Summary
Activities of special Home Army platoons in the circuit “Bird of Paradise” WyszkówWołomin Union of Armed Struggle – Home Army in the years 1940-1944.
In the thesis, author presents the history of the three Task Forces of Radzymin Circuit
– “Raróg”, “Rajski Ptak”, “Burak”. Of course, these were not the only troops engaged in
subversion and sabotage in the radzymiński district (warszawskim), but because of their
achievements it can be said that these platoons were the best and most effective. All the major
military actions in the Radzymin Circuit were held with their participation.
The aim of this study is to analyse the activities of special Home Army platoons in the
circuit “Bird of Paradise” Wyszków-Wołomin Union of Armed Struggled – in the years 19401944.
The author hopes that basing on the records, reports, and orders, will show the picture
of the functioning Task Force. At the time, nobody seemed to know what a task force is. But,
at the same word, dozens of volunteers reported for duty. People wanted to fight with enemy
– here and now! The new form of action encouraged. It was a hope for a fast dealing with
Germans. After all, it was all what conspiracy members wanted.
While working on a dissertation and the thesis profusely was drawn from documents
and bibliography gathered by Jarosław Stryjek, researcher of the “Bird of Paradise” Circuit.
As I mentioned before, many times I used help from last living soldier Task Force “Ręczaje”,
Cpl. Cadet. Mieczysława Chojnackiego “Młodzika”, and also from soldier “Danowski” and
private Jana Wojciechowskiego „Małego”.
In this paper, the author relies on archival documents and sources found in Archive of
New Records in Warsaw. In some cases helpful were documents of World Association of
Home Army Soldiers, Military Institute of History and documents on Wehrman activities in
the North Mazovia in the 1939-1944 period.
There is a lot publications relating to the functioning of armed underground.
Unfortunately, on the issues discussed in the dissertation not much has been written about.
Practically, all relations of soldiers in the Circuit were found in publications that relate to
different problems.
While gathering matherials for this thesis, the author met with kindness and willinglles
to help from other people. Residents of towns and villages in Mazovia, helped as best as they
could. Ordering descriptions, relations, dissertation has been prepared about facts that no one
reported or published.
Dissertation consists of eleven chapters, that are arranged in a logical and
chronologically sequence.
Chapter I Military-geographical characteristics of the area of northern Mazovia
introduces in the physiography of land where task forces took actions. Furthermore, in this
chapter defined area of Radzymiński Circuit with leading cities – Wołomin, Radzymin, and
Tłuszcz.
Chapter II Polish Campaign 1939 and the beginning of the German occupation
focuses on events between 1 September 1939 to creation of General Government with the
District Warsaw. It is described the fate of future task force commanders, “Amona”,
“Wyboja” and “Szaruga” with background of war in Poland in year 1939.
Chapter III Occupant policy after the polish war endended in 1939 author describes
occupant politics after the end of hostilities.
Chapter IV The creation of the Polish Underground State in the country and in the
Circuit “Bird of Paradise”, “Raróg”, “Burak” it is dedicated to the characteristics of the
emerging structures of Polish Underground State in the country and the Warsaw district.
Chapter V The creation and organization of the task force led by Sergeant. Cadet.
Tadeusz Abramskiego – “Szaruga” – “Danowskiego” the author restricts his researches to
describing activities of the task force led by Tadeusz Abramski.
Chapter VI The Diversionary actions of task force led by Sergeant. Cadet Tadeusz
Abramski againt the occupant it is a “nucleus” of dissertation. It presents the results of
research on the majority of military actions conducted by three platoons. There are
descriptions of over 30 main actions in the “Radzymin” Circuit, which of their importance
were a proof of the effectiveness of “Bird of Paradise”.
Chapter VII titled Actions of Diversion - Sabitage Groupe KEDYWU commanded by
lt. Andrew Małkowski – “Amon” is an approximation of operations of the branch - especially
diversionary activities .The author also points to inefficiency in command of a division .
In Chapter VIII titled The Special Branch “Ręczaje” led byogniomistrz Joseph
Valentine Marcinkowski – “Wybój” – “Sęp” the author focuses on open battle with the
Germans. In this chapter there were reconstructed combat shares branches based on the
reports and documents combatants .
Chapter IX Fighting collaboration and banditry - enforcement of judgments issued by
the Special Military Court it is an approximation of a underground activities of the judiciary
and the executive. I tried to relate effectiveness of conspirational judiciary with the
performance of judgments on traitors and common bandits. The phenomenon of the Polish
Underground judiciary was for polish law-abiding citizen a very important thing. Home Army
and the Directorate of Underground in the majesty of the law sanctioned ordered sentences.
At the same time this prevented from anarchy and lynching.
Chapter X Open the fight against the Nazis in the summer of 1944 presents the
outbreak of the “Storm” in the “Bird of Paradise” Wyszków-Wołomin-Radzymin. Individual
Task Forces reached the combat readiness and joined the actions against German troops. The
author describes research on the battle of Jerzyska, which took place on 14-16 August 1944.
The biggest aid proved to be memories of Abramski brothers, Tadeusza and Zdzisława. Both
soldiers survived the massacre at Jerzyska and in great detail described their experiences.
Private Zdzisław Abramski “Kmicic” published his diary for the Military Historical Institute
in 1967. Due to the fact that the massacre in Jerzyska survived only a few, memories of
Abramski brothers are a rarity.
Summing up his many years of research the author tries to prove posed at the
beginning the thesis of this work. What has been researched and presented in this dissertation
is a piece of the puzzle in the history of Home Army – the largest underground army occupied
by the enemy forces in Europe. Let us hope that this work will complement the gaps in
knowledge about II World War on Polish territory.