User:Klongn/Leo Grabowski

Leo Grabowsky (born 1915) was a Polish prisoner of war during World War II in Norway. He was married and lived outside the city of Warsaw. He participated in the defense of Warsaw in 1939 and came after the defeat in German captivity [1]. After hard stays in several concentration camps, he was transferred to Norway in 1943. In a prison camp in Loshavn on Lista, he and two fellow prisoners were accused of rioting. The other two were immediately shot, but Leo was sent to Stavanger, interrogated, tortured and sentenced to death on August 27, 1943. He managed to escape, and thanks to several brave, local helpers and through many dramatic episodes, he managed to stay hidden and alive on Lihalsen until the war was over. The earthen hut was built by his helpers and was his hiding place to begin with and on several later occasions. It measured 2 x 2 meters, and it was 1.25 meters high. The roof was of several layers with thick poles, tar paper and peat. A more solid cabin was also gradually built in inaccessible terrain hidden from the forest, where he could lead a more human life.