Graves of Polish seamen from World War II, photo MSZ, 2021
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Graves of Polish seamen from World War II
Graves of Polish seamen from World War II, photo MSZ, 2021
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Graves of Polish seamen from World War II
Graves of Polish seamen from World War II, photo MSZ, 2021
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Graves of Polish seamen from World War II
Graves of Polish seamen from World War II, photo MSZ, 2021
Licencja: all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Graves of Polish seamen from World War II
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ID: WOJ-000475-W/107322 (RU-0349)

Graves of Polish seamen from World War II

ID: WOJ-000475-W/107322 (RU-0349)

Graves of Polish seamen from World War II

Between 1942 and 1944, Allied convoys of food and war equipment for the USSR arrived in Murmansk by sea as an unfrozen port. Murmansk was constantly bombarded by the Germans, hence the need to protect the convoys. Polish sailors also participated in the protection. Among others, in 1942, the Polish warship "Garland", whose commander was Lieutenant Commander Henryk Eibel, covered the Allied convoy "PQ-16". During this voyage, 22 sailors were killed when the ship was damaged by an exploding bomb. By naval custom, they were buried at sea in the place where they died. The 49 injured sailors were brought ashore, 3 or 4 of them died in Murmansk and were buried in the international cemetery. Other ships of the Polish Navy also participated in the convoys to Murmansk: the submarine "Sokol" (which repeatedly insured the convoys) and the largest Polish warship "Dragon", which arrived in Murmansk in February 1944. The sailors from "Garlang", who died ashore in 1942, were buried in different places in the Murmansk cemetery, so their graves did not form a compact quarter. The burial places were marked with makeshift wooden crosses, on which the inscriptions were quickly obliterated. It was not until 1982 that the graves were consolidated and redecorated with tombstones made in Poland by the Conservation Workshop in Kielce. In 1989, a symbolic cross-anchor was unveiled next to the sailors' graves. This monument was brought from Poland, where it was made by Świdnica craftsmen. Under the right-hand panel of the monument, containers with water from the seas and oceans where Polish sailors died and an urn with soil from Westerplatte were placed. The plaques of the monument list the names of the Polish ships and the names of those buried here, as well as those whose bodies were laid to rest in the waters of the Bay of Kolska. The inscription in Polish, English and Russian reads: "On the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, in tribute to Polish sailors fallen on all seas and oceans. Compatriots." The inscription on the cross reads: "Passer-by, tell Poland that you saw us lying here, when we, obeying her holy laws - fell".

Publikacja:
09.05.2023
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