Battalion Zośka (pronounced /'zɔɕ.ka/; 'Sophie' in Polish) was a Scouting
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. It mainly consisted of members of the
Szare Szeregi
"Gray Ranks" ( pl, Szare Szeregi) was a codename for the underground paramilitary Polish Scouting Association (') during World War II.
The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation i ...
paramilitary Boy Scouts. It was formed in late August 1943. A part of the Radosław Group, the battalion played a major role in the
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...
of 1944.Battalion Zośka (Internet Archive)
Zośka was named after
Tadeusz Zawadzki
Tadeusz Leon Józef Zawadzki, assumed surname: ''Tadeusz Zieliński'', Pseudonym, alias ''"Kajman"'', ''"Kotwicki"'', ''"Lech Pomarańczowy"'', ''"Tadeusz"'', ''"Zośka"'' (born on January 24, 1921, in Warsaw, died on August 20, 1943, in Sieczychy) ...
, who used the name as his pseudonym during the AK's early days. He was killed during a partisan action.
History
The battalion was formed in late August 1943 as part of the Radosław Group, fighting in
Wola
Wola (, ) is a district in western Warsaw, Poland, formerly the village of Wielka Wola, incorporated into Warsaw in 1916. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it underwent a transformation into an office (co ...
and the Starówka, from where they allowed the "Rudy" company to do a breakthrough to the centre of the city through the
Saxon Garden
The Saxon Garden ( pl, Ogród Saski) is a 15.5–hectare public garden in central ('' Śródmieście'') Warsaw, Poland, facing Piłsudski Square. It is the oldest public park in the city. Founded in the late 17th century, it was opened to the publ ...
which eventually failed. After capturing two Panther tanks in 2nd August, an armoured platoon was formed under the command of
Wacław Micuta
Wacław Micuta (pseudonym ''Wacek''; Petrograd, Russia, 6 December 1915 – 21 September 2008, Geneva, Switzerland) was a Polish economist, World War II veteran, and United Nations functionary.
He took part in the September 1939 defense of Pol ...
Zośka fighters liberated prisoners of the concentration camp Gęsiówka in August 1944. The 383 able-bodied prisoners (including 348 Jews), both men and women who were left in Gęsiówka to assist with the destruction of the evidence of mass murder, were rescued from certain death. Most of these survivors joined the Zośka unit and fought in the Warsaw uprising.
Other famous Home Army battalions were: Miotła, Czata, Pięść, and Batalion Parasol. Between 1944 and 1956, all of the former members of Batalion Zośka were incarcerated in the Soviet
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
prisons.Żołnierze Batalionu Armii Krajowej "Zośka" represjonowani w latach 1944-1956 ",
Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation ( pl, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej – Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state resea ...
Ryszard Białous
Ryszard Białous codename: Jerzy (b. 4 April 1914 in Warsaw - 24 March 1992 in Neuquen, Argentina) was a Polish scoutmaster ( harcmistrz) captain of the AK- Szare Szeregi. Commander of the Batalion Zośka before and during the Warsaw Uprising ...
Juliusz Bogdan Deczkowski
Juliusz Bogdan Deczkowski "Laudański" (20 April 1924 in Bydgoszcz – 22 June 1998 in Ciechocinek) was a noted Polish soldier during World War II, and later an engineer and inventor, as well as writer.Jerzy Gawin
* Jerzy Jagiełło (porucznik)
*
Jacek Karpiński
Jacek Karpiński (9 April 1927 21 February 2010) was a Polish pioneer in computer engineering and computer science.
During World War II, he was a soldier in the Batalion Zośka of the Polish Home Army, and was awarded multiple times with a ...
* Tadeusz Kosudarski
* Jan Kopałka
* Andrzej Łukoski
* Henryk Kozłowski
* Zygmunt Kujawski
*
Wacław Micuta
Wacław Micuta (pseudonym ''Wacek''; Petrograd, Russia, 6 December 1915 – 21 September 2008, Geneva, Switzerland) was a Polish economist, World War II veteran, and United Nations functionary.
He took part in the September 1939 defense of Pol ...
* Tadeusz Maślonkowski
* Wiktor Matulewicz
* Krystyna Niżyńska
* Konrad Okolski
* Jerzy Ossowski
* Jerzy Pepłowski
* Jan Rodowicz
* Eugeniusz Romański
* Andrzej Romocki
*
Jan Romocki
Jan Romocki codename: Bonawentura (17 April 1925 – 18 August 1944) was a Polish Scoutmaster ( podharcmistrz), Second Lieutenant of AK-Szare Szeregi, poet and younger brother of fellow resistance figure Andrzej "Morro" Romocki.
Romocki was bor ...
* Jan Rossman
* Eugeniusz Stasiecki
* Tadeusz Sumiński
* Anna Wajcowicz
* Kazimierz Wasiłowski
* Jerzy Weil
* Jan Wuttke
* Anna Zakrzewska
* Jan J. Więckowski