8th Legions Infantry Regiment (Polish: 8 Pulk Piechoty Legionow, 8 pp Leg.) was an infantry regiment of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

. It existed from 1918 until 1939. Garrisoned in

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

, and belonged to the 3rd Legions Infantry Division from

Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...

. The regiment traced its traditions back to the 8th Infantry Regiment of the

Duchy of Warsaw The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...

, commanded by Colonel Cyprian Godebski. The history of the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment dates back to May 1918, when 2nd Infantry Regiment was formed in

Ostrów Mazowiecka Ostrów Mazowiecka (; ) is a town in eastern Poland with 23,486 inhabitants (2004). It is the capital of Ostrów Mazowiecka County in Masovian Voivodeship. History Ostrów was granted town rights in 1434 by Duke Bolesław IV of Warsaw. Its name ...

, by

Polska Siła Zbrojna Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. In early 1919, during the

Polish–Ukrainian War The Polish–Ukrainian War, from November 1918 to July 1919, was a conflict between the Second Polish Republic and Ukrainian forces (both the West Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic). The conflict had its roots in ...

, it was renamed as the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment, and kept this name until the dissolution of Poland in October 1939. During the Nazi-Soviet

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

, the regiment, together with whole 3rd Legions Infantry Division, which belonged to

Prusy Army The Prusy Army () was one of the Polish armies to fight during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Created in the summer of 1939 as the main reserve of the Commander in Chief, it was commanded by Gen. Stefan Dąb-Biernacki. The word ''Prusy'' in the ...

, fought in several major battles of the war.

Beginnings

The 2nd Infantry Regiment was officially formed by Polska Siła Zbrojna on May 15, 1918. On November 1, its three battalions were sent to

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

and

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where it guarded the

Warsaw Citadel Warsaw Citadel (Polish language, Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nikolay I of Russia, Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster im ...

. In late 1918, the regiment, commanded by Ferdynand Zarzycki, was sent to eastern part of former

Austrian Galicia The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, also known as Austrian Galicia or colloquially Austrian Poland, was a constituent possession of the Habsburg monarchy in the historical region of Galicia in Eastern Europe. The crown land was established ...

, to fight against the Ukrainians. On January 16, 1919, its name was changed into the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment, and the unit was garrisoned in Lublin.

Polish–Ukrainian and Polish–Soviet Wars

The regiment fought in Eastern Galicia and

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

from December 1918 until June 1919, suffering heavy losses. Among others, it clashed with the Ukrainians at

Rawa Ruska Rava-Ruska (, ; ; ) is a city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine. It is a border town between Ukraine and Poland. The border checkpoint is situated west of the city, along the international autoroute Warsaw–Lviv. Rava-Ruska hosts the ...

(January 3, 1919), Zolkiew (March 9, 1919), Magierów, Sknilow, Niemirow (March 12, 1919) and

Belz Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine, located near the border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz urban hromada, one of ...

. In early May 1919, the 8th Regiment became part of the 3rd Legions Division, and together with 7th Legions' Infantry Regiment, it formed the V Legions Infantry Brigade. The new brigade clashed with the Ukrainians on May 15 near Stary Sambor. On June 13 it reached Jezupol, to be immediately sent to

Czortków Chortkiv (, ; ; ) is a city in Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Chortkiv Raion, housing the district's local administration buildings. Chortkiv hosts the administration of Chortkiv urban hrom ...

, to halt the Ukrainian offensive. On June 13–14, the brigade defeated the enemy near Denysow and Kupczynce, and then defended the town of

Brzeżany Berezhany ( ; ; ; , ''Bzhezhani''/''Bzhizhani'') is a small city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It lies about from the administrative center of the oblast, Ternopil. Berezhany hosts the administration of Berezhany urban hr ...

. On July 10, the brigade crossed the Zbrucz river, and then it was sent northwards, to

Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, to recuperate. After a few months, it was sent to the line of the Dvina river. In December 1919, together with the 3rd Legions Infantry Division, the regiment was sent to

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

, to protect this country from Soviet invasion. The regiment stayed there until mid-March 1920, and in mid-May 1920, it fought in a bloody battle at Dokszyce, losing over 200 soldiers (KIA and WIA). In June 1920, the 3rd Legions Division was sent to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, to halt the advance of the

1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__ The 1st Cavalry Army (), or ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horsearmy"), was a prominent Red Army military formation that served in the Russian Civil War and Polish–Soviet War, Polish-Soviet War. History Formation On 17 Novem ...

, commanded by

Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny ( rus, Семён Миха́йлович Будённый, Semyon Mikháylovich Budyonnyy, p=sʲɪˈmʲɵn mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ bʊˈdʲɵnːɨj, a=ru-Simeon Budyonniy.ogg; – 26 October 1973) was a Russian and ...

