Chrobry II Battalion
Encyclopedia
The Chrobry II Battalion was a unit, formally subordinate to the Polish Home Army (AK), which took part in the Warsaw Uprising
. It was named after the Polish king Bolesław I Chrobry ("Chrobry" is old Polish for "valiant").
on August 1, 1944, on the day of the break out of the Warsaw Uprising. Later it was expanded to a Battalion group. Its first commander was Major
Leon Nowakowski
(Lig). Later the Battalion group was led by Major Zygmunt Brejnak. However, the organization of the unit was carried out without direct oversight of the Home Army High Command and soon it turned out that there was another battalion of the same name operating in the same area of Warsaw
, under the command of Major Gustaw Billewicz (Sosna - Pine). As a result the unit was designated with the Roman numeral "II" and subordinated to the commander of the 1st Region Śródmieście
(City center) Edward Pfeiffer
.
Because of the independent nature in which the unit was formed it contained soldiers of various underground formations and ideological backgrounds, including those from the Home Army, from the right-wing National Armed Forces (NSZ) as well as from the communist Armia Ludowa
(AL).
The battalion fought in the city center and on the 3rd of August its companies, led by Lieutenant
Zbigniew Brym
carried out a successful assault on the Post Office Rail Station, located at the crossing of the Żelazna St. and Aleje Jerozolimskie
. On the 8th of August it captured the building of the Ministry of Waterworks and Sewage on Starynkiewicz St., which it lost four days later having to retreat in after an attack by the Russian-collaborationist Kaminski Brigade.
(Leszek) discovered that some insurgents (a group of 8 to 10 men) from a different unit, under command of an officer named Stykowski (Hal), had murdered some Jews who had emerged from hiding. Together with Roman Bornstein, Chrobry battalion's medic (who was Jewish), he reported the crime to the AK High Command and later published an account of it. According to Bornstein, they met with the commander of the uprising, Antoni Chruściel
(Monter) who was outraged at the crime, ordered an immediate investigation and court martial of those responsible. The resulting investigation by the Home Army's security services led to the arrest of one person, Robert Kaminski, (Francuz) and an arrest warrant for another, Cpl. Mucha, with the recommendation that they both be executed under martial law
. Kaminski's eventual fate however is unknown and Mucha died, killed in the fighting before he could be arrested. Some sources have questioned whether Kaminski was in fact responsible for the murders or whether he served as a patsy
for Stykowski.
Further investigations were suspended when it was discovered that the remaining perpetrators had either been killed in fighting or by members of their own unit. In particular, Stykowski's own men shot a Corporal Unrug whom they blamed for the murders, supposedly because they had been disgusted by his actions. However, it is also possible that Unrug was killed in order to keep him from implicating Stykowski (who was never prosecuted) in the crime..
The investigation also revealed that Stykowski's men had also killed members of the Chrobry II unit out of robbery motives.
After the war, in some accounts, the Chrobry II unit has been mistakenly blamed for the murders, because they controlled an area neighboring the one in which the murders were committed, whereas in fact, it was actually one of the senior officers of the unit who exposed the crime.
One of the platoons of the battalion was led by the author of the first ever report about the Holocaust, Witold Pilecki
, later executed by the Polish communist secret police
.
Notable soldiers of battalion, in addition to those mentioned above, included Tadeusz Siemiątkowski and Mirosław Biernacki
The unit has also been noted for having a high number of Jewish soldiers in its ranks, most of whom emerged from hiding upon the break out of the uprising. These included the diarist Calel Perechodnik
, who actually served with a nationalist right wing NSZ platoon, and Jakub Michlewicz
, who at 15 years old was the youngest member of the battalion.
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
. It was named after the Polish king Bolesław I Chrobry ("Chrobry" is old Polish for "valiant").
Formation and name
It was formed as a battalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
on August 1, 1944, on the day of the break out of the Warsaw Uprising. Later it was expanded to a Battalion group. Its first commander was Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Leon Nowakowski
Leon Nowakowski
Leon Nowakowski, nom de guerre "Lig", was a Polish soldier, a member of the Home Army and the moderate faction of the National Armed Forces which merged with it, with a rank of major, creator and later the commander of the Chrobry II Battalion, participant in the Warsaw Uprising.-References:*...
(Lig). Later the Battalion group was led by Major Zygmunt Brejnak. However, the organization of the unit was carried out without direct oversight of the Home Army High Command and soon it turned out that there was another battalion of the same name operating in the same area of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, under the command of Major Gustaw Billewicz (Sosna - Pine). As a result the unit was designated with the Roman numeral "II" and subordinated to the commander of the 1st Region Śródmieście
Warszawa-Sródmiescie
Śródmieście is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. The best known neighborhoods in the borough are the Old Town and New Town ....
(City center) Edward Pfeiffer
Edward Pfeiffer
Franciszek Edward Pfeiffer, nom-de-guerre Radwan Franciszek Edward Pfeiffer, nom-de-guerre Radwan Franciszek Edward Pfeiffer, nom-de-guerre Radwan (born January 21 1895 in Łódź, died June 13, 1964 in London - was a Polish military commander, Brigadier General of the Polish Army, commander of the...
