Home Army 5th and 6th Wilno Brigades: 1944-1952

Part 2 )

Above: The Bialystok Region, summer 1945, Bialowieza Forest. The soldiers of the 1st squadron of the 5th Vilnius Brigade, first from the right, the commander, Lieut. Zygmunt Blazejewicz nom de guerre “Zygmunt”, in the middle, kneeling, a nurse Wanda Czarnecka nom de guerre “Danka”, a woman liaison officer between the Home Office Headquarters and Vilnius Region during the German occupation, the later wife of 2nd Lieut. Lucjan Minkiewicz nom de guerre “Wiktor”. She was arrested with him in 1948 and was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.

Squadrons of the 5th Brigade demonstrated great mobility and efficiency, remaining highly mobile in the vast regions of northern Poland. While the unit of “Mlot” [the 6th Brigade] had strong support in the local network of the Freedom and Independence (WiN) in Podlasie, the units of the 5th Brigade were left to their own resources. Individual support posts were available, e.g. the structures of the Państwowy Urząd Repatriacyjny [Eng. National Repatriation Office], the control over which was taken by soldiers from the Home Army Vilnius Province. The squadron of “Zelazny”, which was based in Bobolice in the form of a Tactical Army Unit [Bojowy Oddzial Armii – BOA] group from Wolkowysk, commanded by 2nd Lieut. Stefan Pabiś nom de guerre “Stefan”, was an exception. In autumn 1945, its armed soldiers came from an area incorporated into the USSR after WW2, demobilised themselves, and, through an agency of the National Repatriation Office [PUR] settled in Bobolice and continued their pro-independence activity. In the summer of 1946, a rather small local partisan group commanded by Officer Cadet Władysław Heliński nom de guerre “Mały” fighting under the code-name “Tartak” [its contacts enabled the squadrons of “Leszek” and “Zeus” to remain in the field in the final stages of their operations], was included into the 5th Vilnius Brigade. Apart from these few support posts, the squadrons in Pomerania and Masuria could only rely on private contacts, among repatriates from the Borderlands (Kresy), among others, and the general kindness and good will of the local population.

Left: The Bialystok Region, the summer of 1945. The soldiers of the Home Army 5th Vilnius Brigade 4th Squadron. From the right: Cavalry Sgt Jerzy Lejkowski nom de guerre "Szpagat", Danuta Siedziakówna nom de guerre "Inka", Capt. Bohdan Obuchowski nom de guerre "Zbyszek", in the middle, sitting, Kazimierz Kwiatkowski. Among the weaponry, particular attention should be paid to a very good Soviet self-loading Tokarev rifle SVT-40, calibre 7.62 mm [Самозарядная винтовка Токарева, образец 1940 года - held by the first soldier from the left]. In 1946, the squadrons of the 5th Vilnius Brigade devised new tactics, unusual for other post-war partisan units [their experience was applied by some of the sub-units of the 6th Brigade in Podlasie]. They didn’t remain in the same area for too long and did not have permanent bases.

They operated as ‘flying groups’, constantly changing their encampment place. By means of captured vehicles, they covered considerable distances in a short time – several hundred kilometers at a time. They operated in groups of 15-30 people, all of whose equipment could fit into haversacks. Shortages in ammunition, victuals and equipment were supplemented in combat actions. Sub-units of the 6th Brigade in Podlasie in 1947-1948 operated in a similar way, but “Mlot” had strong support in the area.

Right: Danuta Siedziakówna nom the guerre "Inka", a nurse of the 4th squadron in the Home Army’s 5th Vilnius Brigade, reconstructed in the Bialystok Region. In 1946, she was in the 1st squadron operating in Pomerania. She was arrested by the UB (Office of Security) in June 1946. During the investigation, she refused to testify against members of the Home Army Vilnius Brigades. She was murdered on 28 August 1946 in Gdańsk. After the structures of Freedom and Independence (WiN) disintegrated as a result of the amnesty in February 1947, the 6th Vilnius Brigade of Lieut. “Mlot” became one of the most dangerous anti-Communist units in all of Poland. A special team of the Ministry of Public Security (MBP) and the Internal Security Corps (KBW) organised operations against the Brigade. Huge forces of KBW, UB, LWP and the MO were sent to fight “Mlot’s” unit. Meanwhile, Lieut. “Mlot” developed his own unit, based on the remaining soldiers of the former Freedom and Independence network [in the Sokolów Podlaski county, the reserves of the 6th Brigade were commanded by Lieut. Józef Małczuk nom de guerre “Brzask”, and in Bielsk Podlaski county – Platoon Sgt Eugeniusz Korzeniewski nom de guerre “Ryg”].

