. Pchor. Antoni Gałecki, Army Number : 1906-5-III, Unit : 21KT, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 43681.

2) Plut. Stanisław Gerula, Army Number : 1914-3-III, Unit : KGL3DSK, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 4476 (by the end of the War he was a Wachm. Pchor. serving in the 3 Szwadron żandarmerii.

3) Kpr.Pchor. Antoni Komendo-Borowski, Army Number : 1912-3-III, Unit : 1BSK, Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 7149 (by the end of the War he had been promoted to Podporucznik).

4) Plut. Bolesław Habowski, Army Number : 1914-33-III, did not receive the Monte Cassino Cross.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[conrado]

Thank you Andrzej for your time and that valuable information!

In addition to my post #4061 and Plut. (later Wachm.) Stanisław Gerula, Army Number: 1914-3-III, Unit: KGL3DSK, MCC Nr: 4476:

As I mentioned in my previous post, as a Walthamstow Avenue goalkeeper he made it to the FA Cup Amateur Final. On April 28, 1952, at the age of 38, he was the first Pole to play at the famous Wembley Stadium. His team won 2-1 against Leyton after extra time.



In the photos we see Stanisław Gerula in the black sweater.

And the amazing video from that match:

AMATEUR FINAL TIE - WALTHAMSTOW'S VICTORY - YouTube

The trophy was presented to the team of Walthamstow Avenue by British Minister of Defence Lord Harold Alexander. In 2:34 congratulations from the Lord receive Stanisław Gerula.

Regards
Konrad

[TMZ]

Regarding Kpr.Pchor. Antoni Komendo-Borowski, Army Number : 1912-3-III

In the 3DSK listing he is shown twice as:

BORKOWSKI Antoni - ps. KOMENDO Antoni, 1912/3, ppor., 1. bn.

and

KOMENDO Antoni - patrz BORKOWSKI Antoni

which suggests both a slightly different spelling (extra K) and that one name (KOMENDO) was used as a pseudonym.

I wonder if this is in error?

Regards,

Ted

[conrado]

Hello Ted,

"Komendo" was not his pseudonym. Komendo-Borowski it's just a two-part surname, maybe not very often but still typical in Poland.

While "BorKowski" is just an error, I think.

Regards
Konrad

[conrado]

Hello Everyone,

Another Polish athlete, a Recipient of the Monte Cassino Cross:



Ppor. Leonid Fiedoruk, Unit: P4Panc. "Skorpion", MCC Nr: ?, awarded Virtuti Militari Silver Cross Nr: 10169, KIA at Ancona on August 8, 1944.

Above picture was taken during men's athletics match North-Eastern Poland - East Prussia in June 1935

Leonid Fiedoruk was the Polish record holder in discus throw. Before the war he was a member of the Olympic team but the war interrupted his dreams of appearing at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. They were to take place in 1940. Poles noticed Fiedoruk's extraordinary sports talent when as a 16-year-old boy he won three competitions at an athletics meeting Vilnius - Białystok: shot put, discus throw and javelin. In 1937 with the result of 46.36 m he broke the Polish record in discus throw. A year later he improved it sending a disc in Vilnius at a distance of 46.98 m. He was a two-time national champion in discus throw (1938, 1939) and a three-time runner-up: in shot put (1938, 1939) and discus throw (1937).



Leonid Fiedoruk during an athletics match Poland - Germany at the Polish Army Stadium. Marshal Józef Piłsudski in Warsaw in August 1937

Leonid Fiedoruk was born on July 17, 1914 in Janów near Bielsk Podlaski. He graduated from the Armoured Cadet School in Modlin (1936-1937). As a reserve Sergeant/Officer Cadet at the end of August 1939 he was mobilized to the 8th Armored Battalion in Bydgoszcz. On September 13, 1939 he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant with seniority on September 1. In the September Campaign he participated in the fighting in Pomerania. A week after the Soviet aggression against Poland Fiedoruk was captured in Równe. He was imprisoned in the Kozelsk camp. He miraculously avoided death in Katyń as he ended up in the camp in Griazowiec. In October 1941 he joined the Anders' Army. He took part in the African Campaign and in the Italian Campaign. Participated among others in the Battles for Monte Cassino and Ancona as the Commander of the 2nd Squadron of the 4th Armoured Regiment. For his bravery on the battlefields he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and for his heroism at the Battle of St. Biagio he was awarded the Virtuti Militari V Class. He was killed in action just a month after his 30th birthday on August 8, 1944 near Ancona. He was buried at the Polish War Cemetery in Loreto.



Ppor. Leonid Fiedoruk grave (nr 1-C-10) at the Polish War Cemetery in Loreto, he was later exhumed.

Regards
Konrad

[andrzejku98]

Hello Konrad,

Ppor. Leonid Fiedoruk was awarded the Monte Cassino Cross Numbered : 29003

Best wishes

Andrzej

[andrzejku98]

Hello Everyone,

With reference to my post Numbered : 3041



The Group is now for sale on Allegro minus the Medals has shown in the above photograph

































St.Szer. (later Kapral) Tadeusz Trzaska was born on the 24th October 1919, Army Number : 1919-28-III, Unit : 3KSan., Died in 2004 in the UK.

Link to the auction page is below :

Zestaw dokumentow 3 Karpacka Kompania Sanitarna 9903886678 - Allegro.pl

Best wishes

Andrzej

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is the Cross I have coming up at work on Nov 20th.

WW2 Polish Medal group of Monte Cassino Cross, number 36167, complete with ribbon and Polish Army Medal 1939-45 complete with ribbon, along with Polish 2nd Korpus badge with cloth backing and spinner and a mini of the same, ID tag to 161-111 Ryszard Melich, Polish 5 Zloty bank note 1930, various Roman Catholic religious charms, Silver ARP badge, gilt tie clip, wooden souvenir of Jerusalem box, Daily Mail War Atlas and Newspapers and Ration Books.

Cheers, Ade.

[andrzejku98]

Hello Ade,

Many thanks for your post, when awarded the Monte Cassino Cross the Recipients details were as follows :

Rank : Bomb.

Surname : Melich

Christian Name : Ryszard

Date of Birth : 1907

Army Number : 1907-161-III

Unit : 7PAPlotLek.

Best wishes

Andrzej

p.s. Also found the following info on index of victims of soviet repression with incorrect spelling of surname:



Also found that he died in Chesterfield, Derbyshire in 1986.

Hope it is all of some use and help.