Private Wladyslaw Topko,(*01-01-1921 - †12-02-1945) (Reg.nr.: X.422)

Although it has now been more than 75 years since the end of the Second World War, it is still important to commemorate all Allies who were involved in fighting in and around Goirle. These victims of Goirle are people who fought for our freedom in or around Goirle during the Second World War. They died as a result of acts of war. G. Kobes wrote in 2016: "I want to remind you of the casualties among the Allied forces. To the young men who, far from their homeland, had to pay with their lives for the fight for our freedom. The price is unimaginably high, there is an empty place in millions of families. They, along with many others, gave their lives for our freedom!!'' Wladyslaw Topko is one of them. He died on 12 February 1945 at the age of 24.

 General info:

Wladyslaw Topko was born on Saturday, January 1, 1921 in Koźminek p. Kalisz, Poland.

*Nationality :Polish *Part : 1st Polish Armoured Division / 9th. Infantry Battalion *Function : Rifleman *Reg.nr : X.422 

What happened? The Battle of the ''CAPELSCHE VEER"

After the last fighting on 8 November 1944, the Germans retreated across the Meuse to the north of the Netherlands. The commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, General Stanisław Maczek, stated in his memoirs that he hoped to get some rest in the coming months, to train the reinforcements and be equipped, but on the contrary, the Division had a very worrying period until April 1945.

The first (unsuccessful attack) of the 1st Polish Armoured Division was in the night of 30 to 31 December 1944. They were given the task of holding the front line, consisting of the river that is successively called Hollands Diep, Amer and Maas. German patrols infiltrated daily and it was really impossible to see the front line, because the weather was very wet in the early days and later it started to freeze hard. It was impossible to use tanks, and during this winter everyone in the division was ordered to perform infantry duties. Bunkers were built in the southern dikes, but due to the very cold weather and also due to the attacks of German patrols, the Division suffered losses. Another type of danger was the long range of German artillery and the increasing number of flying bombs (V1), which flew over day and night.

One day, the Germans managed to counter attack. The 1st Polish Armoured Division tried to recapture the "Capelse Veer". However, these attempts, on Sundays 31 December 1944 and 7 January 1945, failed and the result was a large number of casualties.

The second (unsuccessful) attack was attempted again by this 1st Polish Armoured Division on the night of Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 January 1945. There Wladyslaw was seriously wounded, he was transferred to the British Military Hospital in Goirle (NL) as soon as possible.

Wladyslaw Topko died there on 12 February 1945. He was 24 years old. The Polish Eagle is also depicted on his tombstone.

Wladyslaw Topko now rests in part of the Commonwealth War Graves in St. John's Churchyard in Goirle. Three other Poles are also buried here, Zigmunt Sosnowski, Wiktor Tatarczyk and Stanislaw Gomulka. They all lost their lives in the same battle one after the other.

Grave location:

*Cemetery : Commonwealth War Graves-- RK. St. Jan in Goirle (NL) *GPS Coordinates : Latitude: 51.51874, Longitude: 5.06559 *Grave no. : Row 3 grave 2 

Every year around October 27, a commemoration is held here, by the Union of Brothers in Arms, for the 27 men and 1 woman. Out of respect for them. Lest we forget them.

Commemorations:

https://wikimiddenbrabant.nl/Topko,_Wladyslaw

https://wikimiddenbrabant.nl/EREveld_Goirle

http://www.polishwargraves.nl/bred/capveer.htm

https://www.rememberingmysoldiers.be/the-netherlands/noord-brabant/goirle-rc-cemetery

Source: 

*Research: G. Kobes and G. v.d. Klundert- Bertens