​​​​Jan Chwistek was born on 24 December 1907 in Skoczów, Poland. He served in the 1st Polish Armoured Division under General Stanisław Maczek, composed of soldiers trained in Scotland for the Allied campaign against Germany. After taking part in the Allied invasion of Normandy at the end of July 1944, the division advanced toward the Netherlands.

​​On the morning of 28 October 1944, Chwistek and other Polish soldiers entered the village of Bavel, whose residents had awaited liberation after nearly five years of German occupation. About 150 Waffen-SS troops, however, were still stationed in the Seminary Nieuw IJpelaar, a Roman Catholic seminary.

​​In the afternoon, Polish troops, including Corporal Chwistek, attacked the seminary. Polish armoured units surrounded the building, and fierce fighting broke out. Polish liberators were better armed with their tanks than the German soldiers with machine guns. Polish soldiers used phosphorus bombs to overcome the Waffen-SS resistance. As a result, the Seminary Nieuw IJpelaar burned down and was destroyedand the village of Bavel was liberated.

​​This fierce fighting led to a lot of material damage and numerous casualties among both villagers and soldiers. Corporal Chwistek was seriously wounded and died of his injuries that same day.

​​He is buried at the Polish Military Cemetery Ettensebaan in Breda, where he is honoured alongside around 160 other Polish soldiers who fell in the Netherlands during the Second World War. His grave is located in Plot E, Row 1, Grave 1.