Veterans of conspiracy, especially soldiers of the National Army's militant elements, in their memoirs have repeatedly stressed that they dreamed of a minute erstwhile they would be able to put on a uniform confirming their military affiliation, charge and specialisation and stand in hand for an open fight. They wanted a hornet, though the eagle of the pre-September army, let alone a coat or a coat. The guerrilla simply felt like a soldier, wearing an first Polish uniform.
“I will not lay down my weapons, I will not take off my uniform, so aid me God” – these words Major Henryk Dobrzański, celebrated “Hubal”, they went to national legend. Major was faithful to them until the end – he died in a cavalry uniform on April 30, 1940 under Anielin. Today, this quote is frequently interpreted as the Major's declaration to stay a regular soldier at all costs – despite the fact that Germany and the Soviets seized the full country and did not hesitate to break violently and bloodyly every, even the slightest, manifestation of resistance. There are even opinions that “Hubala” cannot be called “the first guerrilla” due to the fact that he was opposed to conspiracy and wanted to fight like a regular army.
If that were true, “Hubala” could be called as the Germans did – “a mad major”. no of these things, due to the fact that 1 should remember the realities in which the branch of the Polish Army, established by him, operated. Major Dobrzański was convinced and powerfully believed that in the spring of 1940 an Allied offensive would take place from the West and wipe out the occupiers from Poland. ‘The higher the sun, the Sikorski closer’. So he wanted to make this large offensive, in which she was besides to participate Polish Army in France, to last and keep their troops as personnel, from which the insurgent army will grow.
Like relics
What about the uniform? For Major Dobrzański and his soldiers, their uniforms of the Second Polish Army were sacred. Besides, not only for them, due to the fact that where the knights or infantrymen of the Hubala appeared, there they aroused joy, emotion and hope. In a word, thanks to the Polish uniform morale grew and if the predictions of the major were to come true, in the spring of 1940 his soldiers could indeed be the avant-garde of the winning offensive... But as we know, the communicative has changed, and it's the chief of the police, then the colonel. Stefan Rowecki He was right, considering that it is inactive besides early to keep a strong guerrilla force, even in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Furthermore, Major Dobrzański, after his first opposition, obeyed the order of the “Grota” and gave his men free hands in staying with him or leaving the branch.
Several unidentified insurgents from an unestablished branch of the AK on the barricade on Chmielna Street between the Astoria Hotel and the corner building, Fot. H. Śmigacz, from the IPN Archive resource.
The conspiracy ruled out carrying any elements associated with the military. A diversionary soldier, Kediv, was to stand out in the street. Even these celebrated officers – so frequently shown in films about the business fight – were in fact inappropriate. individual in military boots was immediately excavated by Gestapo agents or gendarmes as a possible associate of the conspiracy. Already silent during training in Britain, they were allergic to these issues. Yet, they were even taught not to wear their heads besides advanced and not to adopt a military attitude that could betray them on the occupied street. Unfortunately, in fact, the protagonists of the popular tv series Time of Honor would not have passed the exam at the commando diversion school already by their very appearance...
The forest is coming
Things were completely different in the forest (because in the countryside or in tiny towns there was a threat of deconspiration as in large urban centres). erstwhile the first major troops and guerrilla groups of the Home Army began to form, 1 of them was definitely with the Branch of the Polish Army: their soldiers wanted to have at least a hornet, though the eagle of the pre-September army, let alone a coat or a coat. The guerrilla simply felt like a soldier, wearing an first Polish uniform. It came to the conclusion that the soldiers "polonised" the captured German uniforms, dyed them from the hated colour of the feldgrau to green and sewing Polish buttons and shoulder pads and badges. In practice it was that the most uniformed were the commanders and officers' staff, as well as (more importantly) the enlisted officers, and guerrillas were taking combat in what she came to the squad—in civilian clothes or garnered uniforms. However, always trying to have at least a white-and-red proporist sewn on a hat or beret. What about a military armband? It is 1 of the symbols of the AK! But it's only 1944 and mobilization within the framework ‘Burza’ shares. In memory remains the faux-pas made by the creators of the controversial German tv series “Our Mothers, Our Fathers”, depicting the acaves in the bands before that date...
But we besides have a problem with that due to the fact that white and red bands with reflected letters “WP”, military eagle and unit number are identified only with Warsaw Uprising. Meanwhile, the work to wear the band had to be taken by soldiers of all groups focused on the “Burza” of the AK – those in the Borderlands, those in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains or those in the south of Poland. This is well seen in the photographs, for example from Operation “The Sharp Gate” in Vilnius, from the fights of the 27th Volynska Infantry Division of the AK, of course the Warsaw Uprising or the actions of the AK subhalans in Małopolska. The armband meant you were a regular soldier, so you were a uniform. But inactive the button or eagle of 1939 remained the top treasure.
