Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:53 am
Post subject: Help with location/present-day name of town
Hi,
I am seeking help in locating information regarding an ancestor.
Date of Birth: May 13, 1899 or 1900
Place of Birth: Dubua Volunskaya Gubernia (He also said Warsaw, Poland)
He stated that "…the language stated in this little town (near Warsaw) was not principally Polish; it was Russian. He stated that they spoke Polish and German as well, but the official language was Russian."
Family: He was the oldest of 5 children, 1 brother and 3 sisters. It is believed that his father worked for Singer Sewing Machine Co. His parents divorced around May, 1912. The 2 boys went with the father, the 3 girls went with the mother. His parents re-married. He did not get along with his step-mother and left home in 1914, and traveled to various cities in Russia with a companion.
Immigration: To United States in 1916. It is believed that he worked his way to the US with North German LLoyds, possibly on the Deutschland.
His adopted name in the US was William Stewart Maxwell. He was adopted in Denver Colorado in 1916. William enlisted in the Navy that same year, and retired with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1950. He had an illustrious and decorated career, including the awarding of the Virtuti Militari by the Polish Government in Exile.
William would never speak of his family or anything prior to his arrival in the US. He very carefully hid his origins. It is believed that he did not want to be found by family.
Not knowing the nuances of Polish or Russian, I am seeking help in locating his place of birth. I understand that the names, spellings and borders have changed since 1900. If I can locate this town's present-day location and name, it would be of great help.
Please email me if you can be of assistance.
Thank you,
Michael
[email protected]
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ShelliePO Top Contributor & Patron
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Replies: 1000
Location: Atlanta, GABack to top |
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:38 pm
Post subject: Re: Help with location/present-day name of town
Hi Michael,
Can you please give us your ancestor's Polish name? Someone might recognize the surname and be able to assist you better.
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 4:48 pm
Post subject:
Hi,
Thanks for the replies. I do not know the original Polish name. I'm hoping to find the town and possibly find some records. The name may have been Wladyslaw Dzwoniecki, but I have search for that name for over 2 years and haven't come up with anything.
I have filed for:
his Navy record (nothing pertaining to his identification)
an FOIA with the FBI (still waiting)
A petition to unseal his adoption file (Colorado wants $850.00)
His Naturalization file (could not be found)
Marriage License (nothing there)
Thanks,
Michael
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PolishLibrarianPO Top Contributor
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:10 pm
Post subject:
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Staripolak64PO Top Contributor
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:23 pm
Post subject:
The town is Dubno, Volhynia Province, Russian Empire.
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MDuplagaPO Top Contributor
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sirdanPO Top Contributor
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Replies: 304
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Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:34 am
Post subject:
Looks like William S. Maxwell was CEO of "American Order Of General Pulaski" Society in 1955. His society were in contact with Polish Government in Excile; most probably activist of Polonia in USA and polish patriot. No wonder he didn't want to speak about his family in Poland /Ukraine where communists would have keept track or pursued his family. I see no information on internet about awarding him Virtuti Militari Order, like he got it in secret? I have no other info, there is some chance of winnnig, looking in born records in Dubno parish for William's date of birth.
Edit: Here is a letter to Zaleski President in Excile from Society http://www.pilsudski.org/archiwa/dokument.php?nonav=1&nrar=701&nrzesp=9&sygn=11&handle=701.180/1000 look at scan #278
Last edited by sirdan on Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:52 am; edited 2 times in total
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Elzbieta PorteneuvePO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2012
Replies: 3098
Location: Paris, FranceBack to top |
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:19 am
Post subject:
The statement
Place of Birth: Dubua Volunskaya Gubernia (He also said Warsaw, Poland)
is an oxymoron.
Warsaw was never ever in history part to Wolyn governorate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volhynia and all URLs inside
The map in Russian and Polish of Gubernia Wolynska is here
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volhynian_governorate_1820.jpg
We do not know why William S. Maxwell was hiding his Polish past, but definitely oxymoron statements about geography were part of his strategy.
I quite agree with Sirdan, that 1955 was difficult [euphemism] time concerning relations with the Soviet communist empire.
