During a search at Latrun, a strategically significant hilltop near Jerusalem, Israeli metal detecting enthusiasts had stumbled upon a dog tag from 1943 that belonged to a Polish soldier named Franciszek Żbikowski.
Following meticulous research, Gan Erez, the leader of the metal detecting group, successfully identified the soldier’s family.
During an event held at Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) on Wednesday, with the Israeli metal seekers also in attendance, the dog tag was handed over to the soldier’s closest surviving relative.
“This moment is truly historic for us, evoking a multitude of emotions within the family,” Żbikowski’s niece Iwona Rybicka said at the ceremony. “It's a beautiful and extraordinary occurrence, something truly unique. We have waited 80 years for this to happen."
Rybicka added: "This exceptional keepsake will find its rightful place in our home, and most importantly, it will ensure that the memory of my uncle never fades away."
A soldier of the Anders Army, Żbikowski fought, among other places, at Monte Cassino and reached Bologne in 1945 when the war ended.
Żbikowski reached the rank of sergeant major and received the Polish Cross of Valour. He died in Warsaw in 1983.
Michał Owczarek has the story.
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