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Poland Re-Buries Wartime General's Body

27 November 2008

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz blesses the coffin of Poland's World War II leader Gen. Władysław Sikorski in front of the Wawel Castle Cathedral in Krakow, 26 Nov 2008
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz blesses the coffin of Poland's World War II leader Gen. Władysław Sikorski in front of the Wawel Castle Cathedral in Krakow, 26 Nov 2008
Poland's World War II leader-in-exile has been buried again with full military honors, after investigators completed an autopsy to determine if he was murdered.

General Władysław Sikorski's flag-draped coffin was re-interred inside Krakow's main cathedral Wednesday, alongside Poland's ancient kings and other historical figures.

General Sikorski was killed in a 1943 plane crash off Gibraltar after meeting with Polish soldiers fighting the Nazis with British forces.

The surviving pilot said the plane's controls were jammed.

Investigators admit the autopsy may not shed light on theories that Sikorski was murdered on orders of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Some believe Stalin wanted the anti-communist general out of the way after the Soviets occupied Poland.

Other historians say Britain, which was hosting the Polish government-in-exile, wanted the general gone to win Soviet favor in the fight against Germany.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


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