Hi, I am researching my Polish family history and I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me identify anything about the medals, uniforms etc from any of these pictures, any help would be appreciated, thanks Natasha.
^This picture was supposed to have been taken in 1936
Ok, I’ll start at the top.
This photo seems to be of a ‘Chorazny’ - A Warrant Officer or Ensign (usually a Standard Bearer) of a Uhlan Regiment. I cannot be sure of all his medals, but I think they are Type 1 Cross of Valour, Merit Cross, and the 1918/1921 War Medal (the Polish/Soviet Campaign). I’m not sure of the final one.
Below that, - I assume this is of the same man - The upper photo is a ‘Kapral’ (Corporal) The one below is possibly a Sierzant (Sergeant) or Wachtmistrz (Sergeant of Horse).
The bottom photo is his ‘Appel’ photo from Colditz POW establishment.
I can’t identify the Divisional marking on the truck, but perhaps you could try sending a PM to JR* on this site - He uses it as his avatar.
Thank you for replying and for the information you have given me, I will look more into the medals now and him being in Colditz, I am very interested in where he might have been imprisoned/ moved around during the war as Osnabruck and Stettin (Szczecin) are also places family members believed he was taken to.
Yes the pictures are all of the same man apart from the man in the truck which is his son, I think that photo was taken around 1942/3 as I believe this is around the time he was released from a concentration camp in Siberia, it would be interesting to find out more about this.
Hold everything - I’ve found the truck emblem…It’s the mascot of the 22nd.Artillery Supply company. Part of HQ 2nd. Corps (which took part in the battle for Monte Cassino) the emblem is callexd ‘The Wojtek soldier bear’
Reading about it the 22nd.Artillery makes sense as I know he spent time in Egypt and Italy (like you say fighting at Monte Cassino)
