Jasło, 30 August 1989.
Mr. Tucholski, engineer
Family Catholic
Weekly “Zorza”
Mokotowska Street 43
00-551 Warsaw
Regarding: murdered list – Ostashkov camp
After the first part of the list of people from Kzelsk camp murdered in Katyń had been issued (April 1989, “Zorza”), I wrote a letter to you using the Editorial’s address, listing surnames of murdered from Ostashkov camp – my father and my two colleagues from Jasło. I requested a confirmation of receiving the letter. I have not received any reply as of now. I thought you did not have time or did not intend to write me back. I bought no. 34 of “Zorza” and under the letter “O” there is no surname of my father, which means that the letter went missing (M.B.) or was lost in the Editorial office. I feel really sorry about that, as just like when I was harassed as a child, there are obstacles being put in my way right now.
I am listing my father’s personal data: Władysław Oleszkiewicz, born 25 August 1898 in Harklowa, son of Szymon and Zofia, Polish citizenship, Roman Catholic religious affiliation. Employed in Jasło as a senior prison guard. In 1939 [?] delegated east [?] along with a convoy. There, after the Red Army entered, he was arrested in Kałusz, and then moved to Ostashkov, from where he wrote a single postcard, with a date of 7 January 1940, post office stamp: Ostashkov, 1 February 1940. The postcard came at the end of February 1940 to Jasło to my mother’s address. We had not received any other information from my father, despite writing him numerous times, as well as making attempts to find him as the only breadwinner in the family and father of under-age children through the Mayor of Jasło City and German authorities. The requests were written half in German, and half in Russian. They were also written in Polish. None of our letters and requests were responded to. The trace [of the father] was lost.
His colleagues from work had been in Ostashkov along his side: 1. Franciszek Dranka – he is included in the Ostashkov camp list, seemingly his family reported in and the letter got through, 2. Andrzej Ryba – prison guard foreman in Jasło.
I am still in possession of the only postcard from Ostashkov and after I make a photocopy, I will send it to your address along with a photograph of my father, as long as this letter gets through and when I receive a confirmation.
Please include my father in the list of the murdered from Ostashkov camp.
I also need to mention, that none of the three colleagues listed above have returned home.