“Młot’s” command was also recognised by Lieut. Kazimierz Kamieński nom de guerre “Huzar”, a famous Home Army- Citizen’s Home Army-Freedom and Independence (AK-AKO-WiN) partisan from the Wysokie Mazowieckie county. In 1947, he reconstructed his unit, decimated by the amnesty. In the Sokolów Podlaski county, the ‘flying patrol’ of Kazimierz Wyrozębski nom de guerre “Sokolik” came under “Mlot’s” command. From over 600 partisans of the 6th Brigade and soldiers supporting its local network, who were included in the record of the Ministry of Public Security (MBP), 83% were peasants, 9% from the working class, and 8% belonged to the intelligentsia and “lower middle class”. According to the same data, there were only 6% illiterates in “Mlot’s” units.

Right: Lieut. Feliks Selmanowicz nom de guerre "Zagończyk". Participant in the 1920 Polish-Soviet War, decorated with a Cross of Valour of the Republic Of Central Lithuania Army, and an Army Medal for the 1918-1920 War. The platoon commander of the Home Army’s 6th Vilnius Brigade interned in 1944 in rom where he managed to escape.
In 1946, he was the commander of the sabotage patrol in the 5th Vilnius Brigade in Pomerania. While he was being arrested on 17 July 1946 in Gdansk, he shot three UB (Office of Security) officers. He was sentenced to death in the basement of a Gdańsk prison on August 26, 1946. Danuta Siedziakówna nom de guerre "Inka" was murdered along with him as well. Photo taken by Polish secret police, the UB.

Above: Zdzislaw Christa nom de guerre "Mamut", Soldier of the Home Army’s 5th Vilnius Brigade. He was arrested in April 1946 and as visible in this photo, he received a “customary” treatment by Polish secret police; note the visible facial injuries...Photo taken by W.U.B.P., Bydgoszcz [Pol. Wojewodzki Urzad Bezpieczenstwa Publicznego - Voivodeship Office of Public Security, Polish secret police in Bydgoszcz].

Above: Longin Jarmołkiewicz nom de guerre "Lolek", Soldier of the Home Army’s 5th Vilnius Brigade. He was arrested by the UB (Office of Security) on 27 April 1946 after an unsuccessful expropriation action in Gdańsk. Photo taken by W.U.B.P., Bydgoszcz [Pol. Wojewodzki Urzad Bezpieczenstwa Publicznego - Voivodeship Office of Public Security, Polish secret police in Bydgoszcz].

Above: Roman Korbut nom de guerre "Karaffa", Soldier of the Home Army’s 5th Vilnius Brigade. He was arrested by the UB (Office of Security) on 3 May 1947 in Bydgoszcz, beating marks visible on his face... hoto taken by W.U.B.P., Bydgoszcz [Pol. Wojewodzki Urzad Bezpieczenstwa Publicznego - Voivodeship Office of Public Security, Polish secret police in Bydgoszcz].

