Filip Konowal
Encyclopedia
Filip Konowal VC
(15 September 1888 – 3 June 1959) was a highly decorated Ukrainian Canadian
soldier. He is the only Ukrainian
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British
and Commonwealth
forces. He also received the British War Medal
(1914–1920), Victory Medal (1914–1919), George VI Coronation Medal (1937), Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
(1953), entitled to the Cross of St George
, 4th Class.
He is the patron of Royal Canadian Legion
Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto
.
, Ukraine, in the Russian Empire
. Konowal was 28 years old, and an Acting Corporal
in the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
during the First World War
. During the period 22–24 August 1917, at the Battle of Hill 70
in Lens
, France
, he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
of 23 November 1917 (dated 26 November 1917):
Konowal's Victoria Cross medal was personally presented by King George V
, and he was promoted to sergeant
.
He was also awarded the British War Medal
(1914–1920), Victory Medal (1914–1919), George VI Coronation Medal
(1937), Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
(1953), and entitled to the Cross of St George
, 4th Class, from Russia.
The Royal Canadian Legion
Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto
made him its patron in 1953. The Legion helped established the Konowal Prize, an annual scholarship grant at the Royal Military College of Canada
.
Konowal died in 1959 at Hull
, Quebec
, aged 72. He was buried at Notre Dame de Lourdes Cemetery, Ottawa, under a headstone in section A, lot 502.
In 1996 Konowal's headstone was replaced by an upright marker, and memorial plaques were unveiled:
The Canadian War Museum
in Ottawa purchased Konowal's Victoria Cross and other medals in 1969.
The medal went missing sometime in the 1970s, apparently stolen, and was sold to an antique shop along with some Hawaiian coins in the mid-1990s. The shop owner believed the medal was a fake, as it was inscribed with "For Valour" – evidently not realizing that all VCs awarded to Canadians had the English motto. (The source of confusion was the fact that a new Canadian VC
was introduced into the Canadian Honours System in 1993, bearing the Latin motto Pro Valore). The medal was rediscovered when the shop owner offered it to the Jeffrey Hoare Auction House in London, Ontario
in April 2004. A British collector discovered the auction and notified Lubomyr Luciuk
, co-author of a booklet about Konowal, who took steps to have the medal secured. It was recovered by police, and returned to permanent display at the War Museum on 23 August 2004, 87 years after it was awarded.
Konowal did not attempt to flee the scene; when police came, the First World War veteran stated, "I've killed fifty-two of them, that makes the fifty-third." Veterans rallied around his cause and raised enough money to bail Konowal in October 1919; the trial ended up being postponed three times, finally beginning in 1921. After extensive tests, it was discovered that Konowal was suffering from serious medical problems stemming from war wounds: pressure on his brain was increasing and his condition was continually deteriorating. Medical experts unanimously agreed that a wartime gunshot wound to the head was likely making Konowal mentally unstable; the jury agreed and he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Konowal was institutionalized for seven years. By the end of this period, his condition had improved dramatically. Unfortunately, tragedy struck once again when Konowal attempted to contact his family in Soviet Ukraine: his wife had died during the Soviet famine of 1932–1933 (the Holodomor
) and his daughter was nowhere to be found.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(15 September 1888 – 3 June 1959) was a highly decorated Ukrainian Canadian
Ukrainian Canadian
A Ukrainian Canadian is a person of Ukrainian descent or origin who was born in or immigrated to Canada. In 2006, there were an estimated 1,209,085 persons residing in Canada of Ukrainian origin, making them Canada's ninth largest ethnic group; and giving Canada the world's third-largest...
soldier. He is the only Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces. He also received the British War Medal
British War Medal
The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
(1914–1920), Victory Medal (1914–1919), George VI Coronation Medal (1937), Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
(1953), entitled to the Cross of St George
Cross of St. George
thumb|Original Cross of St. George.Ist and 2nd class were in gold.The Cross of St. George ', or simply the George's Cross, was, until 1913, officially known as the Sign of Distinction of the Military Order of St. George....
, 4th Class.
He is the patron of Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
First World War
Konowal was born 15 September 1888 in KutkivtsiKutkivtsi
Kutkivtsi is a village in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is located in the Chemerovetsky Raion at around .Kutkivtsi is the birthplace of Ukrainian-Canadian war hero Filip Konowal.-External links:...
, Ukraine, in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Konowal was 28 years old, and an Acting Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During the period 22–24 August 1917, at the Battle of Hill 70
Battle of Hill 70
The Battle of Hill 70 was a localized battle of World War I between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France between 15 August 1917 and 25 August 1917.The primary...
in Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Citation
The citation was published in a supplement to the London GazetteLondon Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
of 23 November 1917 (dated 26 November 1917):
Honours
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, and he was promoted to sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
.
