Aniela Krzywoń place of death Lenino, Mahilyow Voblast
Military career
Krzywoń joined the 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division of the Polish People's Army on 29 May 1943 and was assigned to the "Emilia Plater" Independent Women's Battalion. She was trained in the use of submachine guns and grenades as well as hand-to-hand combat. On 12 October 1943 the battalion was forced to retreat after they saw their baptism by fire in the Lenino village of the Byelorussian SSR. While Krzywoń was accompanying a truck carrying the wounded and important documents from headquarters they were attacked by a Luftwaffe raid. Krzywoń ran into the burning vehicle, carrying out the wounded soldiers and staff as well as rescuing the important documents from the fire. Inside the burning vehicle she died from her injuries. For her heroism she was posthumously awarded the highest Polish and Soviet decorations – the Virtuti Militari of Poland and the title Hero of the Soviet Union. She was the first and only Polish female decorated with the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and the only woman ever awarded the title that was not a Soviet citizen.
location of death death place place where they died place of passing final resting place