Stalin died in 1953. Warsaw's Palac Kultury built by prisoners of Soviets was achieved in 1956. Each 1st May there were tanks running the whole day accross the city of Warsaw, with all communists on stage at Plac Defilad, with Russian brothers ("you do choose your friends, you don't your brothers" was a Polish philosophical saying). All Warsaw people, adults and school children alike were obliged to attend, it was mandatory, people get punished for missing that communist show.
It was the time of "walls have ears", the first Commandment teached by Polish parents to their small children was to never ever speak outside about anything which you could learn at home. The people were putting strong radio music, when they had to say something at home.
Elzbieta
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Elzbieta PorteneuvePO Top Contributor
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Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 5:53 am
Post subject:
Hi Michael,
I googled the names you search, and found numerous pleaces where you were patiently seeking places or name Dzwoniecki / William S. Maxwell.
Below two items I can clarify. Warsaw is my place.
1.
Wladyslaw Dzwoniecki
27 Maszalkowska, Warsaw, ULGA District
The address 27 Marszalkowska Street does exist today, but is certainly totaly different from 1900, because the city was totaly destroyed in WWII and reconstructed from scratch (see The Pianist movie for the WWII landscape of Warsaw).
You may use street view from google to see the today building which is from circa 1950. It is so called MDM - Marszalkowska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa, area built at the same time, cf. history in Polish http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Dzielnica_Mieszkaniowa.
The crossing Marszalkowska street with aleje Jerozolimskie, is like 57th with Fifth avenue in New York, Marszalkowska is the very center of Warsaw.
There is no such a thing as ULGA district in central Warsaw. The word "ULGA" means reduction on fees or taxes, all possible. It means also a relief, when you have a pain, or are stressed.
The only geographic meaning I could find for "Ulga near Warsaw" is a water channel, on the right side of Wistula:
Kanał Ulgi, Wawer Warsaw, Warszawa, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland
2.
Record someone suggested you.
21 1883 145 Jan Dzwoniecki Marianna Haller W-wa Narodzenie NMP (Leszno)
It's in Cyrillic, I can read it (slowly), here are essentials:
Collection: 72/1217/0 Akta stanu cywilnego parafii rzymskokatolickiej Narodzenia NMP w Warszawie (Leszno) » Series:: units without series » File/unit:: 20
It's 73.jpg in case the URL below is broken
http://szukajwarchiwach.pl/72/1217/0/-/20/str/1/5/15#tabSkany
145
It did happen in Warszaw
...
12/24 June 1883
Appeared in for the marriage ... [witnesses]
Wilhelma Eramin ... Kojève fabricant (manufacturer)
... 25 years
and Alfons Grodzki student at Warsaw Imperial University,
resident street Senatorska numer 32
both commiting ...
between Jan Dzwoniecki,
single, retired soldier, 46 years, born in the city of Pultusk,
son of Jan and Anna, spouses Dzwoniecki,
residing ... street Nowolipie number 24
...
and Marianna Jozefa Haller, 49 years, born in Warsaw
parish St Andrzej, dauther of deceased Karl and still alive Elena [Helena]
born Radwansuprug Haller,
residing ... street Nowolipie number 24
..
Then I looked up if Pultusk archives are on line - unfortunately not.
Researching for "Dzwoniecki Pułtusk" gives nothing, but I discovered a possible etymology for the name with "Dzwoniec Pułtusk". Dzwoniec is a bird name, and there is plenty of such in Pułtusk.
Pułtusk is 60 km North from Warsaw.
3.
The most interesting text is here
http://genealodzy.pl/PNphpBB2-printview-t-18995-start-0.phtml
includes this one, about Roosevelt strategy with regards to Stalin
http://www.powstanie.pl/index.php?ktory=10
//Szkoleniem kierował kapitan marynarki William Maxwell (urodzony jako Dzwoniecki w Warszawie, a ponieważ umiał kląć po rosyjsku, więc dostał takie zadanie)"
//
William Maxwell spoke Russian, including cursing.
Not much progress to find William S. Maxwell past.
Elzbieta
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sirdanPO Top Contributor
Joined: 07 Mar 2012
Replies: 304
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Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:13 am
Post subject:
William S. Maxwell was trainig soldiers in Hula Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hula
Wiki refers to book Russell, Richard A., Project Hula: Secret Soviet-American Cooperation in the War Against Japan.
