KRYSTYNA MATUSIAK

1. Personal data (surname, name, date of birth):

Bronisław Orlewski, born [in] 1910–1911 [sic!] in Lwów.

2. Data concerning military service (military rank, arm of service, reservist or professional, where mobilized/posted – unit, military position, participation in the September Campaign, when taken prisoner or arrested, camp from which letters were sent):

I do not know his military rank. An officer of the State Police – he worked at the National Headquarters in Warsaw in the rank of Senior Sergeant. Evacuated along with the entire Headquarters and its archives on 5 September 1939, interned in Równe towards the end of September 1939. A letter-cum-postcard sent from Ostashkov on 5 December 1939.

3. Was he on the German list (in newspapers printed by the Germans)?

No.

4. When and from where did the last postcard (letter) arrive?

28 December 1939, from Ostashkov (the sole postcard).

5. Data concerning education and employment (education, profession, place of work, address of residence):

Secondary. An officer of the Polish Police [sic!]. National Headquarters of the Polish Police [sic!] in Warsaw. Resident in Warsaw [at] Krochmalna Street.

6. Surname, name, address (telephone number) of the reporting person:

[…].

Warsaw, 8 March 1989

Dear Editorial Office,

In response to the appeal of Mr Jędrzej Tucholski and the Editorial Office of “Zorza”, I hereby send the following:

1. a completed questionnaire form with the data of Bronisław Orlewski – a person who was very close to me,

2. a [photo]copy of the only postcard [which he sent] from Ostashkov – [received on] 28 December 1939 and written on 5 December 1939.

Among others, it contains a sentence informing me that: “I am together with Romek”. Romek was Roman Brzozowski, who sent an identical postcard (with [a picture of] Lenin) to his wife Zofia Daniela, which contained the following sentence: “I am together with Bronek” (Orlewski). This postcard – the only communication sent by Roman Brzozowski – was deposited with a Court in Warsaw for the purpose of proceedings aimed at recognizing Roman Brzozowski as legally deceased.

I have provided the above description in order to lend credibility to the application of my daughter, Hanna, who sent you a questionnaire form with the data of her Father (also attaching a [photo]copy of the postcard sent to me by Bronisław Orlewski).

I consider it my duty to bring about the inclusion of their surnames in the list of Poles murdered on the territory of the USSR, so as to pay tribute – symbolic as it is – to their martyrdom. Both were fervent patriots, and Roman Brzozowski actually joined the Legions of Marshal Piłsudski as a teenager and fought for the independence of Poland.