Operation Wildhorn

Home | The Operation | The Wildhorn Diaries | Monument | Commemoration Services | 5 June, 2008 - RAF Flypast | Ted Harrod | Contact us | Links

Monument

FirstMonument.JPG

The monument stands on the northern side of the road, about 5 metres off and in front of the house of the farmer who owns the field on which the monument stands.  ‘Ant’ was the inspiration behind the monument, which he built himself, using a 3.5 ton granite boulder.

There is a wrought iron fence around it with a small gate.  It is beautiful in its simplicity and entirely appropriate and fitting.  Until 1989, when the Iron Curtain fell, no official recognition could be given in Poland to Wildhorn/MOST. 

The monument was erected in 1994, on the 50th anniversary of Wildhorn, and homage has been paid every even numbered year since then, involving all the local AK survivors and their families.

 

 

Monument2.jpg

The plaque on the boulder commemorates the event and names the flight crew, but no mention is made of those killed the following day in retribution.  These five are remembered on another plaque at the local church.  ‘Ant’ researched and wrote the script on the monument’s plaque using the names of the aircrew found for him by Tadeusz, the air historian.  He mentions the pilot as Ted Harrod but calls him a Canadian, then all the other crew members.  He has added a picture of a Dakota flying and it is etched above the inscription.

This plaque was replaced in 2008 by a brass version with the correct nationality for Ted Harrod and an English translation of the inscription.

 

 

Monument3.jpg

It was formally unveiled by Waclaw Filiks who had been a member of the local AK group at the time of Wildhorn.   

 

MonumentUnveil.jpg

Filiks.jpg

There was another Virtuti Militari present at the unveiling also, in the person of Henryk Jaroszyński (about whom nothing is known!).
 

JaroszynskiVM.jpg

Return to top of page