He was born on 15 September 1911 in Drohobycz. In the years 1928–1929, he attended Artillery Reserve Officer Cadet School in Włodziemierz Wołyński, and then, from 1930 to 1932, Cavalry Officer Cadet School in Grudziądz. Between 1932 and1939 he served in the 15th Poznań Uhlan Regiment. In 1938, he went to War College. When World War Two started, holding the rank of lieutenant, he was in training as information officer in the staff of the Nowogórdzka Cavalry Brigade which was under General Władysław Anders. He remained in that position during the 1939 campaign, performing his duties also in the formed Cavalry Operational Group led by Gen. Anders.
The Soviets took him prisoner but he fled and reached France where, on 3 May 1940, he was promoted to the rank of captain and was assigned to the staff of the 4th Infantry Division. After the defeat of France, he got to Great Britain where he served as operational officer in the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. After signing the Sikorski-Mayski agreement, he enlisted as a volunteer into the Polish Army in the USSR, where, at first, he became the head of the First Division, Second Department of the Polish Army Command Headquarters in the USSR.
On 9 April 1942, he took over command of the "S" Battalion, which, after the evacuation to Iraq, was transformed, on 8 October 1942, into the 15th Armoured Cavalry Regiment and subsequently renamed the 15th Poznań Uhlan Regiment. On 1 March 1944, he was promoted to the rank of major, and then, on 1 August 1944, to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He was killed on 23 October 1944 near Civitella di Romagna by a mine explosion. Initially buried in the Santa Sofia cemetery, his body was later moved to the Polish war cemetery in Bologna. Among other decorations, he was awarded the Cross of Valour (for the 1939 campaign), as well as the Silver Cross (for Monte Cassino) and Golden Cross (posthumously) of the War Order of Virtuti Militari.
edited by Krzysztof Fudalej
The inscription of the commemorative plaque dedicated to the lieutenant colonel Zbigniew Kiedacz in Santa Sofia:
„TO MY DEAR ZBYSZEK – WŁADYSŁAW ANDERS"
LT. COL. DIPL. CAV.
ZBIGNIEW KIEDACZ
BORN ON 15.09.1911 IN POZNAŃ
DIED 23.10.1944 IN CIVITELLA DI ROMAGNA
OFFICER OF THE POLISH ARMY
DURING THE SEPTEMBER CAMPAIGN OF 1939 COMMAND OFFICER
OF THE NOWOGRÓDZKA CAVALRY BRIGADE
AFTER ESCAPING SOVIET CAPTIVITY
HE SERVED IN THE POLISH ARMED FORCES
IN FRANCE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
COMMANDER OF THE 15TH UHLAN REGIMENT OF POZNAŃ
- MEMBER OF THE POLISH ARMY IN THE USSR
- THE POLISH ARMY IN THE EAST – II POLISH CORPS
DIVISION GENERAL OF WŁADYSŁAW ANDERS
IN THE USSR – IRAN – IRAQ - PALESTINE – EGYPT
AND IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN
(REGIMENT COMMAND STATIONED INTER ALIA IN SANTA SOFIA)
BURIED ON 24.10.1944 IN THE CEMETERY IN SANTA SOFIA
IN 1945 EXHUMATED AND BURIED
IN THE POLISH WAR CEMETERY IN BOLOGNA
COUNCIL FOR THE PROTECTION OF STRUGGLE AND MARTYRDOM SITES (WARSAW)
CITIZENS OF SANTA SOFIA
2015
If you could provide more information about this or other buried person, we would be very grateful for your help: rada[at]radaopwim.gov.pl , mediolan.kg.sekretariat[at]msz.gov.pl