To
The Polish French Radio
I would like to kindly ask you to send me information regarding my husband Eugeniusz Piekło, son of Antoni and [illegible], née [illegible], born on 18 October 1902 in Pilzno, who went missing during the war in 1939.
Before 1939, my husband worked as a teacher at an elementary school in Dzierkowszczyzna, district of Głębokie, Wilno Voivodeship. In 1939, the above-mentioned person was called up to the army during the mobilization, in the rank of lieutenant of the reserve, and has not returned.
I would like to kindly ask you to identify the location of this person. My address:
Maria Piekło
Nakło nad Notecią
Bielawy Street – 14 – 1 [sic!]
District of Wyrzysk, Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
The Polish Section
[Additional note]: A copy of the letter from the wife of the above-mentioned person sent to the French radio for the purpose of finding Eugeniusz Piekło.
Choszczno, 10 October 1989
“Zorza”
00-551 Warsaw
Mokotowska Street 43
“List of persons reported missing”
Information on Katyń
I am writing as a grandson of the missing Eugeniusz Antoni Piekło, son of Antoni Piekło and Julia, née Nowak, born in the town of Pilzno, in the diocese of Tarnów, on 7 October 1902. It is certain beyond any doubt that the above-mentioned Eugeniusz Antoni Piekło was detained in the prisoners of war camp in Kozelsk during the Katyń massacre.
As a grandson of the missing person, I have an additional duty, which his son Janusz Piekło did not manage to fulfill, having passed away on 24 July of the present year, while searching for data and collecting documents. Thus, I am sending you the photocopies of documents and the scarce data which I gathered from the wife of the missing person – my grandmother – and the only surviving daughter Irena, married surname Ziemczanek, née Piekło.
I think that the photocopies of the documents and the scarce information that I possess and of which I am certain may help uncover the truth and introduce corrections in the book “Lista katyńska. Jeńcy obozów Kozielsk, Ostaszków, Starobielsk zaginieni w Rosji sowieckiej” (publisher PTH Warsaw 1989).
In the book I have mentioned, on page 147 I found the name: “Piekło Mieczysław – lieutenant”. I would like to clarify that Eugeniusz Piekło and all of his siblings are from the Kraków Voivodeship, where they lived with their parents in the town of Bochnia. Mieczysław Piekło, listed on page 147 was Eugeniusz Piekło’s brother, and he was never detained in the camp in Kozelsk. He died in Warsaw, holding the rank of colonel of the Polish Army. I have no more detailed information about him, since his wife is also deceased, and his son Eugeniusz Piekło had found him only shortly before his death in Warsaw.
Colonel Eugeniusz Piekło was an officer of the reserve. He attended additional courses for officer cadets at an officer cadet school, while working as a teacher. I was not informed as to his service branch, assignment, post, and function. I know that he definitely was an officer of the reserve, and that his last place of residence was Dzierkowszczyzna, district of Głębokie, Wilno Voivodeship, where during the mobilization he was called up to the army in the rank of lieutenant of the reserve, and never returned.
It is certain beyond any doubt that he sent a letter from Kozelsk to his wife, Maria Piekło – my grandmother. The letter was very short and went more or less like this: “Don’t worry about me and don’t deprive yourselves of anything”, followed by regards and kisses. My grandmother was very careful to keep the letter safe until she crossed the Polish-Russian border, while she was emigrating to Poland. Before crossing the Polish-Russian border in the course of her journey to newly outlined Poland, grandmother burnt the letter, fearing a potential inspection and repressions to which the Soviets could subject the family.
Eugeniusz Piekło worked as an elementary school teacher. In his last place of work he was a school headmaster in Dzierkowszczyzna.
I acquired the information I am providing directly from grandfather’s relatives and friends. His living daughter and my mother Irena Ziemczanek, née Piekło, and I care very deeply about establishing the correct data, especially since everyone I know says that he was a very dutiful man, who held honor and his home country in high regard, and had love for his family and respect for people.
I also would like to honor the wish of his late son – a physician and director of the Healthcare Center in Choszczno – that the name of his father be put on the list of the people murdered by the Soviets in the Katyń forest.
I kindly ask for information regarding this case. Please send information and inquiries to the following address: […].
Ziemczanek
Attachments: photocopies of the documents – a collection of six copies.