Three Poles, aged 19–21, died in the fight against the UPA.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – December 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

The Ukrainians murdered Franciszek Tarnecki on the way.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1943 June and the first half of the year”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

UPA militia from the neighboring villages of Kotów and Moszczenica murdered 37 people, and 11 died in the defense undertaken by the Poles.

„The first victim of the UPA was Franciszek Tarnecki, who was murdered on the road in June 1943. Since then, fearing an attack by Ukrainians, the residents had set up night watches and patrols.

On the night of July 4–5, 1943, UPA militias from the neighboring villages of Kotów and Moszczenica attacked the village using rifles, machine guns and incendiary rockets. First, the hamlet of Chomickie and the farms of Jan Śliwiński and Florian Kownacki were attacked.

The population was surprised, which triggered panic and initially made it easier for the UPA. However, a group of 7 people resisted (the commander of self–defense was Alfons Babinski) by firing rifles and after some time the number of defenders increased to 20 men.

Fighting the attackers made it possible for many inhabitants to escape. Some of the buildings were burned down. The hamlet of Zagrobla, where a defense was organized, survived  […]

Zofia [Bamberska née Sewruk] learned about the episodes of the attack on Wólka Kotowska from her aunt, who survived the attack and watched these events hidden in the bushes  […]

In the description of the attack on Wólka Kotowska, the date 4/5 July is given. Mrs. Zofia gives the date July 11, 1943, Sunday at 4.00:  […]

«Ukrainian attacks began in the spring and summer of 1943  […]

It was definitely early July. They came from the north in the morning. Despite the warnings, the residents were surprised. The buildings were set on fire with sheaves of grain that were already standing in the mounds around the farms.

Irena Kownacka was 19 years old. She was running away from the UPA. He caught up with her and pinned her to the birch tree, dealing blows with what seemed to be a dull knife. She defended herself and covered herself with her hands. She received 35 wounds and the pleura was drained. She was operated on at the German military hospital in Ołyce. She survived. Her brother, Stanisław Kownacki, looked after the farm at night. He had a rifle, but no cartridges. After the attack, he jumped down from the attic and began to run away. He was caught up in the grain by the Banderites on horseback, he overturned him, trampling him on a horse, and finished him off with an ax. In Wólka Kotowska, only 17 people from the Kownacki and Bernacki families were killed during the raid. They were buried in a common grave in the yard of the burnt farm next to the Kownacki farm. Felczer Wilk had his eyes gouged out alive.

The screams of the murdered, the sounds of the slaughter were clearly heard, and the glow of the fires was visible in Adamów» […] 

In Wólka Kotowska, the following were shot or brutally murdered:

— Franciszka Babińska née Konefał age 70

— Zofia Bernacka née Gal, daughter of Mikołaj and Julia, around 60 (she was murdered by Mikołaj Sawczuk from Moszczanica, who also severely injured Zofia's daughter Alfreda with his bayonet. The UPAman Mikołaj Sawczak was shot a few days after the murder in Wólka Kotowska, when he was robbing honey from Antoni Bernacki's apiary). Zofia was buried in the cemetery in Ołyka.

— Antoni Bernacki 'Antoch' son of Michał and Maria, 73, member of self‑defense, widower (he was buried in the cemetery in Ołyka)

— Michał Bernacki, son of Antoni, a member of self‑defense

— Piotr Bernacki 'Penio'

— Edward Bojkowski, around 60 and his wife Leontyna (Leokadia?), 42

— Kornelia Burzynska

— Leon Kownacki, 56, his wife Zofia and three children under ten

— Aleksandra Kownacka, a 33‑year‑old widow and her three children

— Stanisław Kownacki son of Florian, 17 years old, a member of self‑defense

— Florian Kownacki, 54

— Zdzisław Kownacki

— Kubryn, age 50, forester

— Luba Kubryn with her daughter

— Franciszek Sawicki, 68

— Józefa Szter (Strer?) with a family of five

— Jan Śliwiński aged 41, a member of self‑defense, his wife and three children

— Józef Śliwiński Jan's father, 68

— Józef Wąsowicz, shoemaker, around 70, member of the self‑defense 'Organist' — wife and son Mieczysław

— Jan Wilk, a medical assistant, 65, a member of self‑defense, was buried near a village cross

— Bronisław Wąsowicz, paralyzed, 62 years old

— Bronisław Wysocki, 48

The people who survived the pogrom hid for several days in the fields and forests  […] [Some] fled to the train station in Ołyka  […] In the meantime, contact was made with the self‑defense group in Przebraże in the commune of Trościaniec and in Rafałówka in the commune Kiwerka and with the help of these gropus, all of them on July 8 and 9, 1943 evacuated to Przebraż and Rafałówka. From there, some people left for Łuck and Kiwert, and some, due to the tragic living conditions, volunteered to go to work in Germany. [Among others] Sewruks were taken to work to Germany  […]

After the inhabitants left the village, the farms in Zagrobla were used as quarters by the Soviet partisans. In autumn 1943 they were destroyed by Hungarian soldiers stationed in Ołyka, guarding the pumping stations and railway tracks”.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – July 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: Maksymium Marian, „Wólka Kotowska village”; in: portal: Volhynia pages — web page: wolynskie.pl [accessible: 2022.04.06]

The Ukrainians murdered 16‑year‑old Alfred Wysocki, who traveled from Rafałówka to see his family home.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – April 1944”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]