Some of the most significant campaigns of the 6th Vilnius Brigade in 1946 were the April battles with the UB (Office of Security) and KBW (Internal Security Corps) near Korabie-Antonie and Śliwowo [together with the National Military Union – NZW], the July raid on the village of Łosice culminating in a battle with NKVD and People’s Army of Poland [LWP] units [together with a Freedom and Independence (WiN) unit of “Korwin”], a battle with the UB (Office of Security) near Księżopol in August 1946, a raid on Łapy in November, as well as the liquidation of a group of UBP [Office of Public Security] employees, transferred to ‘rig’ the elections in Sokołów county in December 1946 [the case of the “workers from Chodaków”]. An interesting incident in the 6th Brigade’s activity was a distant raid by a rather small patrol under the command of Lieut. Henryk Mieczkowski nom de guerre “Tygrys” in the winter of 1946/47 from Bocki [Bielsk Podlaski county] onto Warmia and Masuria, where four MO (People’s Militia) posts were defeated, one unsuccessfully attacked, several traps prepared, where a few MO and UB officers were removed together with their collaborators. Among the most significant actions in 1957, the following should be noted: winter battles with operations’ groups near the villages of Kiełpiniec, Wólka Okrąglik and Tosie, defeating a KBW garrison which was defending the bridge over the River Bug in Fronołów, MO posts in Briańsk and Kluków, a raid on Wisznice and Rossosz on 2 June which ended with the battle of Utrówka, the action from 13 June on a mail-coach, escorted by MO units near Stawiska, defeating a KBW operations’ group on 26 June near Krynica, raids on trains at the stations of Dziewule and Sosnowica on 29 July and 7 August, capturing the town of Stoczek on 25 September and disarming the local peoples’ militia, and battles near Łapy on 23-24 December.

Above: Podlasie, 28 April 1946. Members of the Communist UB-MO operations’ groups captured by the 6th Vilnius Brigade and the 3rd NZW (National Military Union) Brigade.

In 1948, the Communists deployed considerable forces against Capt. “Mlot’s” units [Operation Z]. About 2,000 KBW soldiers and UB officers participated in the initial stage of the operation. "Lech" [on 7 May 1948 near the village of Ogrodniki], "Bartosz" [on 3 July 1948 near Krawce] and "Sololnik" [on 5 July 1948 in Chondzyn] were killed in the battles.

Capt. “Mlot” managed to get across to the right bank of the Bug River with a handful of his men, where he collaborated with “Huzar’s” unit for several months. He spent the winter of 1948/49 in forest bunkers in Ruda Forest [Bielsk Podlaski county], where he died unexpectedly on 27 June 1949.

Maj. “Lupaszka” was arrested on 30 June 1948, sentenced to death on 2 November 1950 and was murdered in the MBP prison on Rakowiecka Street, in Warsaw on 8 February 1951. Along with him, exectuted were: Lt Col Antoni Olechnowicz nom de guerre "Podhorecki", 2nd Lieut. Lucjan Minkiewicz nom de guerre "Wiktor" and Capt. Henryk Borowski nom de guerre "Trzmiel". Most of the of 5th Brigade’s officer corps perished as well – only two out of eight commanders and deputy squadron commanders from 1945 survived. The circle of the Home Army Vilnius soldiers suffered mass arrests, which was the completion of ‘Operation X’ conducted by the UB.

Above: Podlasie, autumn 1947. Soldiers of the 2nd squadron of the Home Army’s 6th Vilnius Brigade: 0 - Sec. Lt. Antoni WOdynski "Odyniec", 1- Sec. Lt. Marian Nowak vel. Walerian Nowacki "Bartosz", 2 - Platoon Leader N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Msciciel", 3 - Platoon Leader N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Wichura", 4 - Corporal N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Marynarz", 5 - N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Sokol", 6 - Platoon Leader Mieczyslaw Magadzia "Wilan", 7 - Zdzislaw Kreciejewski "Brzoza", 8 - N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Szach", N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Wicher", 10 - N.N. (Unknown & Unidentified) "Akacja"

