Dear Sir,
I am sending a filled questionnaire regarding Lt. Wawrzyniec Marcheński murdered in Katyń. The information I have included in the questionnaire comes from two preserved documents:
–personal identity card no. 21/752 of Danuta Marcheńska, Wawrzyniec’s daughter, issued by the 4th Gendarmerie Division on 19 December 1935, where it is stated: “rank of lieutenant 4th Gendarmerie Division Łodź – payer”; prolonged until 31 December 1937, 1938 and 1939 by Lieutenant Colonel Jan Topczewski and in 1939 by the Regiment’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Stanisław Biegański, and an annotation in the “changes” section (no date) indicated having been moved to the 31st Regiment of Kaniowscy Riflemen;
–the letter from Kozielsk from 20 November 1939, whose copy I am sending to you. Please note that on the reverse side of the letter, on the bottom left side, a question mark had been put. Moreover, Lt. Marcheński is complaining about his teeth in the letter. According to children Danuta and Mirosław, their father had healthy and strong teeth.
I know about the promotion of Lt. Marcheński in 1939 to the rank of captain from the accounts told by my husband Mirosław and my sister-in-law Danuta, who are no longer among the living. Lt. Marcheński had been gone away from home since spring 1939. Lt. Marcheński’s wife traveled with the children to Równe in September 1939 and probably got a lead on her husband, but had to return.
This is all I can contribute to the story of our tragedy. The children – Danuta and Mirosław, who could contribute the most – are dead.
I would be grateful if this scarce evidence could add to the biography of the man whom I have never had the chance to meet in person.
I attach two photographs and a copy of the letter.
Yours sincerely,
Wanda Marcheńska
1. Personal data: (name, surname, date, and place of birth):
Wawrzyniec Marcheński, 22 July 1898 in Warsaw.
2. Military information (military rank, kind of weaponry, reservist or career, conscription location – unit, army position, the course of September campaign, date of being taken into custody or arrested, which camp the letters came from):
Lieutenant of 31st Infantry Regiment of Kaniowscy Riflemen – career officer – promoted to the rank of captain in 1939. One letter, from 20 November 1939, from Kozielsk.
In the letter from November 1939 he lists 12 surnames: Wołoszyn (–), Zielenkiewicz (+) Amtliches Material 1339, Mączyński (+), Andrzejewski (+) AM 7091, Lichoń (+), Kmieć (+), Anton (+), Bolesławicz (–), Dziurzyński (+), Brdyś (+), Gaul (+) Missing persons list – Kozielsk and Sobieszczański (+) Missing person list – Kozielsk.
[not on the list (–), on the list (+)].
3. Was he on the German list (in the newspapers issued by Germans)?
He was on a list in the newspaper issued by Germans in Łódź.
4. When did the last card/letter came? Where from?
[From] Kozielsk, 20 November 1939.
5. Civil life information (education, profession, where he worked, place of residence):
Secondary, career officer, Łódź, Kaliska 24 Street.
6. Surname, name, address (telephone number) of the submitting person:
Wanda Marcheńska, [...].
Kozielsk, 20 November 1939.
My dear!
Please don’t be angry that I haven’t written till now to update you on my situation. I am alive and well, apart from minor concerns and [my] teeth. I am really curious, where everybody is now and whether everyone is fine, and I’m especially interested in the whereabouts of Dziunia, Danuśka and Mirek, grandmother, Uncle [?] Leszek, Halinka and her husband and son, as well as my [illegible] Uncle Jan, Zosia, Józiu and his wife, Kazik and his wife and children, as well as our closer and more distant friends like Mr. Tadeusz, etc. Please tell me what they are doing and if they are well.
Dear Mom, I’m writing this letter to Mom, because I don’t know if Dziuna is in Łódź with the children. I am really worried about them, because I shouldn’t have made them leave the house. I think day and night and I would like to be there as soon as possible and help them, and see you. With me is Wołoszyn, Zielenkiewicz, Mączyński, Kudrzejewski, Listeń [?], Kmieć, Bolesławicz, Dziurzyński [?], Brdyś, Librenczowski [?], Kuzoń [?], Gaul – they are well, too.
I’m not in need, so please don’t send anything. Due to lack of time I will be writing you once a month, and may Dziunia write about her and all others once a month, too. If Dziunia is in Łódź with the children, I am requesting you, Mother, to deliver this letter to her promptly, and I will send the next one to her directly after receiving a response to the first one.
Don’t forget about me and please describe a little bit of everything – whether Mirek is going to school and how he’s doing at school. Whether any of my two old [buddies?] got hurt. I just want to know everything, so that I wouldn’t have to think day and night.
I’m ending my letter sending the warmest of kisses and greetings to everybody.
Wacek [?]
I’m giving my address below, please write it accordingly:
СССР (Russia)
Смоленская область
Козельск почтовый ящик №12
Вавжинец Казимирович Мархевский