Military Medals: Polish: Cross of Valour (1946), Monte Cassino Cross (card no. 20137, 1945), Commemorative Badge of 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (card no. 8371, 1946), Army Medal (1946); British: The 1939-1945 War Star (1945), Italy Star (1945), Defence Medal (1947), War Medal (1947)
Much is unknown about his life, but from his uniform and archival documents, we know he was part of the 4th Polish Field Artillery Regiment of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division under the Second Polish Corps (ID no. 1910/129/III). His travels took him all around Europe and the Middle East where he eventually found himself fighting in Monte Cassino. Sometime after the war, he came to Canada, but even this is hard to verify. It’s interesting how artifacts can tell so much about someone’s life, yet also leave so many questions still left to be answered. This is why Orliński Museum in Mississauga, Canada strives to preserve the stories of veterans like Józef Gawęda so their stories are never forgotten.
author : Robert Stanczyk
source : archives of Orliński Museum, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
1939-1945 British War Medal; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaCommemorative Badge of 5th Kresowa Infantry Division of Polish 2nd Corps card of platoon commander Józef Gawęda, no. 8371, year 1946; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaDefence Medal card of Józef Gawęda, year 1947; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, Canada1939-45 British War Medal and Italy Star card of Józef Gawęda, year 1945; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaPolish Cross of Valour card of Józef Gawęda, year 1947; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaCommemorative Monte Cassino Cross card (front page) of Józef Gawęda; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaCommemorative Monte Cassino Cross card (page 2 and 3) of Józef Gawęda, no. 20137, year 1945; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaPolish “Army Medal” (Medal Wojska) card of Józef Gawęda, year 1947; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaBritish “War Medal” card of Józef Gawęda; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaPolish Cross of Valour medal; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaDefence Medal; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaThe Italy Star medal; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaPolish Commemorative Monte Cassino Cross; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaJózef Gawęda’s military uniform from Polish 2nd Corps; source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, CanadaPolish War Medal (Medal Wojska); source: Józef Gawęda collection, Orlinski Museum, Canada
