“We have wolves’ teeth and our caps sit askew. No one cries in insurgent Warsaw. This is the heart of Poland, Warsaw is speaking. We have enough spirit for ourselves. We don’t need applause either. We demand ammunition!” – thus the insurgent radio station “Błyskawica” reported to the world.
On August 1, 2024, our Museum hosted a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising.
Before the official part of the ceremony, Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum, and Dr. hab. Krzysztof Mroczkowski, Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs, laid flowers at the graves of 1586 Special Duty Squadron, where Polish, British, New Zealand, and South African airmen who perished during supply missions for the fighting Warsaw are buried.
The ceremony began at 4:00 PM. After welcoming the guests, Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, shared his reflections on the heroism and sacrifice of the Insurgents. He also reminded the audience that remembrance and reflection on the events of 1944 is the duty of every Pole, and that cultural institutions such as the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków bear a special responsibility for educating and raising young generations in a spirit of deep respect for our heroes.
During the ceremony, the vernissage of the outdoor exhibition To the Aid of Fighting Warsaw. On Aviation Missions over the Occupied Country on the 80th Anniversary of the Outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising also took place.
The exhibition presented aviation missions to insurgent Warsaw and technical artefacts (including, for example, equipment from a Liberator B-24 aircraft). The exhibition will be available to visitors for a symbolic 63 days — the duration of the Uprising.
Next, the Kraków Old Town Orchestra under the direction of Wiesław Olejniczak performed songs of the Warsaw Uprising, including: Serce w plecaku (Heart in the Backpack), Sanitariuszka Małgorzatka (Nurse Małgorzatka), and Deszcz jesienny deszcz (Autumn Rain).
During the concert, visitors could also admire the airborne assault vehicle of the 6th Airborne Brigade named after Brig. Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski, presented courtesy of Brig. Gen. Michał Strzelecki.
After the artistic part, Dr. hab. Krzysztof Mroczkowski delivered a lecture entitled We Demand Ammunition. Aviation Support for Fighting Warsaw.
The lecture covered:
During the ceremony, the presentation of a new publication by the Polish Aviation Museum also took place: We Demand Ammunition. Aviation Support for Fighting Warsaw by Dr. hab. Krzysztof Mroczkowski.
At 5:00 PM, “W-Hour” was commemorated — fire brigade sirens sounded, red-and-white smoke flares were set off, and the Polish national anthem was sung. The honour guard was provided by the Kraków Aviation Seniors Club, and flowers were laid at the plaque In Honour of the Heroic Airmen Who Brought Aid to Occupied Poland by:
The event concluded with the second part of the concert of Warsaw Uprising Songs performed by the Kraków Old Town Orchestra.
Additionally, the following also took part in the ceremony:
During the event, a special newspaper prepared by the Military Publishing Institute “Polska Zbrojna” was also distributed. The one-day publication was entirely dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. It is also available for download in PDF format.
Thank you for jointly honouring the memory of the Warsaw Insurgents and the airmen who supported them!
We invite you to view the photo gallery:
