Malta: Ceremonies to commemorate Polish seamen killed on board ORP "Kujawiak"

A ceremony was held in La Valletta, Malta, to commemorate the 13 sailors of the Polish destroyer ORP “Kujawiak” who lost their lives 73 years ago during World War II. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, dedicated to the heroic crew.

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The assembled guests were transported by the Maltese Navy ship ‘P 24’ to the place where the ‘Kujawiak’ sank. This was an opportunity to say a prayer for the souls of the fallen soldiers and to lay wreaths and wreath bouquets, in accordance with the custom of mariners,

In turn, in the evening, the main ceremonies of the day took place in the Barraka Gardens Arcade, including the unveiling of a commemorative plaque bearing the names of the fallen sailors of the destroyer L-72. Honours were done by Owen Bonici – the Maltese Minister of Justice, Culture and Local Government and Jan Stanislaw Ciechanowski – the Head of the Office for War Veterans and Repressed Persons, the Polish Ambassador in Malta and employees of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

Among the guests, in addition to the aforementioned Owen Bonici and Jan Stanisław Ciechanowski, there were also veterans of the Polish Army and members of the Wreck Expeditions Association, consisting of: Roman Zajder, Piotr Wytykowski, Bartłomiej Grynda, Piotr Kardasz, Michał Szczepaniak, Mariusz Borowiak, as well as their colleagues Mark “Sharky” Alexander (USA), Dr. Timmy Gambin, Prof. Matthew Montebello and Joseph Sultana (Malta). The ceremony was also attended by a large group of our compatriots living in Malta.

There were speeches during which the contribution of ORP “Kujawiak” to the defence of Malta during hostilities in 1942 was emphasised. The commemorative plaque was consecrated by a military chaplain and assisted by a Maltese military company. In honour of the fallen, during the reading of their names, a thirteenfold salute was fired from the cannons.

This is how a beautiful project was crowned, which a few years ago no one had even heard of. From the idea, to the hard and painstaking work, to the searches carried out underwater, to the commemoration, to honouring those who sacrificed their lives in the most tragic war of the 20th century.

Source: orpkujawiak.com