A group of Israeli metal detecting enthusiasts embarked on a quest at Latrun, a strategically significant hilltop in the Ayalon Valley near Jerusalem, hoping to find metals. Surprisingly, they stumbled upon a dog tag from 1943 that had belonged to a Polish soldier who briefly served in Israel as part of the Polish Anders' army, which included none other than future Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
Following meticulous research, Gan Erez, the leader of the metal detecting group, successfully identified the soldier in the discovered dog tag as Sgt. Maj. Franciszek Zbikowski, who had fought against the Nazis in Italy and survived World War II. After months of searching, Zbikowski's niece, his sole surviving relative, was located in Warsaw. Zbikowski himself died in 1983, and both his wife and only daughter have also since died.
Erez described the discovery of the dog tag as a rare and significant occurrence, both on a personal and historical level.
"This is a soldier of the Anders' army, an army of the Poles that only existed for six years and stayed in Israel for a few months. We found a picture of those soldiers setting up a camp in Latrun, so it makes sense that he lost the disk there," according to Erez.
"From the moment we received the dog tag, we didn't give up. We made progress slowly until we found a picture, his father's name and date of birth. I put up a post on Facebook, and the Polish and Israeli embassies contacted me asking for help. The mystery was solved when we found a post that the niece wrote two years ago, in which she tells about her heroic uncle who served in Israel," he said.
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Anders' Army soldier Sgt. Maj. Franciszek Zbikowski, who had fought against the Nazis in Italy and survived World War II
He said that upon receiving the news from the Israeli embassy, the soldier's niece expressed great happiness and excitement. On Wednesday, in a ceremony in Poland, the dog tag was presented to Zbikowski's niece, with the metal seekers' group also in attendance.
"We've also decided to visit his grave and install a commemorative plaque as a tribute from the citizens of Israel," Erez said.
During the ceremony, Israel's ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne said that "I am pleased that our embassy could provide assistance and locate the family of the Polish soldier. It is crucial to remember our shared heritage and common heroes."