Stage V

The fifth stage of archaeological research took place from September 12th to November 15th, 2019. It was a pivotal moment in uncovering the history of Westerplatte, with significant social and patriotic implications.

The objective of the research was to locate the burial site of the defenders of Westerplatte who were interred after September 7th, 1939, and to verify information about their subsequent exhumation. Shortly after the surrender of the Military Transit Depot, the Germans, using Polish civilian prisoners, initiated cleanup operations. Part of these operations involved recovering the bodies from the ruins of guardhouse No. 5, which was destroyed during the Luftwaffe bombing on September 2nd, 1939, as well as finding the remains of other soldiers who had died in different parts of the Depot. These efforts also included digging pits and burying bodies in the vicinity of the bombed guardhouse.

 According to the accounts of Brother Władysław Kaczmarek, one of the civilian prisoners, in January 1940, the Germans ordered the exhumation of previously buried Polish defenders and transported their bodies to an unknown location. Archaeologists from the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk meticulously analyzed photographs taken by German soldiers after September 7th, 1939. By comparing these images with existing fragments of the landscape today, they precisely pinpointed the research area. During this process, they also used the results of archaeological and geophysical work conducted in previous research seasons, which enabled the identification of buildings that no longer existed.

During this stage, a total area of 110 m² was thoroughly examined. Five intact graves were uncovered, where the remains of 9 Polish soldiers were interred. The first remains were recorded at a depth of 40 cm below ground level. A shallow pit was discovered, into which the upper part of a fallen defender's body was placed. The next three graves were individual burials. Only one of them had an organized arrangement of the remains; the other two bodies were placed in the pits without the respect due to the deceased. The last grave turned out to be a mass grave containing the remains of five individuals. The pit contained heavily mutilated remains and loose body fragments. The analysis of the uncovered remains showed that no care was taken in arranging the fallen. The arrangement of bones also indicated that bags were used to transport body fragments, a fact corroborated by Jan Olszewski, a civilian prisoner who participated in the burial. Accounts from others also revealed that any attempt to treat the buried remains with dignity or commemorate their burial sites was severely punished by the Germans.

Most of the recovered remains showed signs of exposure to high temperatures, shockwaves, and injuries caused by shrapnel. Numerous items of Polish weaponry and military equipment were found alongside the skeletons, indicating that Polish defenders of the Depot were buried in these graves.

During this stage of research, nearly 1400 artifacts were acquired, with almost 750 of them considered objects of immense scientific, exhibition, or historical value, primarily carrying significant emotional weight. Among the items found near the remains were: a Browning Model 1900 pistol (cal. 7.65 mm), a Model 1931 main belt with a Model 1922 magazine pouch and a Model 1924 "żabka" for attaching a bayonet to the belt, a Model 1929 bayonet for Mauser rifles, Polish sapper boots Model 1931, a barrel protector known as an "antyzapiaszczacz," a container for a Model 1924 gas mask, Model 1928 uniform buttons, and fragments of German SC-50 air bombs that destroyed guardhouse No. 5. Personal items found near the remains included aluminum medals, wallets containing Polish coins, a leather cigarette case, and a wooden cigarette holder.

Upon the discovery of the first bones, the District Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation Institute of National Remembrance in Gdańsk was immediately informed. Further work was carried out as part of the investigation. During the exhumation, archaeologists were accompanied by anthropologists, a forensic doctor, an IPN prosecutor, and police technicians. Still, during the MSWW research, efforts were initiated to search for the closest living relatives of the soldiers who perished during the defense of the Depot. Thanks to cooperation with the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and the Gdańsk branch of the IPN, seven fallen defenders of Westerplatte were identified: Sgt. Adolf Petzelt, Cpl. Jan Gębura, Cpl. Bronisław Perucki, Senior Rifleman Władysław Okrasa (Okraszewski), Senior Legionnaire Ignacy Zatorski, Senior Legionnaire Zygmunt Zięba, and Legionnaire Józef Kita. Work is still underway to identify the remaining two Polish soldiers. During the solemn burial ceremony, which took place on November 4th, 2022, all the identified heroes were laid to rest alongside their commander, Major Henryk Sucharski, at the Cemetery of Polish Soldiers on Westerplatte.