.
Because of the independent nature in which the unit was formed it contained soldiers of various underground formations and ideological backgrounds, including those from the Home Army, from the right-wing National Armed Forces (NSZ) as well as from the communist Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
(AL).
The battalion fought in the city center and on the 3rd of August its companies, led by Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Zbigniew Brym
Zbigniew Brym
Zbigniew Brym, nom-de-guerre "Zdunin", , was a Polish colonel, soldier of the Home Army, participant in the Warsaw Uprising, photographer and publicist....
carried out a successful assault on the Post Office Rail Station, located at the crossing of the Żelazna St. and Aleje Jerozolimskie
Aleje Jerozolimskie
Aleje Jerozolimskie is one of the principal streets of the city of Warsaw in Poland. It runs through the City Centre along the East-West axis, linking the western borough of Wola with the bridge on the Vistula River and the borough of Praga on the other side of the river.The name of the street...
. On the 8th of August it captured the building of the Ministry of Waterworks and Sewage on Starynkiewicz St., which it lost four days later having to retreat in after an attack by the Russian-collaborationist Kaminski Brigade.
Discovering the Prosta Street murders
During the uprising, a captain in the battalion, Wacław ZagórskiWacław Zagórski
Wacław Zagórski, nom-de-guerre "Lech Grzybowski" was a Polish lawyer, soldier, a participant in the Warsaw Uprising with the rank of captain and a commander in the famous Chrobry II Battalion. He was decorated with the Order of Virtuti Militari 5th Class in 1944.-References:* Muzeum Powstania...
(Leszek) discovered that some insurgents (a group of 8 to 10 men) from a different unit, under command of an officer named Stykowski (Hal), had murdered some Jews who had emerged from hiding. Together with Roman Bornstein, Chrobry battalion's medic (who was Jewish), he reported the crime to the AK High Command and later published an account of it. According to Bornstein, they met with the commander of the uprising, Antoni Chruściel
Antoni Chrusciel
Gen. Antoni Chruściel was a Polish military officer and a general of the Polish Army. He is best known as the de facto commander of all the armed forces of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, as well as Home Army's chief of staff.-Early life:...
(Monter) who was outraged at the crime, ordered an immediate investigation and court martial of those responsible. The resulting investigation by the Home Army's security services led to the arrest of one person, Robert Kaminski, (Francuz) and an arrest warrant for another, Cpl. Mucha, with the recommendation that they both be executed under martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. Kaminski's eventual fate however is unknown and Mucha died, killed in the fighting before he could be arrested. Some sources have questioned whether Kaminski was in fact responsible for the murders or whether he served as a patsy
Fall guy
A fall guy is a person used as a scapegoat to take the blame for someone else's actions, or someone at the butt of jokes. One placed in the position of fall guy is often referred to as "taking the fall". In the film industry, a fall guy is a form of stock character.-Origin:The origin of "fall guy"...
for Stykowski.
Further investigations were suspended when it was discovered that the remaining perpetrators had either been killed in fighting or by members of their own unit. In particular, Stykowski's own men shot a Corporal Unrug whom they blamed for the murders, supposedly because they had been disgusted by his actions. However, it is also possible that Unrug was killed in order to keep him from implicating Stykowski (who was never prosecuted) in the crime..
The investigation also revealed that Stykowski's men had also killed members of the Chrobry II unit out of robbery motives.
After the war, in some accounts, the Chrobry II unit has been mistakenly blamed for the murders, because they controlled an area neighboring the one in which the murders were committed, whereas in fact, it was actually one of the senior officers of the unit who exposed the crime.
Notable soldiers of the unit
At its height, the battalion group Chrobry II had 3200 personnel, including 3000 soldiers. During the uprising, about 400 of them were killed.One of the platoons of the battalion was led by the author of the first ever report about the Holocaust, Witold Pilecki
Witold Pilecki
Witold Pilecki was a soldier of the Second Polish Republic, the founder of the Secret Polish Army resistance group and a member of the Home Army...
, later executed by the Polish communist secret police
Ministry of Public Security of Poland
The Ministry of Public Security of Poland was a Polish communist secret police, intelligence and counter-espionage service operating from 1945 to 1954 under Jakub Berman of the Politburo...
.
Notable soldiers of battalion, in addition to those mentioned above, included Tadeusz Siemiątkowski and Mirosław Biernacki
The unit has also been noted for having a high number of Jewish soldiers in its ranks, most of whom emerged from hiding upon the break out of the uprising. These included the diarist Calel Perechodnik
Calel Perechodnik
Calel Perechodnik was a Polish Jew who joined the Jewish Ghetto Police in the Otwock Ghetto during the Nazi German occupation of Poland...
, who actually served with a nationalist right wing NSZ platoon, and Jakub Michlewicz
Jakub Michlewicz
Jakub Michlewicz was a Polish Jewish member of the Polish Home Army and a child soldier in the Warsaw Uprising.-Biography:...
, who at 15 years old was the youngest member of the battalion.