Franciszek Dąbrowski

Monument to Franciszek Dąbrowski in Nowa Huta, KrakówFranciszek Dąbrowski (17 April 1904 in Budapest - 24 April 1962 in Kraków) – was an officer of the Polish Navy during the Polish Defensive War against the Nazi German aggression in 1939. In September 1939 he served at Westerplatte military transit depot which took part in the Battle of Westerplatte. The Polish garrison fought against overwhelming odds and repulsed all German attacks from 1 to 7 September. After the surrender he was imprisoned in several German POW camps.

He wrote two books about his experiences during the Battle of Westerplatte - Dziennik Bojowy załogi Westerplatte (1945) and Wspomnienia z obrony Westerplatte (1957). Dąbrowski was awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari V class, the Gold Cross of Merit, the Medal for Odra, Nysa and the Baltic and the Grunwaldzka Badge.___