Stanisław Eugeniusz Skwarczyński (1888–1981) was a soldier of the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

, officer of

Polish Legions in World War I The Polish Legions () was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the Trip ...

, and

General brygady A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Onlin ...

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 ...

. He fought in several conflicts, including

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Polish-Czechoslovak War, Polish-Ukrainian War, Polish-Soviet War and the

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 ...

. Furthermore, Skwarczynski was a

freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, member of a Masonic Lodge in

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 ...

. Skwarczynski was born on 17 November 1888 in the village of Wierzchnia, Kalusz County, Austrian Galicia. He studied architecture at Lwow Polytechnic, and was an active member of Polish paramilitary organizations, such as the

Union of Active Struggle The Union of Active Struggle (; ZWC), also translated as Union for Active Struggle and Union for Active Resistance,Thus rendered in Richard M. Watt, ''Bitter Glory: Poland and Its Fate, 1918 to 1939'', p. 37. Watt writes: "Soon after Piłsudski' ...

and the

Riflemen's Association The Polish Riflemen's Association, known as ''Związek Strzelecki'' (in the plural, ''Związki Strzeleckie''), was an organization formed in great numbers prior to World War I. One of the better known associations, ''Strzelec'' (Rifleman), was a ...

. In 1914, he joined

. Appointed to the post of battalion commandant of 1st Legions Infantry Regiment, he was on 15 June 1915 promoted to the rank of

Poruchik The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe, also called ''poruchnick'' in Slavic languages, is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either the lowest or second lowest officer rank. Etymology The rank designatio ...

. After the

Oath crisis The Oath crisis (; German language, German: ''Eidkrise'') was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central P ...

, Skwarczynski was forced to join Austro-Hungarian Army, from which he deserted. In 1918 – 1917, he was conspirational commandant of

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

Area of

Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...

. In November 1918, Skwarczynski joined Polish Army, and soon afterwards, he became commandant of 3rd Battalion of 28th Kaniow Rifles Regiment. Together with his unit, he briefly fought against Czechoslovak forces in

Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( ; or ; or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Těšín and bisected by the Olza River. Since 1920 it has been divided betwe ...

, to be transferred to Eastern Galicia, where Polish-Ukrainian conflict took place in late 1918 and 1919. On 15 April 1920 Skwarczynski was named commandant of 2nd Battalion of 5th Legions Infantry Regiment. During the war with Soviet Union, he commanded 5th Legions Infantry Regiment, remaining in this post until 1926. On 14 February 1929 he was appointed commandant of 3rd Legions Infantry Division, stationed in Zamosc. On 25 October 1930 Skwarczynski was appointed to the prestigious post of commandant of elite 1st Legions Infantry Division, stationed in Wilno. On 1 January 1931 Skwarczynski was promoted to

. In the late 1930s, he was actively involved in politics, as a supporter of the

Sanacja Sanation (, ) was a Polish political movement that emerged in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May Coup (Poland), May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and gained influence following the coup. In 1928, its political activists went on to fo ...

movement. In 1938–39, he was the leader of

Camp of National Unity ''Obóz Zjednoczenia Narodowego'' (, OZN; ), often called ''Ozon'' (Polish for "ozone"), was a Polish political party founded in 1937 by sections of the leadership in the Sanation movement. A year after the 1935 death of Poland's Chief of Stat ...

, and in 1938 he officially opened the

Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...

(Parliament]) of Poland. In late August 1939, Skwarczynski returned to active military service, and was appointed commandant of the so-called

Intervention Corps The Intervention Corps (Polish language: ''Korpus Interwencyjny'') was a tactical unit of the Polish Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic. It did not exist in the peacetime organization of the Polish Army, and was created for specific purposes ...

(Korpus Interwencyjny), which was sent to the

Polish Corridor The Polish Corridor (; ), also known as the Pomeranian Corridor, was a territory located in the region of Pomerelia (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Eastern Pomerania), which provided the Second Polish Republic with access to the Baltic Sea, thus d ...

, with the task to counter a possible German action in the

Free City of Danzig The Free City of Danzig (; ) was a city-state under the protection and oversight of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) and nearly 200 other small localities in the surrou ...

. After a short time he was appointed commandant of

Operational Group Operational Group (, GO) was the highest level type of tactical division of the Polish Army at various points in the 20th century, mainly during the Second World War. Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-1921) Operational groups first appeared in the Polis ...

Wyszkow, but did not take this post. Instead, he became commandant of rear units of southern group of

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 ...

. Skwarczynski’s leadership in the

was a complete failure. His forces were routed by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

in the

Battle of Radom The Battle of Radom, also known as the Battle of Iłża, was part of the Invasion of Poland during the Second World War. It lasted from 8 September 1939 to 9 September 1939. Polish troops of the Prusy Army, under General Stanisław Skwarczyńsk ...

, after which he ordered 12th Infantry Division to disperse and abandon its heavy equipment, including 50 cannons. Together with a number of soldiers, he managed to cross the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

, and join the units which moved southwards, to the

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- ...

. Captured by the Germans during the Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski, he was sent to

Oflag An Oflag (from ) was a type of prisoner of war camp for Officer (armed forces), officers which the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army established in World War I in accordance with the requirements of the Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907), 1899 ...

Dorsten Dorsten (; Westphalian: ''Dössen'') is a town in the district of Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and has a population of about 75,000. Dorsten is situated on the western rim of Westphalia bordering the Rhineland. Its histori ...

, where he remained until liberation. In April 1945, he went to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and remained in exile until his death. After the war, Skwarczynski decided to stay away from the political and social life of the Polish community of Great Britain. He died in London on 8 August 1981 and was buried at

Elmers End Elmers End is an area of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London and formerly part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south of Beckenham, west of Eden Park, north of Monks Orchard and east of ...

Cemetery.

Honors and awards

* Silver Cross of 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, ...

(1921) * Commander's Cross,

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

, * Officer’s Cross, Order of Polonia Restituta, *

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three classes. History The Cr ...

, *

Cross of Valour (Poland) The Cross of Valour () is a Polish military decoration. It was introduced by the Council of National Defense on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valour and courage on the field of battle." It may be aw ...

(four times), * Gold

Cross of Merit (Poland) A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in ...

(1930), * commemorative medal “Poland to Her Defender”, for the wars of 1918–1921, * Medal of Ten Years of Independent Poland, * Officer Cross of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

Sources

* Tadeusz Kryska-Karski i Stanisław Żurakowski, Generałowie Polski Niepodległej, Editions Spotkania, Warszawa 1991 * Piotr Stawecki, Słownik biograficzny generałów Wojska Polskiego 1918–1939, Warszawa 1994

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skwarczynski, Stanislaw 1888 births 1981 deaths Military personnel from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Military personnel of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Polish Austro-Hungarians Camp of National Unity politicians Marshals of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic Polish generals Polish Rifle Squads members Polish Military Organisation members Polish Freemasons Polish legionnaires (World War I) Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War Polish people of the Polish–Ukrainian War Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland)