Operation "Avalanche" - Annihilation of the NSZ Democratic Underground Units

In order to capture and murder members of the largest concentration of anti-communist democratic underground units operating in the Slask Opolski and Podbeskidzie regions, in 1946, the UB (pol. Urzad Bezpieczenstwa - Polish secret police) employed an ingenious "operational play" (pol. "gra operacyjna"), code-named "Operation Avalanche" (pol. "Operacja Lawina"). It relied not only on the introduction of its own agents (pol. "agentura" - agents) into the ranks of the leadership and command structure of the democratic underground, but also on creating new, and completely fictitious organizations under its complete control. The destruction of the units lead by Captain Henryk Flame “Bartek” was only a side-effect of a far broader and sinister “operational play” conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (pol. Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnetrzynych), conducted against the National Armed Forces (pol. NSZ – Narodowe Sily Zbrojne). This particular "play", became a proverbial Guinea pig for the UB, to gain experience for their future operations against the armed underground. We need to stress here, that it was not by the happenstance, that in this instance, the most valuable “Player”, an UB agent, Henryk Wendrowski, would also play a key role in the future overtaking of key positions within the structures of the Freedom And Independence (pol. WiN - Wolnosc i Niepdleglosc).

The conduct of such important, and tragic in consequences operation, evokes many questions related to the chronology of events, and identification of individuals responsible for issuing orders to commit the murders. Read the entire story here

The Execution of Polish Underground Soldiers "Inka" And "Zagonczyk" Related by Rev. Marian Prusak.

"[...] In the end I was lead through a narrow descent into what looked like a cellar. They were already there. I think they were handcuffed, or had their hands tied. I had a crucifix with me and gave it to them to kiss. They [the UB, Polish secret police] wanted to cover their eyes, but they refused. Near them waited a bunch of men so it was little crowded. There was a military procurator and many young UB men. They placed these two unfortunate ones against small stakes. In the corner was a small table where the procurator read decision for the sentence, and gave order to carry out the execution. There was, what looked like, a small recess, bare red bricks, there were stakes about half a man’s height. They stood them against them; I don’t remember if they were tied to them. Those who were there didn’t respect the seriousness of the moment. They were shouting obscenities towards the condemned while the procurator read the sentence and announced that the request for commutation was rejected. His last words were: “Into the traitors of the motherland, fire!” At this moment the condemned shouted, as if they had earlier agreed: “Long live Poland!” After that guns fired, they slumped to the ground. Two or three soldiers shot; I think with Pe-Pe-Sha [PPSh-41 - Soviet submachine gun], from a short distance of maybe 3-4 meters. I remember that the floor was red, made of what looked like tiles; in the middle was a small groove, I think to allow blod to drain out. They [“Inka” and “Zagonczyk”] collapsed. I couldn’t look at it, but I remember that both of them were still alive. Then, an officer approached and finished them off with a shot to the head. I don’t know who it was. I couldn’t bare it. I remember only that a name was mentioned; I think Suchocki, and that this man wore a uniform. I tend to think that it was the procurator who [earlier] red the sentence. I stood surrounded by a group of people around me, and my view was somewhat obstructed. I didn’t know that next to me stood a doctor. Later, I had to sign a statement about the execution. Right after that they lead me out. I don’t remember how I got to the car; I don’t know if I was riding with those who brought me there. No one spoke to me in the car". Click Here to read the entire story

Kakolewnica - Little "Katyn" - The Secret of Uroczysko Baran

The inhabitants of the area surrounding Uroczysko* Baran in Kakolewnica near Radzyn Podlaski, call this place “Little Katyn”. (pol. “Maly Katyn”) During Fall of 1944 and January and February of 1945 stationed here were units of the II Polish People's Army. The Home Army (abbr. AK - Armia Krajowa) soldiers were not the only ones shot here, but also those from WiN (pol. Wolnosc i Niezawislosc - Freedom And Independence) and BcH (pol. Bataliony Chlopskie - The Peasant's Batalions), real and imagined deserters, and others who fell in disfavor with the new communist regime. To this day, an accurate number of those shot here is unknown. The most conservative estimates give number of several hundreds, but others claim, it should be between 1,300 to 1800 dead. This is their story ... Read the entire article here ...

