Anna Jakubowska

Anna Halina Jakubowska was born to Tadeusz and Felicja (nee Boryn)on 25 July 1925, in Warsaw, Poland. Before the war, she graduated from the Ursuline Sisters’ primary school.

From 1941 in the Polish Home Army (AK) in Warsaw under the pseudonym “Hanka”. She served in the Kedyw Bakcyl group of Home Army. She also attended the pedagogical high school in secrecy.

During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, until August 15, she was a nurse in the insurgent hospital at Marianska Street. Then she served as a liaison-medic in the Śródmieście Północ area in the “Bartkiewicz” Group – 4th company, 2nd platoon.

After the capitulation of the Uprising, she left Warsaw on October 5, 1944, with the last unit of female soldiers. They were transported to Stalag 11B Fallingbostel, in Germany. They were later transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp and on December 24, 1944, to Stalag VIC Oberlangen. In all these camps her number was 141468.

After the Oberlangen camp was liberated by the 1st Polish Armored Division on April 12, 1945, she joined the 8th Rifle Battalion of the Division. In 1946 she was demobilized. On June 7, 1947, she returned to Poland. She married Eugeniusz Kowalski (also soldier of 1st Polish Armored Division), and they had three children: Andrzej, Stanisław, and Hanna

She was awarded the following medals: Polish – Badge of Kedyw soldiers of the Warsaw District Home Army , Badge of a Veteran of the Fight for Independence, Badge of Platoon 1147 “Rygiel”

She worked until 1966 as a clerk. After exhausting stays in three German camps during WWII, she received a disability pension at the age of 38. She died in Warsaw on 4 February 2012 and was buried at the Bródno Cemetery in Warsaw.

Translated from a text by Witold Gudyś