Kazimierz Kondoł

Kazimierz, known as Kazik to his family, was the second youngest of six surviving sons of Marcin Kondol and Antonina Deren. He was born in Przysietnica, Poland in February 1918. In 1921 his family moved to Polska Wola, modern day Ukraine. Kazimierz married Maria Pietryka (1914-1991) in 1937, they had two children, Leszek Kondol (1938-) and Krystyna Kondol (1943-1991). He also had a son by Stefania Mazur (1914-1985), Jozef Mazur (1938-). Kazimierz, along with his family was forcibly deported in February 1940 by occupying Soviet forces. He was imprisoned in a gulag at Kutyr, Sibera. He escaped in early 1942 to join the army being mustered by Gen. Wladyslaw Anders. He reunited with his wife and son in Uzbekistan in the spring of 1942.He joined the Polish 2 Corps in the summer of 1942 and was a rifleman in the 18th batalion. He saw action in North Africa and Italy and was wounded during the battle of Monte Cassino.

Kazimierz was killed in action (aged 26) whilst crossing the Metauro river in the Ancona region of Italy. He fell under machine gun fire. Witnesses stated that his death was quick but brutal, with the gunfire tearing his body apart. They also stated that he died with "the smile of a man who knew no fear." He was buried the following day in local cemetery in Ostra, Italy and was later exhumed and reinterred in the Polish cemetery at Loreto.

Kazimierz was posthumously awarded Poland's highest military honour, the 'Virtuti Militari.' He was remembered by his family as free-spirited, happy go lucky and fearless.