1939 he was taken prisoner of war by the Soviets and sent to the Starobielsk prison camp. Following the orders of Joseph Stalin, he was murdered in Kharkov in the spring of 1940, aged forty-nine, in what became known as the Katyn Massacres. Place of his burial remains unknown. Among the Katyn victims were 14 Polish generals including Leon Billewicz, Bronisław Bohatyrewicz, Xawery Czernicki (admiral), Stanisław Haller, Aleksander Kowalewski, Henryk Minkiewicz, Kazimierz Orlik-Łukoski, Rudolf Prich (murdered in Lviv), Franciszek Sikorski, Leonard Skierski, Piotr Skuratowicz, Mieczysław Smorawiński and Alojzy Wir-Konas (promoted posthumously). Since 20 March 1996, the Polish 6th Armoured Cavalry Brigade is named after him. Promotions Major – Colonel – 23 August 1919 Brigadier General – 4 January 1929 Major General – 9 November 2007 (posthumously) Honours and awards Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1921) Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France, 1921) Order of Saint George, 4th class Order of the White Eagle References 1890 births 1940 deaths Polish generals Katyn massacre victims Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War Polish people of World War II Polish military personnel of World War II Polish Army officers Polish military personnel killed in World War II Polish prisoners of war World War II prisoners of war held by the Soviet Union Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Executed military leaders Imperial Russian Army personnel People from the Russian Empire of Polish descent Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)