Wladyslaw Boncza-Uzdowski (August 23, 1887 – March 21, 1957) was a

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 ...

and sports activist, general manager of the

Polish Football Association The Polish Football Association ( PZPN) is the governing body of association football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues (without the ), the national cups, and manages the men's and women's national teams. It also runs the nati ...

. Boncza-Uzdowski was born in the village of Podborcze near

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 ...

, Russian-controlled

Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...

. In 1910, he joined

Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...

, he was also a member of 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

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, Boncza-Uzdowski joined

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 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 ...

of 1917, he was imprisoned in Beniaminow. Boncza-Uzdowski fought in the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

, as commandant of the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment. In 1926, he was named commander of infantry at the 3rd Legions Infantry Division, located in

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 ...

. On March 17, 1927, he was named commander of the 28th Infantry Division, located in

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 ...

, and remained there until 1939. Furthermore, from January 15, 1928, until February 20, 1937, he was general manager of Polish Football Association. On January 1, 1928, President

Ignacy Mościcki Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Ge ...

promoted Boncza-Uzdowski to the rank of General brygady. During the 1939

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 28th Infantry Division, commanded by Boncza-Uzdowski, belonged to

Łódź Army Łódź Army () was one of the Polish armies of the Polish Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic that took part in the Invasion of Poland of 1939. It was officially created on 23 March 1939 with the task of filling the gap between Poznań ...

. On September 7, General

Wiktor Thommee Wiktor is a masculine given name, the Polish version of Victor. It may refer to: * Wiktor Andersson (1887–1966), Swedish film actor * Wiktor Balcarek (1915–1998), Polish chess player * Wiktor Biegański (1892–1974), Polish actor, film dire ...

ordered Boncza-Uzdowski to take command of the 2nd Legions Infantry Division. On the next day, at app. 5 p.m., Boncza-Uzdowski appointed his deputy, Colonel Stefan Broniowski, new commander of the two divisions, and together with his chief of staff Albin Habina, and operational officer Jan Rzezniowiecki, left his headquarters, allegedly in search of General

Juliusz Rómmel Juliusz Karol Wilhelm Józef Rómmel (; 3 June 1881 – 8 September 1967) was a Polish military commander, a general of the Polish Armed Forces. He graduated from the Corps of Cadets in Pskov and later from Кonstantin Artillery School at St. Pe ...

. Some Polish historians described this as an act of cowardice and treason. On his way towards Gora Kalwaria, Boncza-Uzdowski entered the territory controlled 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 night of September 8/9, near Mszczonow). After a two-day march, he crossed 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 ...

by a boat, and headed towards Warsaw, reporting to general Rommel. On September 13, he again took command of the 28th I.D., fighting in the

Battle of Modlin 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 ...

. Captured by the Germans on September 29, Boncza-Uzdowski spent the war at

Oflag VII-A Murnau Oflag VII-A Murnau was a German Army prisoner-of-war camp for Polish Army officers during World War II. It was located north of the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee. Camp history The camp was created in September 1939. It consisted of an e ...

. After returning to Poland in 1945, he was again named general manager of the Polish Football Association. Boncza-Uzdowski retired in 1949, and remained in Warsaw, where he died on March 21, 1957. Boncza-Uzdowski was harshly criticized by other generals of the Polish Army. In April 1945, Juliusz Rómmel wrote in Murnau that he was a "worthless individual, without any commanding skills, and unfit for the military". In May 1939,

Stefan Rowecki Stefan Paweł Rowecki (pseudonym: ''Grot'', "Spearhead", hence the alternate name, Stefan Grot-Rowecki; 25 December 1895 – 2 August 1944) was a Polish general, journalist and the leader of the Armia Krajowa. He was murdered by the Gestapo in ...

wrote of Boncza-Uzdowski: "He has commanded the division for ten years, and all he has done in the last five years, has been drinking, hunting and playing cards".

Promotions

Porucznik Legionów Polskich (

First lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

of Polish Legions) - 1914 * POL I BRYGADA LP 1914 KAPITAN

Kapitan Legionów Polskich (

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of Polish Legions) - 1915 * PL Epolet mjr

Major (

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

) *

Podpułkownik ( Lieutenant colonel) - 1920 * PL Epolet plk

Pułkownik (

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

) - 1922 * PL Epolet gen bryg

Generał brygady ( Brigadier general) - 1928

Awards and decorations

Silver Cross of

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 of the

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 ...

(8 November 1930) *

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 ...

with Swords (20 January 1931) * POL Polonia Restituta Oficerski BAR

Officer's Cross of the

(9 November 1926) * Cross of Valour (four times) * Gold Cross of Merit * Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918–1921 * Medal of the 10th Anniversary of Regained Independence * Lacplesis Military Order Ribbon

Order of Lāčplēsis The Order of Lāčplēsis (also Lāčplēsis Military Order, ), the first and the highest Latvian military award, was established in 1919 on the initiative of Jānis Balodis, the Commander of the Latvian Army during the Latvian War of Independ ...

, 3rd Class (Latvia, 1922)

References

Sources

* M. Bielski, Grupa Operacyjna „Piotrków" 1939, Wydawnictwo Bellona, Warszawa 1991 * T. Kryska-Karski, S. Żurakowski, Generałowie Polski Niepodległej, Editions Spotkania, Warszawa 1991 {{DEFAULTSORT:Boncza-Uzdowski, Wladyslaw Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party members Polish Military Organisation members World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War 1887 births 1957 deaths