Born: July 25, 1925, Warsaw, Poland
Died: February 4, 2012, Warsaw, Poland
Buried: Warsaw, Poland – Bródnowski cemetery – section 64C, row 4, grave 5
Family: parents – father Tadeusz, mother Felicja (nee Boryń); husband – Eugeniusz Kowalski (also soldier of 1 Polish Armored Division), children – Andrzej, Stanisław, Hanna
Medals: Polish – Badge of Kedyw soldiers of the Home Army Warsaw District, Badge of a Veteran of the Fight for Independence, Badge of Platoon 1147 “Rygiel”
Prewar fates:
She graduated from the Ursuline Sisters’ primary school.
Fates during the war:
From 1941 in the Polish conspiracy (ZWZ) in Warsaw – nickname “Hanka”. After the ZWZ was renamed the Home Army (Armia Krajowa), she served in Kedyw “Bakcyl” group of Home Army. She also attended in conspiracy a pedagogical high school. During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, until August 15, a nurse in the insurgent hospital at Marianska St. Then she fought as a liaison-medic in Śródmieście Północ in the “Bartkiewicz” Group – 4th company, 2nd platoon (former 1147 – “DB-3) named after “Rydel”. After the capitulation of the Uprising, she left Warsaw on October 5, 1944, with the last unit of women soldiers. Transported to Stalag 11B Fallingbostel. Then transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp, and on December 24, 1944, to Stalag VIC Oberlangen. In all these camps her number was 141468.
After the camp was liberated by the 1st Polish Armored Division on April 12, 1945, she joined the 8th Rifle Battalion of the Division. In 1946 she was demobilized. On June 7, 1947, she returned to Poland.
Post-war fate:
She worked until 1966 as a clerk. After exhausting stays in three German camps during WWII, at the age of 38, she received the 2nd disability group. She died in 2012 and was buried at the Bródno Cemetery in Warsaw.
author: Witold Gudyś (Polska Grupa Pamięci Historycznej)
photo: Warsaw Uprising Museum
author: Witold Gudyś
source: Hanna Kanieska