Augustow Roundup, The - Unsolved NKVD Crimes In Poland ...

In July, 1945 the Soviet Red Army units supported by the UB (Urzad Bezpieczenstwa – The Polish State Security), and MO (pol. Milicja Obywatelska – The People’s Militia) conducted a grand-scale pacification in the Puszcza Augustowska, and in the surrounding area. The Soviet forces combed through the forests and villages, arresting all those suspected of collaboration with the Polish Underground. During the course of the roundup, nearly 2,000 individuals were detained. Some of those returned home after being interrogated and tortured, while 600 were sent to an unknown location, never to be heard from again. This is their story. Click Here to Learn More About the Augustow Roundup

Polish Secret Police Dossiers On-Line - Part 1

"If it is possible at all, that an image of evil can be reflected in a human face, than perhaps, the faces of the 'bezpieka' functionaries are its best example. For 45-years, the work in the Urzad Bezpieczenstwa [UB] andSluzba Bezpieczenstwa [SB], was the most shameful profession in the entire apparatus of the communist regime. This work was undertaken not only by those who were weak enough to succumb to the temptation of inflicting violence with impunity, but also by those insufficiently equipped to reject it, and those who without any scruples could partake in the murderous enterprise of crime. They were surrounded with preponderant fear, and also with a prevailing contempt - even from within the ranks of their protectors, and willing collaborators. For there aren't any more insulting words in the Polish language than those [used to refer to them] like 'ubek','bezpieka', or 'esbek'" Excerpt from the Preface to "The Faces of the Krakow's Bezpieka", at al, Institute of National Remembrance, Krakow, 2006  Read More Here ...

Battle against the NKVD at Surkonty

Nicknamed by the NKVD, the “handless major" ("besrukhii major"), Maciej Kalenkiewicz was one of the most distinguished officers in the ranks of the Polish Home Army. Kalenkiewicz was also one of the first victims of the organized mass terror, conducted by the Soviets against Polish democratic underground, and against the Polish population at large. - He was among the most ideologically fateful individuals whom I have met in my entire life – reminisces his former colleague form the Cichociemni (Silent and Invisible - sabotage and diversion commando formation), Capt. Stanislaw Sedziak nom de guerre “Warta”. - He believed that the moral fortitude of our men will at the end bring Poland its freedom. Major Kalenkiewicz began his underground service as a second in command in the unit of the legendary, Major Henryk Dobrzanski “Hubal”, the first partisan commander of World War II, and died as a symbol of the underground resistance against Soviet terror in the Eastern Boarderlands (pol. Kresy Wschodnie) of Poland. Read More Here

A Volunteer for Auschwitz - Witold Pilecki, Cavalry Captain

Volunteer for Auschwitz - Witold Pilecki, Captain (1901–1948)

His daring plan to free those imprisoned at Auschwitz with the help of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, never materialized. Fearing that his mission was about to be compromised, after spending 945 days in Auschwitz, he escaped in 1943. In 1944, Cpt. Pilecki fought in the Warsaw Uprising in the ranks of the “Chrobry II” Unit. In 1945, he was attached to the II Corp of the Polish Army In Italy. On orders from General Anders, he returned to the communist-occupied Poland [...] In May, 1947 Captain Pilecki was arrested by the Polish secret police (pol. UB - Urzad Bezpieczenstwa), and incarcerated at the Warsaw’s infamous jail at the Rakowiecka Street. Despite being subjected to the most horrifying torutures, until the end, he remined faithful to his military oath – “God, Honor, Country.” After listening to death sentence charges against him, he responded to the "court": 

“I tried to live my life in such fashion, so that in my last hour, I would rather be happy than fearful […] I found happiness within me, resulting from the realization, that this fight was worth it”.

Witold Pilecki, an unsung hero of the Holocaust, was executed by the communists on May 25, 1948.  Gloria Victis!

Visit the Doomed Soldiers website to learn more about this most extraordinary of heroes  ...