First War Casualty in Poland 1 September 1939?

[PF]

Did Mika survive the war?

[PolAntek]

First off, Richard – I’ve ordered a copy of your book “Blitzkrieg Unleashed: The German Invasion of Poland 1939” and eagerly await its arrival. It looks like a good one!

Second, to Domen121. thanks for the details re Kapral Piotr Konieczka , the first Polish casualty of the September Campaign. Great post!

Regards,
Tony

[Richard Hargreaves]

First off, Richard – I’ve ordered a copy of your book “Blitzkrieg Unleashed: The German Invasion of Poland 1939” and eagerly await its arrival. It looks like a good one!

Second, to Domen121. thanks for the details re Kapral Piotr Konieczka , the first Polish casualty of the September Campaign. Great post!

Regards,
Tony

Many thanks for the investment Tony. I hope it's ok - although it is German-centric, so it's only half the story of the campaign (sorry, don't speak Polish )

The Jablunka Pass affair is dealt with very comprehensively in Schindler, Herbert, Mosty und Dirschau 1939: Zwei Handstreiche der Wehrmacht vor Beginn des Polenfeldzuges, Verlag Rombach, Freiburg, 1971. Had war begun on August 25 rather than September 1, then it's pretty certain that the pass and railway would have fallen into German hands. As it was the pass wasn't usable for about six months thanks to the 'false start' which gave the Poles plenty of forewarning.

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Second, to Domen121. thanks for the details re Kapral Piotr Konieczka , the first Polish casualty of the September Campaign. Great post!

Thanks Tony!

Did Mika survive the war?

Yes, fortunately she survived the war. Here something more on it (more photos):

http://www.historycy.org/index.php?showtopic=34784



She was 10 years old when her sister was killed (photos were taken on 13.09.1939 in Warsaw).

Here some info in English:

http://flickr.com/photos/7711591@N04/1089105457/

Cheers!

Peter

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

But in my opinion he was not the first military casualty of WW - as far as I know some Germans were killed before him.

On 26th of August 1939 (it was the first date of the German invasion of Poland, but in the last moment Hitler changed his mind and cancelled the attack - however, some small units did not receive his order, and they crossed the border) some incidents took place - and as far as I know there were casualties on the German side (also KIA probably - but I'm not shure about that).

We can consider it as WW2, but we can also consider it as some military incidents which took place along the Polish-German border few days before WW2 started. It depends on point of view probably.

I have found some interesting photos in Polish NAC archives:







Photos above are showing a funeral of SS-mann Wessel who was KIA by Poles on 28.08.1939 on the Polish - Free City Gdansk border, he was buried in Gdansk.

More photos:











Photos above show a funeral of German border guard (Grenzschutz probably) soldier - SA-mann Johann Rusch - who was KIA by Polish border guard (Straz Graniczna) in late August of 1939. He was buried in Bohnsack cemetery in Gdansk.

Here is a thread about armed incidents before 01.09.1939:

http://www.dws.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=94&t=11175

For example on 26.08.1939 in Silesia a German battalion (!) attacked Polish units from 21. Dywizja Piechoty Gorskiej.

On 26.08.1939 combats took place also near Mlawa in Northern Poland, where some German units also crossed the Polish border.

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

This famous and tragic photograph that accurately captures the criminal work of the Luftwaffe during the September Campaign was taken by Julien Bryan and pictures 10-year old Kazimiera Mika – more info here:

Some unique takes from the Polish campaign can be found here - including Kazimiera Mika (2:45 - 3:00):

[nimbuss]

Just now, we can watch TV programme about Bryan in Warsaw. Kazimiera Mika is talking about him and Warsaw 1939!
Polish programm TVN 24.

Just finished.
But there will be repeat 11.00 p.m today (UTC+01:00).

There are interviews with Bryan's son and Kazimiera Mika Herself. Kazimiera Mika is also taken to the place well known from The Picture.

