born: June 21, 1914 in Radziechów, Tarnopol voivodship, Poland
died: November 15, 1998 in Great Britain
medals: Polish: Virtuti Militari Medal, Commemorative Cross of Monte Cassino (no. 23532);
Fates before joining Anders Army :
Adam Gołębiowski came from a family involved in the fight for Poland’s independence since the Napoleonic era. In 1938, he graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv.
He fought in the September Campaign of 1939, and then was captured by the Soviets and sent to a gulag. He survived in very difficult conditions in the camp until his release under the Sikorski-Maisky Agreement in 1942.
Military history:
After being released from the labor camp, Dr. Adam Gołębiowski managed to reach the Polish Armed Forces in the USSR under the command of General Anders. He joined the sanitary services of the Polish Army. After the evacuation to the Middle East, he was appointed a line doctor of the 2nd Medical Platoon of the 5th Medical Company of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division of the Polish 2nd Corps. As a lieutenant, he fought in the Italian campaign (registration no. 1914/182). For “exceptional bravery that saved many soldiers” in the Battle of Monte Cassino, he was awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari. In 1946, through France, he reached Great Britain with the troops of the 2nd Corps, where he was demobilized.
Post-War:
He remained in exile in Great Britain. After completing his surgical training under Sir Thomas Holmes Sellors, he joined the surgical department at London Chest Hospital. In 1951 he became head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and deputy director of Preston Hall Hospital. At the same time, he worked at the lung disease sanatorium in Maidstone, where he performed procedures alongside recognized specialists who very quickly appreciated his surgical skills. In 1963 he obtained the degree of consultant. He was a valued member of the Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He was the author of many publications on thoracic surgery in British professional journals. He died of a stroke in 1998.
