Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

Naszym Haslem Bog i Ojczyzna: Okreg Bialostocki NSZ w Fotografiach i Dokumentach (1945-1956), by Robert Radzik. 2021. Fundacja Kwartalnika Wykleci, Krakow

So Romuald Adam Rajs “Bury” Did Genocide on Those Poor Belarussians. Laugh. NSZ Freedom Fighters in Action

OUR SLOGAN GOD AND COUNTRY: THE BIALYSTOK-AREA NSZ IN PHOTOGRAPHS AND DOCUMENTS is the title of this large Polish-language work. It is a biographically-oriented oversize book that is packed with mementos, and it features the Polish freedom fighters’ long combat against the Soviet-imposed Communist puppet government. For more details, see:

https://www.taniaksiazka.pl/naszym-haslem-bog-i-ojczyzna-robert-radzik-p-1530311.html

ROMUALD ADAM RAJS “BURY”

Recently, lewaks (Polish leftists) have re-exhumed some fantastic genocidal accusations against “Bury” as part of their lame attempt to discredit Polish patriots in general and the Polish anti-Communist movement in particular. Author Radzik does not tell us if these scurrilous accusations originated from standard Communist propaganda against the NSZ (as, for example, Jew killers), or if they are a Belarussian fabrication.

What actually happened? In early 1946, “Bury” pacified some Belarussian villages because of their obvious enmity against Polish sovereignty and against his unit (p. 548), but under unclear circumstances. (p. 549). The charge of genocide is powerful propaganda, as it plays on emotions, but is in complete variance with the facts. In fact, the unit of “Bury” itself had soldiers that were non-Catholics and of non-Polish (Russian) descent, such Wlodzimierz Jurasow “Wiarus” and Mikolaj Kuroczkin “Lesny” (pp. 548-549. See also pp. 558-559).

A SAMPLING OF NSZ GUERRILLA COMBAT

The Yalta-sanctioned subjugation of Poland began with the Soviet NKVD, acting on the heels of the Red Army, directly engaged in the ruthless suppression of all dissent. The Bialystok-area NSZ was commanded by Kazimierz Zebrowski “Bak”. (p. 19). He was arrested by the NKVD, in fall 1944, but managed to escape and to rejoin the guerrillas and resume his leadership. (p. 55). He functioned in the Underground until December 1949 when, surrounded by a UB (Bezpieka) unit, he tried to break out of encirclement. His son, Jerzy Zebrowski “Konar”, was wounded, and was subsequently finished off by his father, who soon thereafter committed suicide. (p. 56). (Earlier, in June 1941, during the first Soviet occupation of Poland, then 11-year-old Jerzy Zebrowski ran away from a Soviet deportation to Siberia, and rejoined his father, who was in hiding: p. 64)

Not all encirclements led to the demise of the guerrillas. In spring 1945, Augustyn Dobrowolski “Kruk” and his unit bravely broke out of NKVD encirclement, an act for which he was decorated. (p. 265).

Also, in spring 1945, the 50-man NSZ unit of Zbigniew Zalewski “Drzymala” ambushed and disarmed several Communist-militia stations, as at Siematycze, Grodzisk, and Wyszki. (p. 97). Jan Kmiolek “Wir”, in 1947-1951, animated by courage and determination, conducted over 100 combat operations against Communist units. (p. 448).

By fall 1945, over a year after the “liberation” of Poland from Nazi Germany by the Red Army, the Bialystok-area NSZ had grown substantially. It then had around 10,000 members. (p. 17).

In early 1946, Henry Gawkowski “Rola” and his unit ambushed a 60-man UB outfit that was returning from arrests of dissidents. The UB unit was scattered. Several captured UB members were executed after a field trial. (p. 153).

PERSISTANCE OF THE NSZ

Although most of the NSZ was inevitably defeated by the Communist terror within two years of the start of the second Soviet occupation of Poland (mid-1944), or gave up after the “amnesty” of 1947 (following the sham elections of January 1947 that officially brought the Communists to power), some NSZ units amazingly continued their guerrilla operations for years after.

Boleslaw Olsinski “Jelen” remained in hiding until July 1954. (p. 160). Marian Borys “Czarny” was not killed in combat until August 1954. (p. 418). Bronislaw Krystowski was not arrested until 1955. (p. 405). Zachariasz Tarnowski “Kochanowski” held out until September 1956, when he revealed himself. (p. 99).

SOME EXTRAS

This work includes scale drawings of the forest bunkers used by the Polish guerrillas. (p. 321, 430). It also includes photos of their typed orders.

The war for Poland’s freedom included messaging. The subjugation of Poland was illustrated by an NSZ brochure (shown on p. 485) that showed Communist-stooge President Boleslaw Bierut kissing Stalin’s feet.

COMMUNIST “JUSTICE”

What if the Communists could not capture a Polish guerrilla? No problem. They murdered his family. (p. 407). Some captured NSZ members committed suicide rather than get tortured into betraying other members. (p. 149).

Captured Polish freedom fighters were murdered by the Communists after horrific tortures and after sham trials. These included show trials, such as the one done to Stefan Jermacz, in which multitudes of local people were forced to attend. (p. 429).

Some NSZ members were imprisoned for decades–until well into the 1960s. (p. 356, 620). After that came continual harassment.

The Communists held perpetual grudges. In 1975, which was already over three decades after the start of Communist rule, the PRL government refused to honor Walentyna Stempkowska “Platerowka” for her combat against the German Nazis. It was because she later fought against the Communists. (p. 251). I guess these leftists are anti-fascist only when it is convenient for them.

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For another biographically-oriented work on the Zolnierze Wykleci (Cursed Soldiers, Indomitable Soldiers), see:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2021/11/05/nsz-zolnierze-wykleci-indomitable-soldiers-biographies-cursed-soldiers-guerrilla-combat-action-jew-killing-post-wwii-by-poles-saweczko/