. On June 28, the Poles lost

Korzec Korets (, ; ; ; ''Koritz'') is a city in Rivne Oblast, Ukraine. The city is located on the Korchyk river, 66 kilometers to the east of Rivne. It was the administrative center of Korets Raion until the raion was abolished in 2020. Population: ...

in Volhynia, and were forced to withdraw behind the

Horyn The Horyn or Haryn (, ; , ; ; ) is a tributary of the Pripyat, which flows through Ukraine and Belarus. The Horyn is long, and has a drainage basin of .Wlodzimierz Wolynski and

Hrubieszów Hrubieszów (; ; , or ) is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of around 18,212 (2016). It is the capital of Hrubieszów County within the Lublin Voivodeship. Throughout history, the town's culture and architecture was strongly shaped ...

, after which the regiment participated in Polish counteroffensive, fighting near

Włodawa Włodawa () is a town in eastern Poland on the Bug River, close to the borders with Belarus and Ukraine. It is the seat of Włodawa County, situated in the Lublin Voivodeship. it has a population of 13,500. Geography The town lies along the borde ...

, where it destroyed Soviet 58th Rifle Division. Finally, the 3rd Legions Division captured the

Brest Fortress Brest Fortress (; ; ; ), formerly known as Brest-Litovsk Fortress, is a 19th-century fortress in Brest, Belarus. In 1965, the title Hero Fortress was given to the fortress to commemorate the defence of the frontier stronghold during the fi ...

. In September 1920, the regiment fought in the

Battle of the Niemen River The Battle of the Niemen River was the second-largest battle of the Polish–Soviet War. It took place near the middle Neman River between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok. After suffering almost complete defeat in the Battle of ...

. In the numerous battles of the wars of 1919–1920, the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment lost 25 officers and 471 soldiers KIA, and 96 officers and 1112 soldiers WIA. In 1928, a mound dedicated to them was erected in Lublin.

In the Second Polish Republic

In May 1926, during the

May Coup (Poland) The May Coup ( or ) was a coup d'état carried out in Poland by Marshal Józef Piłsudski from 12 to 14 May 1926. The attack of Piłsudski's supporters on government forces resulted in the overthrow of the democratically-elected government o ...

, two battalions of the regiment (21 officers, 444 soldiers) were sent by rail to Warsaw, reaching the capital of Poland on May 14, at 8 a.m. During the street fighting, one officer (Colonel Jozef Niedzielski) was killed. The regiment, together with the 3rd Legions Division, supported

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

. The 8th Legions Infantry Regiment supported different activities in Lublin and its area, such as concerts, holidays and sports, as it was one of sponsors of Military Sports Club

KS Lublinianka KS Lublinianka is a Polish professional football club based in Lublin. It was founded in 1921 as WKS Lublin (Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Lublin, English: Military Sports Club) and was supported by the Lublin garrison of the Polish Army. In 1923, WKS L ...

. A residential district with houses for the officers was built in the village of Czechowo Gorne (now a neighborhood of Lublin). The regiment was frequently visited by both Józef Piłsudski and

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz also called Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941) was a Polish people, Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces, as well as a painter and ...

1939 September Campaign

] According to the Polish Army mobilization plan W, the 8th Regiment was to be mobilized in the first phase, to be ready for combat on the fourth day. On August 30, 1939, the mobilization of the unit was announced, and August 31 was established as the first day. Together with the 3rd Legions Infantry Division, the regiment with its 91 officers and 3212 NCOs and soldiers, belonged to Prusy Army. The mobilization itself took place in difficult conditions, under bombardment of the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

planes. In the night of September 2/3, the 1st Battalion was sent by rail from Lublin to the frontline. The 2nd Battalion left on September 4. The 3rd Battalion did not reach

Dęblin Dęblin is a town at the Confluence (geography), confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which together have over 100,000 inhabitan ...

, as rail lines had been destroyed, and on September 6, it was transferred to the 9th Legions Infantry Regiment. Tasked with defence of the line between Dęblin and

Kazimierz Dolny Kazimierz Dolny () is a small historic town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern) bank of the Vistula river, from Lublin, in Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland, and in the past it was one of the most i ...

, on September 10 it clashed with the enemy near

Puławy Puławy (, also written Pulawy) is a city in eastern Poland, in Lesser Poland's Lublin Voivodeship, at the confluence of the Vistula and Kurówka River, Kurówka Rivers. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County. The city's 2019 population was Cen ...

. After reaching the Prusy Army, 1st and 2nd Battalions fought in several battles, such as the

Battle of Iłża A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, Battle of Samsonow, and Battle of Puławy. After these battles, both battalions began to retreat southwards, to the planned

Romanian Bridgehead __NOTOC__ The Romanian Bridgehead (; ) was an area in southeastern Poland that is now located in Ukraine. During the invasion of Poland in 1939 at the start of the Second World War, the Polish commander-in-chief, Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz- ...

. Near Rejowiec, they finally joined forces with the 3rd Battalion, and were reinforced with reserve units from

Chełm Chełm (; ; ) is a city in eastern Poland in the Lublin Voivodeship with 60,231 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is located to the south-east of Lublin, north of Zamość and south of Biała Podlaska, some from the border with Ukraine. The ...

