Corporal Edmund Bielawski

Edmund Bielawski served in the Polish 1st Airborne Division and fought at Arnhem. Edmund was born in Mrockza, which is in northern Poland, north west of Warsaw.  This was the part of Poland overrun by the Germans not the Russians. He was a Pole that made it through Western Europe to reach the UK in 1940. It is very likely that Edmund fought in France in 1940 as part of the Polish forces in exile.   

Edmund was a Lance Sergeant Cadet Officer at the time of Arnhem. He served in the 3rd Battalion number 8 Company. He flew in chalk number 64, dropping at Driel on the 21st. 52 men from 9 Coy crossed into the Oosterbeek perimeter on the night of 22/23 September. 6 died in Oosterbeek and 10 were captured. 10 men in the Coy were awarded gallantry medals, including Edmund. This would indicate that he was one of the 52 men who fought at Oosterbeek.  

He was awarded the KW (Krzyz Walecznych) The Cross of Valour and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He was awarded the Polish eagle wings number 1245 and then after combat the wings with wreath number 142.

Edmund's son, Richard, remembers him telling stories about Arnhem. One being how he had swam out into a river under fire to rescue wounded soldiers pulling them onto a sandbank for cover. 

Edmund died in Sao Paulo 20 August 1993.