National Military Union (NZW - Narodowe Zjednoczenie Wojskowe) - Region XXIII

This particular Region was formed in the summer 1946 and incorporated former Directorate for Diversion soldiers of the Home Army Inspectorate for the cities of Plock and Sierpy with the 11th Operations Group of the National Armed Forces [Pol. acr. NSZ - Narodowe Siły Zbrojne]. Initially, its network would span the borders of Warsaw and Bydgoszcz provinces (districts of Sierpy, Mlawa, Lipno and Rypin) followed by the districts of Wroclaw, Plock, Plonskie and, partly, districts of Dzialdowo and Ciechanow.

Left: Lieutenant Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Lisc" [Eng. tr. Leaf] or ‘Roman’. In conspiracy from 1939 on orders of the Secret Polish Army [Pol. acr. TAP - Tajna Armia Polska], member of the NSZ from 1942. Between July 1944 (when NSZ merged with the Home Army [Pol. acr. AK - Armia Krajowa]) and January 1945 he was Chief of Directorate for Diversion for the Plock region of the AK. Then, from 1946 he was Commandant of the 23rd NSZ Region of the Western Mazovia. Arrested by the Polish Secret Police [Pol. acr. UB - Urzad Bezpieczenstwa] on 26th September 1948, he was sentenced to death (quintuple death sentence). Murdered in Warsaw prison on January 18, 1951. Lieutenant Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Roman" was then Deputy Commandant of the 23rd Region. Other members of staff were: acting as Chief of the Clandestine Operations Lieutenant Jan Przybyszewski, nom de guerre "Onufry"; Lieutenant Stefan Majewski, nom de guerre "Szczepan" / "Ekscelencja" [Eng. tr. Excellency] was Chief of Information and Propaganda; Lieutenant Jozef Boguszwski, nom de guerre "Lew" [Eng. tr. Lion] was leading the combat unit; Lieutenant Jerzy Wierzbicki, nom de guerre "Dodek" and Stanislaw Lewandowski, nom de guerre "Ogrodnik" [Eng. tr. Gardener]. The activities of the 23rd Region would primarily focus on clandestine operations and order restore’ missions.

Once the Soviet army entered this area, special "Patrols to Fight Lawlessness" were established from within the ranks of the 11th Operations Group of the NSZ, in order to protect the civilians from ever present criminal assaults. Those assaults were either ignored by the "people's" militia functionaries or, what’s worse, were permitted. As a result of the amnesty announced by the Communists in February 1947, in April of that year the Region was partly demobilised. Following the order no. 131 from March 18, 1947, Lieutenant "Roman" terminated the activity of the diversion sabotage unit. "Roman" ordered that those men who were not "legalized" to appear before various rehabilitation commissions and to out themselves. They were also to dispose of only those weapons which were in the worst possible condition. Whereas the well maintained weapons were to be hidden and all funds distributed equally amongst all lower and higher rank soldiers. However, this outing operation didn’t buy safety to those soldiers who’d taken advantage of it. Only a few weeks later the mass arrests began. Former NZW soldiers in fear for their lives were either fleeing to the so called ‘Recovered Territories’ of Poland or tried to rejoin partisan units by getting in touch with their former leaders. Those were the results of this ‘amnesty’ which real objective was to uncover the structures of all post-AK underground forces. Ironically, it in fact, unified all partisan units operating in the Mazovia territory.

Above: NZW Patrol Unit, c. 1945. Standing from left are: Stanislaw Barski, nom de guerre "Orlik", Zdzislaw KIsielewski, nom de guerre "Olcha", Lt. Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony", and Jozef Boguszewski, nom de guerre "Lew". Jozef Boguszewski, nom de guerre "Onufry", was a volunteer during the defence war of 1939. Having escaped the German war prison he became a military intelligence soldier serving initially in the National Military Organisation [Pol. acr. NOW - Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa] and then in the Home Army Inspectorate for the cities of Plock and Sierpy. Co-organiser of the Operation "Antyk" [Eng. tr. Antique] in the Inspectorate. Actively involved in the anti-communist activities he was a member of the People’s Army [Pol. acr. AL - Armia Ludowa, Communist Para-Military]. After the Soviet entry in 1944 he was responsible for organising of the clandestine structures of the NSZ and NZW. He was Chief of the clandestine operations for the 23rd Region of the NZW. Arrested on 28th September 1949, he was sentenced to death (triple death sentence) and murdered on January 18, 1951 in Warsaw.

