Born: September 12, 1909 in Lenkoran (near Baku, Azerbaijan)
Died: August 15, 2000 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Buried : Dąbrówka Kościelna (pow. Wysokie Mazowieckie, woj. podlaskie, Poland)
Family: father Stanisław; mother Maria (maiden name: Roszkowski)
Married: Anne Pryde Leckie
Children: 3 sons
Military rank: Second Lieutenant
Military Medals: Polish: Virtuti Militari 5th Class (#8625); Krzyż Walecznych (Cross of Valour); Złoty Krzyż Zasługi; Krzyż Pamiątkowy Monte Cassino; Medal Wojska; British : 1939/1945 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defense Medal; Wounded Star Barrette; French: Medaille Commemorative Francaise de la guerre 1939-1945, avec les barrettes “France-Engage Volontaire”.
Fates before joining Anders Army : His father worked as a surveying engineer for the Nobel oil interests in Baku, Azerbaijan. In 1917, because of deteriorating conditions in Russia, the family returned to Poland and took over the running of Kierznowizna (pow. Wysokie Mazowieckie, woj. białostockie), a family estate, inherited from his mother’s family, the Roszkowski’s. In 1927, Skrzeszewski attended and graduated from the agricultural school in Bojanowo near Poznań. From 1931 to 1932, he attended the Cavalry Officer Reserve School in Grudziądz. This was an exclusive military college and for the first time he achieved good academic results. After completing his education, he returned to help run the estate at Kierznowizna. He was assigned to the 10th Lithuanian Lancers regiment in Białystok and he continued his military training as a reservist with this unit.
Skrzeszewski entered into WWII in September 1939 with the 10th Lithuanian Lancers. The 10th was part of the Podlaska Cavalry Brigade of the Polesie Independent Operational Group. On October 5th, this group was engaged in the last major battle of the September 1939 campaign – the Battle of Kock. At the end of this campaign, Skrzeszewski returned to Kierznowizna. In December 1939, learning of the formation of a Polish army in France, he made his way through Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Italy to France. In France he was assigned to the Reconnaissance Division of the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade. In June 1940, after the fall of France, he escaped to England and was assigned to a reconnaissance brigade of the 10th Armoured Brigade in Biggar-Douglas, Scotland. Later, he was assigned for further training to Polish HQ in London. On June 28, 1941 he married Anne Pryde Leckie in St. Aloysius Church in Glasgow.
Military history: In June 1942, he was assigned to the Polish forces in the Middle East and arrived in Egypt. He was part of a joint British intelligence unit and travelled from Iraq to Libya. At the end of this assignment, he was sent to join the Polish 2nd Corps in Iraq, where he underwent further training. Here he was transferred to the 12th Podolian Lancer’s Regiment, part of the 3th Carpathian Rifle Division.
In December 1943, the transfer of the Polish 2nd Corps from Egypt to Italy began. By February 1944 he was in Italy and was positioned on the River Sangro front. On this front he was involved in the liberation of several Italian communities. In April 1944 he was transferred to Monte Cassino and was seriously wounded during the first assault on the monastery.
By July 1944, Skrzeszewski was back in England, where he was taken to the 4th Polish Field Hospital in Ormskirk near Liverpool. While in hospital, he was awarded the war medal “Virtuti Militari” for exhibiting exceptional bravery on the Field of Glory. In 1946, Skrzeszewski became part of the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC). On April 26, 1948 he was honourably discharged at Witley Camp, Surrey.
Post-War: In 1948, the family moved to Canada and ended up living in St. Catharines, Ontario. The serious wound from the battle of Monte Cassino left Skrzeszewski as an invalid for the rest of his life. The family lived on a British military pension with Canadian supplements. Skrzeszewski was very active in the Polish community in St. Catharines, including serving as President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 418, Polish Veterans. He raised three sons who have a clear understanding of their Polish roots and of their Polish history.
author : Stan Skrzeszewski
source : Stan Skrzeszewski, A Family History – The Final Chapter, Screaming Tree Publishers, 2021
