The Polish Embassy has paid tribute to Isle of Wight resident Colonel Otton Hulacki, who has died, aged 101.

The team has spoken of his 'extraordinary life' and 'significant contributions' and said the statement was issued with 'a heavy heart'.

Col Otton Hulacki recieved the Polish Army Medal, the Monte Cassino Cross, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45.

He died on September 25, at his home in Wootton.

Otton Hulacki was born on January 2,1922 in Lwów, Poland.

At 17, following the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Polish resistance and was later captured by the Soviets, before being deported to Kazakhstan.

Otton was among tens of thousands of Polish prisoners released under the 1941 Sikorski-Mayski Agreement, before joining the Polish army, under General Władysław Anders.

Mr Hulacki took part in the battles of Monte Cassino, Ancona, Bologna and served throughout the entire Italian Campaign.

After the war, like thousands of his countrymen and women, he could not return to a homeland controlled by the Soviet Union.

Instead, he settled in the UK, married an English girl and remained active among the Polish veteran and émigré community.

Mr Hulacki was instrumental in organising a memorial in Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth, to the UK's first wave of Polish migrants.

He was active with the Polish Saturday school in Portsmouth, named after the 1830-31 November Uprising.

In 1997, he co-founded the Friends of the ORP Błyskawica Society, which commemorates the actions of the crew of a Polish warship that opened its guns, against orders, during a German raid on Cowes and East Cowes - actions which were hailed as lifesaving.

He was also a member of the Friends of Polish Veterans Association, Southampton.

Ambassador of Poland to the Court of St James’s, Piotr Wilczek, said: “Colonel Otton Hulacki was an exceptional Polish patriot, whose unwavering dedication to the cause of freedom during the darkest hours of history's deadliest conflict remains an enduring testament.

"As one of the last veterans of General Władysław Anders' 2nd Polish Corps, he played an indispensable role in pivotal Second World War battles that charted the path to Rome for the Allies.

"Beyond his wartime heroics, Colonel Hulacki emerged as a stalwart guardian of Polish heritage and values in the post-war United Kingdom, forging a permanent connection within our community.

"As we bid farewell to Colonel Hulacki, may his legacy of heroism, resilience, and courage continue to inspire generations to come."