Some information available too in book online here http://books.google.pl/books?id=p01bFVagOJYC&lpg=PP1&hl=pl&pg=PA345#v=onepage&q&f=false and this book refers to some kind of Diary (Admiral's one?)
It's interesting, if same admiral Maxwell is chief of "American Order Of General Pulaski" Society, he might had different "jobs" and not clear past. There is no information about the Society on internet.
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:22 am
Post subject:
Sirdan, Elbieta, MaryAnne,
I am aware of Operation Hula. I believe this is the reason he was awarded the Virtuti Militari. I have a picture of him being presented the award, though I do not know who the gentleman is that is presenting it. My mother-in-law has the medal in her possession. I have not been able to find any official reference to it's being awarded to him.
Richard Russell and I are both working on separate biographies of the Admiral and sharing the information we uncover.
Admiral Maxwell was my wife's grandfather, and I knew him from the early 1970's until his death. He and I got along very well and we would visit him at least once a month. Obviously, he was a brilliant man with an exceptional career. The more I learn, the more impressed I become. To me, it's a story that needs to be told.
I find the letter to Zaleski President in Exile intriguing. I will try to have the letter translated in the next week, or so. This is something that is new to me, and very interesting.
I have previously tried to track the Dzwoniecki/Heller marriage with no luck. I traced a Marianne Heller to an art gallery in hopes that she might be a descendant, but she has not replied to my inquiries.
I have also located 1 Dzwoniecki through social networks, but he too has failed to reply.
The Admiral, for most of his life, considered himself Russian. He stated more than once that his men nicknamed him "The Bolshevik". It was only later in life that he seemed comfortable and proud of his Polish heritage.
The Dubno that is south of Bialystok has some potential. It seems closest to Warsaw, and he did refer to it as a little town. I will definitely check them all.
I will also take a look at Alaska at War, 1941-1945: The Forgotten War Remembered.
You have all given me some fresh information to pursue, and I thank you very much for your continued assistance. Please feel free to contact me via email.
-Michael
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:57 am
Post subject: General Pulaski
I have been reading about General Pulaski, another remarkable man of Polish descent.
In talking with the Admiral's daughter, Colleen, I learned that Admiral Maxwell received the Pulaski Award. I have found nothing on the web relating to the American Order of General Pulaski. I'm assuming this would have been in New York (the society, as well), as this is where the Admiral lived after the war.
Just one of the many frustrations of research that can only be solved with patience.
-Michael
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:28 am
Post subject:
I thought you all might appreciate a brief history of the Admiral:
1916- Adopted by George and Jane Maxwell, Denver CO.
Enlisted in the US Navy
1917- Served as an interpreter with the Siberian Expeditionary Forces aboard the USS Brooklyn
1921- Graduated from Submarine School
1923- Engineering Officer aboard the USS Iuka
1927- Commissioned Ensign
1930- Engineering Division Officer aboard the USS New Mexico
1933- USS Argonne on the Aleutian Islands Expedition
1934- Post-graduate School, Annapolis
1938- Special Assignment, FBI, Los Angeles (The Gorin/Salich Spy Case)
1942- Guadalcanal, Rank of Captain aboard the USS North Carolina
1942- Earned the Bronze Star, USS North Carolina, Lt. Commander
1945- Project Hula, Cold Bay Alaska
1945- Awarded Legion of Merit
1945- Operation Crossroads, Atomic Bomb Test
1947- Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Washington, D.C.
1950- Retired from Navy
1950-1952 Deputy Director, Bureau of Smoke Control, NYC
1955- Chairman of the Board of Standards and Appeals, NYC
1955- Named Power Engineer of the Year NYC
Awards:
Bronze Star
Legion of Merit
Victory Medal
Fleet Clasp
American Defense Service Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal- 4 Battle Stars
American Area Campaign Medal
WWII Victory Medal
Virtuti Militari
Pulaski Medal
-Michael
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ShelliePO Top Contributor & Patron
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:36 pm
Post subject:
This guy is very interesting. Can you shed any light on why he would be adopted at age 16? I would be less curious if he were adopted at a much younger age so he could be cared for by a family - but he enlisted the same year he was adopted. I don't know the rules for enlisting in 1916 - was US citizenship required?
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