Major Jan Kański
&
Lieutenant-Colonel Romuald Dowbor
24th Polish Uhlan Regiment

Born on 10 November 1898 in Ternopilska, Ukraine, Jan Witold Kański took command of the 24th Polish Uhlan Regiment in November 1942. During the Battle of Falaise, he was badly wounded by artillery fire and died shortly thereafter on 27 August 1944. Within days he was succeeded by Major Romuald Jerzy Dowbor who was born on 11 February 1905 and joined the Polish Army at an early age. He had been taken prisoner by the Soviets in September 1939 but escaped and eventually reached France via Hungary and the Balkans. He then joined the reconstituted 24th Polish Uhlan Regiment in 1940 and became a squadron commander with the 10th Mountain Rifle Regiment after the evacuation to the United Kingdom

Until he succeeded Kański, Dowbor had commaned the 1st Anti-tank Artillery Regiment. After taking over the 24th Uhlan Regiment following Kański’s death, Dowbor was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in September 1944 and earned the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership over the next month of fighting:

On 29 Sept 44, at MERXPLAS, on 1 and 2 Oct 44 at BAARLE NASSAU, Lt-Col DOWBOW commanding his Regiment during the attack on MERXPLAS on 29 Sept 44, inspite of heavily mined ground and strong enemy opposition, smashed enemy strong points along the TURNHOUT canal, capturing P.W.’s and enemy equipment …

Throughout these actions, Lt-Col DOWBOR remained with forward elements. Under heavy enemy fire, and the success of the operations were very largely due to his fine leadership and personal courage during three days of heavy fighting.

Some time after the war Dowbor moved to San Diego, California, where he died in on 19 December 1986.