19th November 19, 1947 was the official date of subordination of the ROAK unit (under the command of Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony") to the NSZ structures. Commander of the combat unit became Lieutenant ‘Slony’ [replacing Lieutenant Jozef Boguszewski, nom de guerre "Lew"]. He divided his area of operations into 3 Regions:

- Region I [districts of Plock and Plonsk] - under the command of Sergeant Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko"

- Region II [district of Sierpce and the eastern part of the district of Mlawa] - initially under the command of Tadeusz Kossobucki, nom de guerre "Czarny", and after his death, under the command of Wladyslaw Kwiatkowski, nom de guerre "Jerzy"

- Region III [district of Rypin and the western part of the district of Mlawa] - under the command of Jan Malinowski, nom de guerre "Stryj"

1948 brought about the greatest revival of both combat and propaganda activities within the NZW in the Western Mazovia region. Several combat operations were carried out and various squads fought many battles against the KBW [Pol. abr. Korpus Bezpieczenstwa Wewnetrznego - Internal Security Corps] and UB units. During an encounter with the MO and UB operations group on 26th September 1948 Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony" died tragically – in desperation, in order not to be captured alive by the communists, he committed suicide. The very same day in Warsaw the UB units began the operation of breaking down the Board of the 23rd Region of the NZW, by attacking the contact bases of the organisation.

Above: Unidentified Patrol Unit from the NZW District XXIII in the Northern Mazovia area, operating in the Plonsk, Plock, Sierpiec, Lipno, Rypin Counties around 1948.

Amongst those arrested were: Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Roman", Jan Przybylowski, nom de guerre " Onufry", Romualda Przybylowska, nom de guerre "Amerykanka" and Stanislaw Lewandowski, nom de guerre "Ogrodnik". A few days later in Krakow, the UB arrested Stefan Majewski, nom de guerre "Szczepan", and the Communist Military Intelligence unit captured Jerzy Wierzbicki, nom de guerre "Dodek" in the city of Wroclaw. Lieutenant Jozef Boguszewski, nom de guerre "Lew" remained free only because he had been warned in time. After unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with various patrolling squads he went to the city of Lodz where he was arrested on June 11, 1950. Tried in court along with Tadeusz Przybylski, Janusz Gadomski, Lucjan Maciakiewicz and Stanislaw Ptaszynski, he was sentenced to death on May 7, 1951 and was murdered on December 1, 1951 along with Tadeusz Przybylski in Warsaw.

Left: Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony". An NCO [abr. Non-Commissioned Officer] Professional in the King Boleslaw Krzywousty 8th Plock Regiment Light Artillery. Participant of the battle of the town of Mlawa. In a German war prison until 1940, released, then arrested again and sent to the concentration camp in the city of Bielsko, from which he fled. From 1942 he was a soldier of the AK, he was the commander of the combat unit of the Directorate for Diversion for the region of Plock. Promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant, after the Soviet invasion he outed himself along with the whole staff of the District and the Plock and Sierpy Inspectorate of the AK in July 1945. Endangered by the possibility of arrest he rejoined the conspiracy in spring 1946 . He was a soldier of the ROAK [Pol. abr. RuchOporu Armii Krajowej] in the District of "Mewa" [Eng. tr. ‘Seagull’]. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in October 1946 he was appointed Commandant of the Region II [Plock and Sierpce]. During the amnesty of 1947 he remained in hiding. In October 1947 he subordinated his unit to the 11th Operational Group of the NSZ in the 23rd Region of the NZW, and was the commander in Chief of all combat units of the 23rd Region of the NZW. Participant of many combat actions against the communists. Surrounded by the operational groups of the UB, KBW and MO on 26th September 1948 in the village of Wegrzynow (near the town of Sierpce), after a six-hour long lonely battle he committed suicide. After the death of Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony", Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko" was appointed commander of the patrol squad. He kept the same territorial division as that implemented by his predecessor. Unfortunately, he was unable to control the organisation, tormented with constant bandit assaults and an ever shrinking headcount.

