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Memorial to the legionaries who died in 1920 and are buried in the Catholic cemetery, photo MKiDN, 2019
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Memorial to Polish Army soldiers who died of wounds in the Polish-Bolshevik war, resting in the Catholic cemetery
Memorial to the legionaries who died in 1920 and are buried in the Catholic cemetery, photo MKiDN, 2021
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Memorial to Polish Army soldiers who died of wounds in the Polish-Bolshevik war, resting in the Catholic cemetery
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ID: WOJ-000090-W (LV-0125a)

Memorial to Polish Army soldiers who died of wounds in the Polish-Bolshevik war, resting in the Catholic cemetery

Krasław | Latvia
łot. Krāslava
ID: WOJ-000090-W (LV-0125a)

Memorial to Polish Army soldiers who died of wounds in the Polish-Bolshevik war, resting in the Catholic cemetery

Krasław | Latvia
łot. Krāslava

Soldiers who died of wounds and illnesses during the fighting against the Bolsheviks in the Latgalian campaign and after the end of the fighting were laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery in Kraslaw. They died mostly in field hospitals 112 and 602 between January and April 1920. There were also graves of soldiers from the period of fighting near Kraslaw in 1919, but there is no information about these graves. Only one name of a soldier buried in the cemetery in 1919 - Lieutenant Marian Dąbrowski (date of death 16.07.1919), who does not appear on the "List of Polish Army Losses" issued in 1934 by the Military Historical Bureau, is mentioned in the archival records. According to archival lists, a total of 50 legionaries known by name and 43 unknown soldiers were buried in the cemetery in six graves. No separate war plot was created for soldier burials, the graves were scattered in different places in the cemetery. Simple wooden crosses were placed on them, which by 1927 had already become rotten and more than once broken by the wind, and the earthen graves had collapsed. Faced with a lack of funds and the possibility to take care of all the graves, the Board of the Kraslaw branch of the Union of Poles in Latvia held a fundraiser for a monument to commemorate all the soldiers buried in this cemetery. The ceremonial unveiling of the monument was done on 8.07.1928 by the Latvian Minister of War E. Kalninš, in the presence of the Polish MP J. Łukasiewicz. The commemoration is in the shape of a mound of cemented field stones with a bronze plaque bearing the names of 45 dead soldiers and information about 42 unknown soldiers. A cross has been fixed on top of the mound. The project was designed by a Polish school teacher and president of the Kraslaw branch of the Polish Union in Latvia - S. Łasiewicz, who also drew up a list of names. No names of soldiers are given on the monument, only initials. Some names have been slightly distorted and it is difficult to reconstruct them correctly due to the diversity of their spelling in individual sources. The absence of first names in several cases makes identification difficult. The inscription on the plaque reads: "To the heroes of the Polish Forces/ Fallen in 1920/ in the battles for the liberation of Latvia/ Grateful Compatriots of Latvia/ Here rest the soldiers/ of the 3rd Division of the Polish Forces Legions: 1. french F. Białkowski 2. french W. Bermy 3. french A. Bitow 4. french W. Bunkowski 5. french W. Burzatek 6. french C. Bylewski 7. french F. Bystrzycki 8. lieutenant M. Dombrowski 9. french S. Dymek 10. french F. Dziki 11. french D. Fidosiuk 12. french J. Gdala 13. french A. Gogoliński 14. french K. Grzelak 15. marshal W. Harnowski 16. marshal J. Jankowski 17. marshal B. Janiszewski 18. sergeant R. Janic 19. marshal W. Jendraszyk 20. marshal P. Kasprowicz 21. marshal W. Kaźmierczak 22. marshal S. Kakol 23. marshal J. Klomowski 24. marshal S. Knapkiewicz 25. corporal M. Konecki 26. marshal W. Kowalski 27. marshal J. Kozłowski 28. french O. Kroculec 29. french J. Kwoka 30. french M. Łosiewicz 31. french W. Mazela 32. french W. Misztal 33. french S. Mitula 34. french W. Puchacz 35. french J. Radek 36. french S. Sokołowski 37. french S. Swistek 38. corporal A. Szpak 39. french A. Szymicki 40. french S. Temski 41. Pvt. B. Urban 42. Pvt. M. Wardynski 43. Pvt. J. Weclawski 44. Pvt. P. Wróblewski 45. Sgt. J. Zielinski and 42 unknown by name/ This monument was erected in July 1928/ thanks to the efforts of the Polish Association in Latvia." The names are given in three columns - 15 in each. In addition to the soldiers commemorated by name on the 1928 monument, archival records note 5 soldiers buried in this cemetery in undetermined locations. They are: Private Jan Machoniuk, Private Jan Klamka, Private Józef Karwowski, Private Tomasz Klok and Private Emil Łysicz. The cross on the memorial was replaced in the early 1990s. In 2019. Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Riga carried out the conservation of all elements of the monument with funding from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

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List of buried persons

50

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