South Ealing Cemetery in London – a ceremony at the grave of Major Ryszard Wiszowaty on 13 February 2023  at 9.00am.

Adam Siwek, Director of the Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom and representatives of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Poland in London will attend the ceremony. Mr Ryszard Wiszowaty, a family representative, is also expected to be present.

Major Ryszard Wiszowaty’s tombstone was renovated in 2022 by the IPN’s Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom as part of its statutory activities. The eagle of the Polish Army was also affixed to the inscription plate of the gravestone.

Biography of Major Richard Wiszowaty

Ryszard Wiszowaty was born on 10 September 1894 in Wiszowate. From an early age, he was involved in the underground activity; during his education at St Catherine High School in St Petersburg, he belonged to the Student Fraternity Fund and the Student Self-Education Circle. In November 1918, he disarmed the Germans in Knyszyn and the surrounding area. As a volunteer, he participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War, serving in the Tatar Cavalry Regiment from February to September 1919. He was awarded the Cross of Valour for a skirmish near the village of Wiekszyce near Minsk in Belarus. After the combat operations ended, he remained in the Polish Army, serving in the 10th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment and then in command of the Fortified Area ‘Vilnius’. His qualifications improved during courses and training, resulting in his promotion to the rank of cavalry captain in 1937. During the defensive war, he commanded the reserve squadrons in the ‘Vawkavysk’ covering regiment, which was part of the improvised Vawkavysk Cavalry Reserve Brigade. On 19 September, he took part in the Battle of Dubno; on 21 September, he fought at Kodziowce and then in defence of Grodno. He was interned in Lithuania; however, he escaped to France and joined the Polish Army. After France surrendered, he made his way to Great Britain and served in the Polish Armed Forces. After World War II, General Zygmunt Podhorski awarded him the Cross of Valour for fighting the Red Army in the southeastern borderlands, followed by his promotion to the rank of major. He was actively involved in the life of the émigré community. He died on 2 September 1971 in London.

Source: IPN