Gliwice, 3 May 1989.
“Zorza” Weekly
Mokotowska Street 43
00-551 Warsaw
“Missing persons list”
I kindly request to complement the Katyń list with the surname of my father who had gone missing in USSR, Senior Sergeant of the Silesia Voivodeship Police, station commander in Żory, based on a letter from Ostashkov from 24 November 1939, photocopy enclosed. I am also sending in the information accordingly to the questionnaire published in your [“Zorza”] Weekly.
Please note that my father had mentioned several co-prisoners, who, like him, went missing, namely Janek from Bielsk, that is his brother Jan Szarowicz, Senior Sergeant of the Silesia Voivodeship in Bielsk (his daughter is going to file for filling in the Katyń list [with his surname]), and his subordinate policemen from Żory station: Kuczera, Zimończyk, Ćwięczek, Pawlas. I don’t recall their names unfortunately, nor do I have more data about them.
I thank you warmly for your beautiful initiative of saving the Polish POWs from the camps of Kozelsk, Ostashkov and Starobilsk, murdered in USSR, from oblivion.
I send my deep respects.
Attachments:
Attachment no. 1 – photocopy of the letter from Ostashkov (three pages) Attachment no. 2 – information accordingly to the instructions given in “Zorza” Weekly Attachment no. 3 – information accordingly to instructions given in “Zorza” Weekly
Ad. 1 Personal data of the missing person:
| – | Józef Szarowicz, son of Stanisław and Wiktoria, |
| – | born 6 February 1898 in Parnica, Hugary (currently Slovakia), |
| – | residing in Żory, Nowa Street 10, Silesia Voivodeship (currently |
Katowice Voivodeship),
–interned in the Ostashkov camp.
2. and 4. Civil and professional information:
| – | education: primary and police courses, |
| – | profession: policeman |
| – | rank: senior sergeant, |
| – | name and place of work: Silesia Voivodeship Police Station in Żory, |
| – | functions, position: station commander. |
Ad 3. Military information:
Joined Polish Legions when he was 16 years old, and served in the II Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Regiment from 20 August [1917?] until 16 February 1918, when he was interned in Hungary after the dissolution of the Legions, and was then incorporated into Austrian army, where he served till November 1918. From 15 November 1918 until 11 November 1919 he served in the Polish Army in the 10th Infantry Regiment based in Łowicz in the rank of sergeant major. In 1924 he joined the Silesia Voivodeship Police, where he served until the day he was interned in USSR.
Honors:
–Cross of Valor with two bars awarded by the order of the Military Affairs Minister on 6 January 1923,
–[Rememberance] Medal for the War of 1918-1921 awarded by the order of Wok. V no.
1/29,
| – | 10th Anniversary of Regaining Independence Medal awarded by Silesia province governor accordingly to ordinance from 16 July 1929 (L. Pr. 2895/34) on the basis of a decree by the Council of Ministers from 27 September 1928, |
| – | Independence Cross awarded by the ordinance of the President of the Republic of Poland from 8 October 1932, |
| – | Bronze Cross of Merit awarded by the Prime Minister on 19 August 1938. |
Ad. 5. I don’t know where, when, or what circumstances my father got into the USSR’s custody. It appears from his letter, that it might have happened somewhere east of Włodzimierz, where he met his sister-in-law and her children.
Ad. 6. and 7. Only one letter from my father came, from the Ostashkov camp, dated 24 November 1939, addressed to my mother. Find enclosed the copy (attachment no. 1). There was no other news of my father.
Ostashkov, 24 November 1939.
Dear lovely wife and children,
I greet you warmly, as well as Maniuś, Roman, and Tadzio. I am in USSR. I’m healthy and thank God haven’t suffered from any significant illnesses [?]. Of course I wish you well [wholeheartedly?]. I am curious how you are doing; I reckon it must be hard for you to be on your own. I also miss you and the kids, but I gather we will soon see each other. May it help, so help us God, soon [sic]. I’m here with Janek from Bielsk and we sleep together. Kuczera, Dimriczyk, Cuzaczek and Pawka are also here. Only Bodylski and Cedaty [?] are missing. Commissioner Maniek from Rybnik was killed by a bomb in Łuck.
Dear Janeczka, please write me back about the situation with the apartment and whether you have the money, or whether you exchanged it. Do the kids still go to school? If it’s not too hard for you and you can afford paying the school tax, as well as school supplies, the children should keep going to school, of course as far as it’s possible.
Now, lovely Janeczka, tell me where you live (do you still live in Żory?) and how you are doing. Let me know about your private life but not about the war affairs, because such a letter might not get through due to censorship. Were you home during All Saints’ Day? I often have dreams about you, where we just go for a stroll like we used to do – but it’s only a dream.
My Lovely Wife! I’m living through difficult moments – but do not worry about me too much, because I cope everywhere, as much as I can. I read and write in Russian – but the progress is slow. I have underwear, but only for the summer. I have three pairs of underwear and I gather this is enough. Bodylski [?] may be somewhere else – I had been with Włodzimierz [Wołyński] lately, where I met Zuzia, Jane’s wife, with children and a cart [?]. Our conversation was really short, as I had to go off in a car.
Lovely children! Behave yourself, listen to your mama, and try to help her with everything in those difficult times . With God’s help, I will soon return – and everything will be fine and we will live as we used to. I work here as a machinist.
To conclude, I’m sending you lots of kisses and greetings for the children.
Your loving husband
Józef
My address:
Józef Szarowicz
ГОРОД – ОСТАШКОВ
ОБЛАСТЪ – КАЛИНИНСКАЯ
ПОЧТОВЫЙ ЯЩИК № 37
CCCP
In Polish:
gotod Ostashkov
oblast Kaliniskaja
post Jaszczyk no. 37
CCCP
Janeczka, my dear, you can write the address in Polish, but just write on the side: Sowiety – CCCP.