. On September 22–23, the regiment clashed with the enemy in the

Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski The Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 18 September to 20 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle

, and again in the

Battle of Krasnobród A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

. The 8th Legions Infantry Regiment capitulated to the Germans on September 25, in the village of Szopowe. Before that happened, a number of officers and soldiers of the regiment had surrendered to the Soviets, who had convinced them to fight against the Wehrmacht. These officers were concentrated in

, and sent to the camps, to be later murdered in the

Katyn massacre The Katyn massacre was a series of mass killings under Communist regimes, mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish people, Polish military officer, military and police officers, border guards, and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out by t ...

Commandants

All commandants of the regiment were first class officers of the Polish Army, many of whom had been members of the

First Cadre Company The First Cadre Company () was a Polish military formation created in the Austro-Hungarian Army at the outbreak of World War I. The company was founded by Józef Piłsudski on 3 August 1914 in Kraków. It was the predecessor of the Polish Legion ...

. Many were close associates of

, and all were awarded the

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

. First commandant,

Ferdynand Zarzycki Ferdynand Zarzycki (22 December 1888, in Tarnów – 10 October 1958, in Chicago, Illinois) was a Polish general and politician. He fought in the Polish Legions in World War I. From 1933 to 1934, he was a Minister of Trade and Industry in the Polis ...

was in 1933 – 34 Minister of Trade under Prime Minister

Aleksander Prystor Aleksander Błażej Prystor (; 2 January 1874 – 1941) was a Polish politician, activist, soldier and freemason, who served as 23rd Prime Minister of Poland from 1931 to 1933. He was a member of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist ...

. * Colonel

(1918–1919), * Captain Franciszek Kruk Grzybowski (1919), * Major

Mieczysław Smorawiński Brigadier General Mieczysław Makary Smorawiński (1893–1940), was a Polish military commander and officer of the Polish Army. He was one of the Polish generals identified by forensic scientists of the Katyn Commission as the victim of the Sovi ...

(1919, murdered in Katyn), * Major Czeslaw Jarnuszkiewicz (1919–1920), * Colonel Franciszek Daniel Paulik (1919, murdered by the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

), * Colonel

Władysław Bończa-Uzdowski Wladyslaw Boncza-Uzdowski (August 23, 1887 – March 21, 1957) was a General brygady of the Polish Army and sports activist, general manager of the Polish Football Association. Boncza-Uzdowski was born in the village of Podborcze near Chełm, Rus ...

(1919–1920), * Captain Zygmunt Szafranowski (1920), * Captain Leon Winiarski (1920–1921), * Colonel Bruno Olbrycht (1923–1927), * Colonel Leopold Endel-Ragis (1927–1930), * Colonel Jan Zaluska (1930–1938, murdered in Katyn), * Colonel Wincenty Wnuk (July 1938 – March 1939), * Colonel Antoni Cebulski (March 1939 – September 1939).

Symbols and traditions

On May 15, 1920, in Budslaw (in what is now

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

), Colonel

Leon Berbecki Leon Berbecki (28 July 1875, Lublin – 23 March 1963, Gliwice) was a Polish army officer, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I with the Imperial Russian Army. Following the foundation of the Second Polish Republic, Berbecki ser ...

, commandant of the 3rd Legions Infantry Division, handed the regimental flag to its commandant, Wladyslaw Boncza-Uzdowski. The flag was funded by the residents of Lublin. During the 1939 war, the flag was with the soldiers until September 9. After the Battle of Iłża, a group of officers under Ludwik Ossowski was ordered to hide it in a safe place. They reached the area of

Frampol Frampol is a town in Poland, in Biłgoraj County, Lublin Voivodeship. It has 1,431 inhabitants (December 2021), and lies in eastern Lesser Poland, near the Roztocze Upland. Frampol is surrounded by the Szczebrzeszyn Landscape Park and the Janów ...

, burying the flag in a local forests. Despite several efforts, it has not been found. The regiment had two badges. First, a design by Czeslaw Jarnuszkiewicz was approved in 1921. It featured the dates 1807, when the 8th Infantry Regiment of the Duchy of Warsaw was formed, and 1918, when the Legions Regiment was formed in Ostrów Mazowiecka. The second badge was designed in 1928. It was in the shape of the Cross of Saint

Rupert of Salzburg Rupert of Salzburg (, ; 660 – 710 AD) was Prince-Bishopric of Worms, Bishop of Worms as well as the first Bishop of Salzburg and abbot of St Peter's Abbey, Salzburg, St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg. He was a contemporary of the Francia, Frank ...

, with number 8 in the middle, and the initial PP Leg, plus the dates: 1807, 1918. The regiment celebrates its holiday on May 15. In 1943–44, the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment was re-created by the

Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

, for

Operation Tempest file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right Operation Tempest or Operation Burza (, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home Arm ...

. In June 1944, it was incorporated into the 27th Home Army Infantry Division.

Sources

* Kazimierz Satora: Opowieści wrześniowych sztandarów. Warszawa: Instytut Wydawniczy Pax, 1990 * Zdzisław Jagiełło: Piechota Wojska Polskiego 1918–1939. Warszawa: Bellona, 2007 *