He was also awarded the British War Medal
British War Medal
The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
(1914–1920), Victory Medal (1914–1919), George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
(1937), Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
(1953), and entitled to the Cross of St George
Cross of St. George
thumb|Original Cross of St. George.Ist and 2nd class were in gold.The Cross of St. George ', or simply the George's Cross, was, until 1913, officially known as the Sign of Distinction of the Military Order of St. George....
, 4th Class, from Russia.
The Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
made him its patron in 1953. The Legion helped established the Konowal Prize, an annual scholarship grant at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
.
Konowal died in 1959 at Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, aged 72. He was buried at Notre Dame de Lourdes Cemetery, Ottawa, under a headstone in section A, lot 502.
In 1996 Konowal's headstone was replaced by an upright marker, and memorial plaques were unveiled:
- in the Cartier Square drill hall of the Governor General's Foot GuardsGovernor General's Foot GuardsThe Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household regiments in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia infantry regiment in Canada."Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is...
in OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario... - at Legion Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto
- at the Royal Westminster Regiment's armoury (Konowal's regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
) in New Westminster, B.CBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. - on a cairn at Selo Ukraina Memorial Park, near DauphinDauphin, ManitobaDauphin is a small city in Manitoba, Canada, with a population of 7,906 as of 2006. The nearby lake was given the name "Dauphin" by the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye in 1741 in honour of the heir to the French throne...
, ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. - in 2001, at Konowal's place of birth, KutkivtsiKutkivtsiKutkivtsi is a village in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is located in the Chemerovetsky Raion at around .Kutkivtsi is the birthplace of Ukrainian-Canadian war hero Filip Konowal.-External links:...
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
The Victoria Cross medal
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
in Ottawa purchased Konowal's Victoria Cross and other medals in 1969.
The medal went missing sometime in the 1970s, apparently stolen, and was sold to an antique shop along with some Hawaiian coins in the mid-1990s. The shop owner believed the medal was a fake, as it was inscribed with "For Valour" – evidently not realizing that all VCs awarded to Canadians had the English motto. (The source of confusion was the fact that a new Canadian VC
Victoria Cross (Canada)
The Victoria Cross is a military decoration of Canada modelled on the original British Victoria Cross—instituted in 1856—in both intent and appearance, with several small changes...
was introduced into the Canadian Honours System in 1993, bearing the Latin motto Pro Valore). The medal was rediscovered when the shop owner offered it to the Jeffrey Hoare Auction House in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in April 2004. A British collector discovered the auction and notified Lubomyr Luciuk
Lubomyr Luciuk
Lubomyr Luciuk was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. His education began at St. Joseph's School, Cathedral School and Regiopolis-Notre Dame. He earned two degrees from Queen's University, an Honours BSc and MA . He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Alberta...
, co-author of a booklet about Konowal, who took steps to have the medal secured. It was recovered by police, and returned to permanent display at the War Museum on 23 August 2004, 87 years after it was awarded.
Trial
On 19 July 1919, Konowal accompanied Leontiy Diedek, a friend and fellow veteran, to a particularly rough area in Hull, Quebec. The two men went for dinner at a restaurant; Diedek left early in order to look at some bicycles at the home of William Artich, an 'Austrian' bootlegger and bicycle salesman. Konowal became aware of a commotion and went to investigate. A fight had started between Artich and Diedek. By the time Konowal arrived, Diedek had been viciously beaten and Artich was armed with a knife. Konowal managed to gain control over the weapon and killed Artich with a single stab to the chest.Konowal did not attempt to flee the scene; when police came, the First World War veteran stated, "I've killed fifty-two of them, that makes the fifty-third." Veterans rallied around his cause and raised enough money to bail Konowal in October 1919; the trial ended up being postponed three times, finally beginning in 1921. After extensive tests, it was discovered that Konowal was suffering from serious medical problems stemming from war wounds: pressure on his brain was increasing and his condition was continually deteriorating. Medical experts unanimously agreed that a wartime gunshot wound to the head was likely making Konowal mentally unstable; the jury agreed and he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Konowal was institutionalized for seven years. By the end of this period, his condition had improved dramatically. Unfortunately, tragedy struck once again when Konowal attempted to contact his family in Soviet Ukraine: his wife had died during the Soviet famine of 1932–1933 (the Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
) and his daughter was nowhere to be found.
External links
- Filip Konowal, V.C.. Biography by Lubomyr Y. Luciuk and Ron Sorobey
- Legion Magazine Article on Filip Konowal
- Find-A-Grave profile for Filip Konowal