He died on March 19 at the age of 96. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony will be attended only by members of his family.
Among those who have sent condolences is the Polish ambassador to Italy, Anna Maria Anders, the daughter of Gen. Władysław Anders, under whose command Łapiński fought in the Italian campaign.
During the Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944, Łapiński was a member of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. He also took part in the liberation of the Italian cities of Loreto, Ancona and Bologna.
In April 1940, seven months after the Soviet Union invaded Poland, Łapiński was deported to Kazakhstan by the Soviet NKVD police.
After the outbreak of the German-Soviet war, he was allowed to join the Polish Army that was created in the Soviet Union under Anders’ command.
Together with over 20,000 Polish civilians freed from prisons and labour camps, he was subsequently evacuated to Iran, Iraq and Palestine, where the 2nd Polish Corps was formed.
(mk/gs)