Only two patrolling combat squads under the command of "Cacko" and "Smialy" were still active. On February 8, 1949 as a result of denunciation, "Cecko’s" patrolling squad was surrounded in the village of Galki [community of Bodzianiw in the district of Plock] by the KP operation group of the MO and PUBP from Plock, Sierpiec and Plonsk, and by the 262th KBW unit. In combat died: Elzbieta Kazanecka, nom de guerre "Basia", Jan Klobukowski, nom de guerre "Janek" and Ludomir Pieczynski, nom de guerre "Wladek". Amongst the captured were: severely injured Janina Samoraj, nom de guerre "Celinka", Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko", Waclaw Michalski, nom de guerre "Kozak" and Zygfryd Kulinski, nom de guerre "Albin". All of them were immediately transported to Warsaw and were subjected to an extremely cruel interrogation, performed by a particularly sadistic UB functionary Bronislaw Szczerbakowski . As a result of this investigation the information about the hidden location of the patrolling squad of Stanislaw Derkus, nom de guerre "Smialy" was obtained. His bunker was attacked on February 11, 1949 by 1053 soldiers of the KBW and a few dozens of the MO functionaries. In combat died: Jan Malinowski, nom de guerre "Stryj", Stanislaw Pospisiel, nom de guerre "Leszek", Zdzislaw Derkus, nom de guerre "Urkes", Jan Karaczewski, nom de guerre "Mlody", Tadeusz Denst, nom de guerre "Alojzy" and Jan Wisniewski, nom de guerre "Czarny II". Amongst the captured were: Seweryn Oryl, nom de guerre " Kanciasty", Henryk Dabrowski, nom de guerre "Wnuk", Stanislaw Konczynski, nom de guerre "Kund" and severely injured Karol Rakoczy, nom de guerre "Bystry".

Left: Sergeant Major Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko". Participant of the defence war campaign of 1939, he was a soldier of the ZWZ-AK. When the Soviet occupation started in 1944 he was commander of the ROAK unit operating in the region of Mazovia. From 1947 he was commander of the PAS unit of the NZW. He was one of the most uncompromising partisans ever to fight the communists. His unit carried out several combat operations, such as the battle on 12th July 1947 near the village of Okalewo, against the operational group of the UB and MO. As a consequence, the group was completely destroyed, with 14 functionaries killed in action. In 1949 the unit of "Cacko" consisted of 20 men. On 8th February 1949 ‘Cacko’ with 6 of his soldiers were surrounded by the operational group of the UB and KBW. Three NZW soldiers were killed in combat, the rest surrendered. Three days later, on 11th February another group led by "Cacko" was surrounded by 1053 soldiers of KBW. Seven partisans were killed in combat, and four were taken prisoners. "Cacko" himself was sentenced for particular missions to no less than 38 death sentences in total. This is probably the greatest number of death sentences ordered against one soldier of the anticommunist underground conspiracy ever. Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre ‘"Cacko" was murdered along with the group of his brothers-in-arms in the Mokotow prison in Warsaw on January 18, 1951. Waclaw Michalski, nom de guerre "Galazka", Zygfryd Kulinski, nom de guerre "Albin", Seweryn Oryl, nom de guerre "Kanciasty", Stanislaw Konczynski, nom de guerre "Kunda" and Karol Rakoczy, nom de guerre "Bystry", were all sentenced to death by the WSR [Pol. abr. Wojskowy Sad Rejonowy - Military Regional Court] in Warsaw, and were murdered on March 29, 1950. Stanislaw Derkus, nom de guerre "Smialy" was arrested on May 10, 1949.

Derkus was severely injured in a battle against the operational units of the UB and KBW, in which Antoni Dobrzeniecki, nom de guerre "Bogdan" lost his life. He was sentenced by the WSR in Warsaw along with Henryk Gosik, nom de guerre "Heniek" and Wladyslaw Kwiatkowski, nom de guerre "Jerzy". All three men were sentenced to death and were murdered at the Mokotow prison on September 20, 1951. Stanislaw Zurawski, nom de guerre "Madej", soldier of the 3rd Region wasn’t arrested until November 5, 1953 as a result of a betrayal. After a month’s long investigation he was taken to a closed hospital in the city of Wroclaw and then to Pruszkow from where he escaped. He remained in hiding in the forests near the town of Zuromin until 1960 ...