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Several more incidents:

Night 31 VIII / 1 IX - in Ujscie a band of German saboteurs murdered a group of Polish civilians

Night 31 VIII / 1 IX - in Zbaszyn a group of German saboteurs shot a Polish sapper on his post

0:00 - regular German infantry attacked Przyszowice, some German prisoners were reported, similar incident also took place in this area two days earlier, but then "V Column" saboteurs were reported involved

2:10 - village Zelgniewo, poviat Chodzież, fire was opened on house of Border Guard (SG) guardian Nowak

2:20 - Zelgniewo, poviat Chodzież, a German saboteurs Bechtlow shot a Polish SG guardian Ławniczak

3:30 - protective units of 7 DP encountered regular German units, a fire fight took place

3:45 - Mjr. Tadeusz Kierst (II./84 psp of 30 DP) reported German units crossing the border

4:00 - a Polish customs inspector Stanisław Szarek is shot by saboteurs in Szymankowo (part of "Aktion Zug")

4:35 - Wielun is bombed, first bombs fell on Hospital of All Saints, 32 people are killed in the hospital, including 26 patients, also nearby maternity hospital and isolation hospital near Pilsudskiego street are bombed

4:45 - German units launch full scale attack everwyhere, Schleswig-Holstein opens fire on Westerplatte

4:50 - rifleman Jezierski is KIA on Westerplatte (sentry No 3) in the bombardment of Schleswig-Holstein

5:05 - elder sergeant Wojciech Najsarek is KIA on Westerplatte, second Polish victim of the battle

9:00 - corporal Franciszek Basik is KIA as first defender of the Wegierska Gorka position

[PF]

Related pictures
http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... 1214023720

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Paramilitary unit Organisation "Ebbinghaus" was involved in combats yet in the last days of August 1939.

Near Bielszowice this unit lost - according to historian P. Dubiel - 48 killed and 18 wounded yet in August 1939. These are not the only losses suffered by Ebbinghaus in August. These casualties from August - what is interesting - are not included in the report of casualties of G.A.K.3 to which "Ebbinghaus" was subordinated in early September.

Huge losses were sustained by Organisation "Ebbinghaus" mainly during its actions on 1 September:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9#p1556549

"Ebbinghaus" started its combat operations yet at 3:00 AM on 1 September.

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Various sabotage and paramilitary units as well as Polish units of border guard, etc., had suffered numerous casualties yet during various clashes and incidents in the last days of August of 1939, as was already discussed.

But the first regular soldier of Wehrmacht to be KIA was probably him:

Uffz. Theodor Koppenhagen from 3./Reiterregiment 1. - KIA in August of 1939 near Cimochy (Reuss):

http://forum.axishistory.com/search.php ... mit=Search

[Jan-Hendrik]

Various sabotage and paramilitary units as well as Polish units of border guard, etc., had suffered numerous casualties yet during various clashes and incidents in the last days of August of 1939, as was already discussed.

But the first regular soldier of Wehrmacht to be KIA was probably him:

Uffz. Theodor Koppenhagen from 3./Reiterregiment 1. - KIA in August of 1939 near Cimochy (Reuss):

http://forum.axishistory.com/search.php ... mit=Search

Hm, polish soldiers were a bit earlier 'active' in crossing borderlines....

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 3#p1403903

Jan-Hendrik

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Hm, polish soldiers were a bit earlier 'active' in crossing borderlines....

Really? I didn't know that 28 August is "a bit earlier" than 26 August or 20 August.

And we don't know if that "polnische Stosstrup" was not a similar one to that "polnische" Stosstrup which attacked Gleiwitz radio station. Gleiwitz was not the only case of provocations of Germans in Polish uniforms:

You read Polish - so here are pages of chapter "Provocations" from Tomasz Chincinski's work:

http://www.ipn.gov.pl/portal/pl/236/374 ... 00_zl.html

http://www.ipn.gov.pl/portal/pl/236/440 ... 00_zl.html

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Further part:

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Last part of this chapter: