Lech Ziolowski Obituary, Death – The passing of Polish veteran Lech Marian Ziolowski at the age of 101 has been brought to our attention, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. The 1st Polish Independent Parachutist Brigade, of which Lech Marian Ziolowski was a member, made a jump at Driel on September 21, 1944 in order to provide support to the British troops stationed in Oosterbeek. Ziolowski (101) was one of a select handful of living veterans who served with the First Polish Independent Parachute Brigade during the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. This battle took place in the Netherlands.
Paratroopers from the United Kingdom and Poland made an attempt to seize control of the bridge in Arnhem in order to pave the way for an Allied assault into the Ruhr region of Germany. In order to bring an end to the Second World War in Europe before Christmas 1944, the English commander Bernard Montgomery conceived of the Market Garden plan. However, the Battle of Arnhem resulted in a win for the German forces. The participation of Polish troops in the conflict and the fact that they were stationed in Driel led to the formation of a friendly relationship between the villagers and the Polish paratroopers. The village square has been renamed Polenplein, and there are monuments and a bust of Stanislaw Franciszek Sosabowski, the commander of the Polish paratroopers, located there as well.
On September 21, 1944, Marian Ziolowski made his jump over Driel in an effort to relieve the British troops who were holding the north side of the Rhine bridge. His mission was to free the bridge. The Polish troops were held accountable for the loss of the battle for a considerable amount of time. General Montgomery, in particular, placed the blame for the failure of “his” plan squarely on the shoulders of the Polish commander Sosabowski. Especially considering the fact that he had previously voiced his disapproval of the aerial landings.
Rehabilitating patients did not begin till many years later. The highest military honor that can be bestowed in this country was bestowed upon the Polish brigade. The Military Order of William and the Bronze Lion were bestowed upon the Polish brigade, in part as a response to Prince Bernhard’s request in this regard. On the Polenplein in Driel in the year 2019, King Charles, who was at the time the crown prince, also voiced his gratitude and admiration for the Polish soldiers stationed there. The recuperation was finished up at this point.
The Polish paratroopers are honored there on the first day of September each and every year, and the ceremony is frequently attended by the veterans who are still alive today. In both 2014 and 2017, Marian Ziolowski was in attendance. On Poland Square, the descendants of the very first Polish paratroopers will be forming an honor guard for the duration of the service.
After the war, many Polish veterans chose not to go back to their home country because it had become a communist state under the sway of Joseph Stalin, the leader of Russia at the time. The majority of the Polish paratroopers did not support communism, which is one of the reasons why they were not particularly welcomed in their home country. After the war, the majority of them found homes in the United States, Canada, and England. After the war, Ziolowski made his home in Canada, and it was there that he passed away this week at the age of 101.