Left: Seweryn Oryl, nom de guerre "Kanciasty". Soldier of the AK, from spring 1946 a member of the ROAK in the unit of Franciszek Majewski, nom de guerre "Slony" and from October 1947 in the NZW. Arrested on February 11, 1947, he was sentenced to death and was murdered on March 29, 1950 in Warsaw. The horrific interrogations that began on September 26, 1948, that is the day Lieutenant Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Roman" was arrested, would last nearly 18 months. On June 19, 1950 all living senior members of the 23rd Region of NZW were brought before the Communist court and were tried: Lieutenant Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Roman", Lieutenant Stefan Majewski, nom de guerre "Szczepan", Lieutenant Jerzy Wierzbicki, nom de guerre "Dodek", Lieutenant Jan Przybylowski, nom de guerre "Onufry", Sergeant Stanislaw Lewandowski, nom de guerre "Ogrodnik", Sergeant Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko" and one non-NZW member, the very last Commandant of the AK Region of Plock, Lieutenant Jan Nowak, nom de guerre "Korab". As revealed during the court hearing, and based mainly on the statements obtained as a result of torture, all defendants were accused of collaboration with the "illegal organisations of the AK and NSZ" [according to law, only the PPR [Pol. Polska Partia Robotnicza - Polish People's Party] was considered legal], and of collaboration with the Germans, and of fighting against the "patriotic [Communist] partisans of the GL [Pol. Gwardia Ludowa - People's Guad] and AL [Pol. Armia Ludowa - People's Army".

Above: Franciszek Dziegielewski, nom de guerre "Wojtek". Participant in the defence war campaign of 1939, soldier of the ZWZ-AK and after the Soviet entry, soldier of the ROAK. From summer 1946 in the NSZ [NZW]. Arrested on May 26, 1947, he was sentenced to death during an ad hoc "court" proceeding, and was murdered on August 18, 1947 in the city of Bydgoszcz.		Above: Tadeusz Dekutowski, nom de guerre "Cichy". Participant in the defence war campaign of 1939, soldier of the ZWZ-AK, after the entry also soldier of the ROAK. He outed himself in September 1945. Member of the NSZ [NZW] from 1946. Arrested on May 24, 1947, he was sentenced to death and was murdered on August 18, 1947 in the city of Bydgoszcz.

The "court" sentence announced in Warsaw on July 3, 1950 in Warsaw was as follows: Stefan Bronarski, nom de guerre "Roman" – pentuple death sentence; Stefan Majewski, nom de guerre "Szczepan" – sextuple death sentence; Jan Przybylowski, nom de guerre "Onufry" – triple death sentence; Jerzy Wierzbicki, nom de guerre "Dodek" – quadruple death sentence; Wiktor Stryjewski, nom de guerre "Cacko" – 38 death sentences. They were all murdered on January 18, 1951 in the Mokotow prison in Warsaw. Jan Nowak, nom de guerre "Korab" received a double death sentence which was later changed to life imprisonment. Stanislaw Lewandowski, nom de guerre "Ogrodnik" was also sentenced to life.

Above: Elzbieta Kazanecka, nom de guerre "Basia". Courier in the AK, served in the NZW after the Soviet entry. In December 1948 she joined the unit of Sergeant "Cacko". Killed in combat, during the battle against the operational groups of the UB and KBW on February 8, 1949 in the village of Galki (district of Bodzanow in the province of Plock).		Above: Lieutenant Aleksander Frycze, nom de guerre "Orzel" [Eng. tr. ’Eagle’]. Participant in the defence war campaign of 1939 and soldier of the ZWZ-AK. After the Soviet entry he was a soldier of the ROAK, and from summer 1946 he was a soldier of the NZW. He was Chief of the Clandestine Operations for the district of Lipno. Arrested by the UB on May 30, 1947, he was sentenced to death in an ad hoc "court" proceeding and was murdered on August 18, 1947 in the city if Bydgoszcz.

Translated by Magdalena Homa

* Also see: The Destruction of the National Military Union Detachment of Adam Kusz, nom de guerre “Garbaty" (Hunchback) - August 19, 1950.