Major Ignacy Skowron, the last known Polish survivor of the opening battle of World War II, has died at the age of 97.

Major Skowron passed away at his grandson’s home in Kielce, in southern Poland, after suffering circulatory, liver and pancreas problems.

The last time he took part in observances of the battle’s anniversary at the Westerplatte, a date marked every year on September 1, was in 2009. On his 97th birthday last month, he was bedridden and weak.

Major Skowron, at the time a corporal, was one of some 200 Polish troops guarding a military depot at Westerplatte, near the city of Gdansk, when it came under heavy fire from a German warship, the Schlezwig-Holstein.

Cut off from any supplies or reinforcements, the Poles held out for seven days in the face of attack by more than 1,500 German troops from land, sea and air but were eventually captured as prisoners.

Major Skowron was released from a prisoner of war camp in 1940 due to ill health and settled with his family near Kielce.

He worked for Polish railways until his retirement in 1975.

He then dedicated his life to telling the story of the battle to younger generations.

His funeral is being held today in Brzeziny, a village near Kielce.

Factbox

• The Battle of Westerplatte was the first clash between Polish and German forces during the Invasion of Poland and thus the first battle of World War II.

• On September 1, 1939, only minutes after the German Luftwaffe (Airforce) had begun the invasion of Poland by dropping bombs in a series of raids at 4.45 a.m. local time, the battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish garrison without warning.

• Soon after crossing the artillery-breached brick wall, the attackers were ambushed by the Polish defenders, with small arms, mortar and machine gun fire from concealed and well-positioned firing points that caught them in a crossfire.

•Over the coming days, the Germans repeatedly bombarded Westerplatte with naval artillery and heavy field artillery.

• Repeated attacks by 3,500 German soldiers were repelled by the 180 Polish soldiers for seven days.

• Major Henryk Sucharski had been informed that no help from the Polish Army would come. Cut off, with no reinforcements or chance of resupply, he continued his defence.

• On September 7, the Major decided to surrender, due to lack of ammunition and supplies.

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