248798 Cpl. Florian Wegrzyn Polish Army from:Boryslaw, Poland Florian Wegrzyn joined the Polish Home Army when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. He and his compatriots fought primarily in the ever dwindling circle that was prewar Warsaw. They transported their wounded and moved troops and ammunition through the bombarded streets of the city. They fought the Nazis with heroic ferocity. When the streets were no longer passable they used the city sewer system to move about as necessary.
The Allies tried to supply them with airdrops, but they were often taken by the Germans instead when the winds blew the parachutes off course. The Russians were given the task to airdrop food by the Allies. When they did, they simply threw sacks off their airplanes without parachutes so they would burst on impact with the ground rendering them useless. The Red Army stood by on the banks of the Wisla river and watched the massacre of the city.
With all ammunition and supplies expended the Polish Army staff approved the surrender of Polish troops to the Nazis. The troops laid down their arms and marched in rank to the train stations where they were dispersed to various prison camps.
My father was taken to Stalag18 C in Austria. His German POW number was 223513. He told me they were forced to labor on a tunnel in the Alps that was often strafed by allied airplanes while the workers were forced to remain at work under threat of death from their prison guards.
Upon camp liberation he was inducted into the British Army for the short duration and was discharged from the service in England where he married and emigrated to the United States.
He was awarded the Polish Army Cross
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