Stefan Kossecki

Stefan Kossecki (1889 - 1940) was a soldier of the Imperial Russian Army, and Colonel of Infantry of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic. Captured by the Soviets in 1939, he was murdered by the NKVD in 1940. On November 9, 2004 Kossecki was posthumously promoted to General brygady.

Kossecki was born on November 27, 1889 in a Polish noble family (Rawa coat of arms), in the village of Sawince near Kamieniec Podolski, Russian Empire. He was baptised as a Roman Catholic on January 12, 1890. While attending high school in Kamieniec, young Kossecki was a member of a secret Polish patriotic organization “Association of Polish Youth”, later joining Union of Active Struggle, which was active in nearby Austrian Galicia.

After graduation in 1911, he joined Imperial Russian Army’s 13th Foot Rifles Regiment, which was subjected to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. In 1912 Kossecki was promoted to Chorąży.

After the outbreak of World War I, he fought in 284th Infantry Regiment. On January 8, 1915, Kossowski was heavily wounded during the campaign in Bukovina. He lost his right hand, and was sent to the hospital. After one year, Kossowski upon his own request returned to the service. Promoted to Stabskapitan, he was awarded Golden Eagle of the Order of St. George.

In late 1917, while at Odessa, Kossowski joined 7th Regiment of Polish Rifles. He was responsible for elimination of pro-Bolshevik elements among the volunteers to the unit. Later on, he was joined Polish I Corps in Russia, commanded by General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki. He fought the Red Army in Belarus: during the Battle of Rahachow (February 1918), in which his company repelled fanatical Bolshevik regiment of Latvians, he was in 1922 awarded Solver Cross of the Virtuti Militari. After Polish I Corps in Russia was disarmed by the Germans, Kossecki came to former Congress Poland.

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