After the death of Capt. “Mlot” in June 1949, the command of his soldiers, who were still in the field, was transfered to Capt. “Huzar”. His unit carried on the tradition of the 6th Vilnius Brigade and took over its name. From a relatively small group, which had until now been just a strong patrol, “Huzar’s” unit sub-divided into several dozen people and split-up into smaller patrols. They performed principally self-defence operations, fighting UB agents and particularly harmful local representatives of the Polish Workers’ Party (PPR). Initially, Capt. “Huzar” personally commanded a group operating on the right bank of the River Bug [periodically he isolated the patrol of 2nd Lieut. Witold Buczak nom de guerre "Ponury"], whereas he handed the command of the group in Sokołów Podlaski county over to 2nd Lieut. Józef Małczuk nom de guerre "Brzask" [in autumn 1949 the patrol of Platoon Sgt Jan Czarnocki nom de guerre “Huragan” was isolated from this group]. After the death of 2nd Lieut. “Brzask” in the battle of Toczyska on 7 April 1950, the command of the “Sokolów” patrol was taken over by Platoon Sgt Arkadiusz Czapski nom de guerre “Murat”. When he, too, died in battle with KBW forces on 30 September 1950, Capt. “Huzar” handed over the command of a group operating on the left bank of the River Bug to Staff Sgt Adam Ratyniec nom de guerre “Lampart”. The group survived until 12 May 1952, when it was destroyed by the KBW during an operation near Sokole (near Mielnik). In the summer of 1950, the forces operating on the right bank of the River Bug were divided into three patrols, commanded by Capt. "Huzar", 2nd Lieut. "Ponury" and Sgt Lucjan Niemyjski "Krakus". In January 1951, the “right-bank” unit was divided into the “staff” patrol of Capt. “Huzar” [which was joined by Sgt “Krakus”], the patrol of 2nd Lieut. “Ponury”, and the patrol of Platoon Sgt Eugeniusz Tyminski nom de guerre “Ryś” [destroyed on 29 May 1951 in Zochy Nowe].

Left: Podlasie, presumably 1950, soldiers from the unit of Capt. Kazimierz Kamienski nom de guerre "Huzar", from the left: Sgt Lucjan Niemyjski nom de guerre "Krakus", on 22 August 1952, was surrounded by the UB-KBW operations group, and he committed suicide; Brzozowski noms de guerre "Zbir", "Hanka", died in the summer of 1952 in a battle with the KBW; Waclaw Zalewski nom de guerre "Zbyszek", murdered on 11 October 1953; 2nd Lt Witold Buczak nom de guerre "Ponury", died in battle with KBW forces on 28 May 1952; NN "Jurek"; Eugeniusz Welfel nom de guerre "Orzełek", died in battle with KBW forces on 30 September 1950. In the summer of 1951, a new patrol was formed and commanded by Sgt Kazimierz Parzonka nom de guerre “Wichura”. This structure [patrols: “staff”, of “Ponury”, “Zygmunt” and “Lampart”] survived until the spring of 1952. As a result of losses suffered in the battles with the KBW and UB in September 1952, Capt. “Huzar’s” unit melted away to only one sub-unit – a patrol commanded by Sgt “Zygmunt”. Together with Capt. “Huzar”, he fell victim to a set-up of the MBP against the “5th Freedom and Independence (WiN) Command” unit. Under the pretext of getting “smuggled abroad”, Capt. “Huzar” and his group of sub-ordinates were decoyed by agent-provocateurs – UB agents – to Warsaw and arrested there on 28 October 1952. He was sentenced to death and was murdered on 24 October 1953 in Bialystok.

The results of the activity of relatively modest forces commanded in 1944-1949 by Maj. “Lupaszka” and Capt. “Mlot” were impressive. According to incomplete data, the 5th and 6th Vilnius Brigades took part in about 550 different combat operations. The final stage of the 6th Brigade’s activity in 1950-1952 under the command of Capt. “Huzar” brought about another 90 such encounters, mainly of a self-defence nature. During combat operations, and as a result of repressions and sentences, about 160 soldiers from the 5th and 6th Vilnius Brigades were killed.

It is worth remembering that the partisans of “Lupaszka” were commanded in a “knightly” manner, which was not always the rule at that time. Even the UBP and KBW documentation highlighted the discipline in the ranks of the 5th and 6th Vilnius Brigades and outstandingly ideological - “political” nature of their activity. It also stressed that the Brigades fought common crimes which were a real plague in the post-war areas of Poland. The communist propaganda literature worked overtime in order to depict Maj. "Lupaszka" and Capt. "Mlot" as “ginger bosses” and a “lame gang leaders”. Undisputably, however, they were indomitable patriots and outstanding partisan commanders.

Translated by Karolina Ginalska, Further Editing by Jan Czarniecki

[1] The primary goal of the Foundation "Pamietamy" is the restoration of the proper social and historical place for the individuals, who during second half of the 1940's, and beginning of the 1950's, undertook armed resistance against the Communist regime in Poland. The goal of the foundation is to commemorate those, who in the name of freedom, and in the name of human dignity, laid on the altar of freedom their own personal and professional aspirations, their personal freedoms, and above all, their lives.

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