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Draft:Alina Skarzyńska

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  • Comment: Needs more sources in certain places - I will add {{cn}} tags where citations are needed. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 19:11, 17 July 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Completely unreferenced. DoubleGrazing (talk) 12:32, 18 February 2024 (UTC)

Alina Skarzyńska (née Romanowska) a.k.a. "Fala" (born 17.01.1927 in Jabłonna near Warsaw, died 28.07.1966 in Warsaw) – member of the Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Union of Armed Struggle) and the Armia Krajowa (the Home Army); liaison officer, combat rifleman and nurse in the Warsaw Uprising in the ranks of the Armia Krajowa; platoon leader of the Armia Krajowa; political prisoner of the Stalin period.

Biography

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Alina Skarzyńska was born on 17.01.1927 as the only daughter of Witalis Romanowski and Amelia (née Krzyczkowska) in the village of Jabłonna near Warsaw. At the age of five, she lost her father, who died of tuberculosis. She studied in Warsaw at the Commercial Gymnasium, which she completed with the so-called „mała matura” exam.[citation needed]

Period of occupation

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Alina Skarzyńska lived with her mother at 18 Długa Street in the Old Town of Warsaw[1][2]. (the house was burned down during the Warsaw Uprising). In the spring of 1943 (the exact date is unknown), at the age of about sixteen, she began her conspiracy activity in Związek Walki Zbrojnej[3][4], in which she took an oath. Her closest friends in the conspiracy were: Zofia Żochowska a.k.a. "Róża", Helena Żochowska a.k.a. "Janka", Melania Kozłowska a.k.a. "Wisła", Wanda Lewandowska a.k.a. "Wanda", Jadwiga Lewandowska a.k.a. "Iwona", Wanda Magnuszewska a.k.a. "Zebra", Władysława Magnuszewska a.k.a. "Zula".

A large part of her colleagues and later Gozdawa's battalion were involved in the activities of the fourth largest underground organization - "Miecz i Pług" (Sword and Plough)[5]. Establishing contacts with this particular community was probably dictated by accident - in the vicinity of her great-uncle's house at 64 Targowa Street, which she often visited, organized[note 1] soldiers' briefings and weapons exercises conducted by members of the ZWZ and "Miecz i Pług"[note 2], including Julian Głowacki a.k.a. "Ogórek" and Józef Jasiński a.k.a. "Wyrwa"[6][7].

To the year 1943 can be dated Skarzyńska’s first contacts with Bogusław Hrynkiewicz[note 3] – one of the leaders of "Miecz i Pług". In fact, he was an agent of the NKVD[8] (and possibly also the Gestapo), who, at the request of Marian Spychalski[note 4][9] and Moscow, worked on the circles of the Polish independence conspiracy - in particular the ZWZ (later the „Armia Krajowa”[note 5]) and the "Miecz i Pług" organization. His role was unknown to the participants of the events until the 1950s, i.e. the time of Józef Światło's spectacular escape from the Polish People's Republic to the United States, when the fugitive describes Hrynkiewicz's activities for the first time[10][11].

Skarzyńska and her friends were delegated to work as distributors[12][13] of the conspiracy press and conspiracy liaison officers operating in Warsaw.

The milieu in which she lived became a part of the Stefan Czarniecki "Gozdawa" Battalion - initially called the Praga Battalion or the Praga Unit. In April 1944 it became a part of the Armia Krajowa Group "Łukasiński".[citation needed]

Warsaw Uprising

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During the Warsaw Uprising she was a nurse, liaison officer and combat rifleman[14][15][16]. She fought in the Old Town and in the City Centre, in the company of Roman Rot[note 6] a.k.a. "Jawor"[6][17][18].

On July 28, 1944, she reported to the assembly point designated by the commanders at Dluga Street, waiting three days for the order to start fighting. She participated, m.in, in skirmishes over the building of the telephone exchange at Tłomackie Street (today's northern frontage of Bankowy Square), where German troops used combat gases, which "Fala" also poisoned itself with[19]. On the so-called "Reduta Matki Boskiej"[20], under enemy fire, she and her friends pulled wounded soldiers from the foreground[21]. The lack of armament was felt at every step, Alina and her friends sometimes performed night watches without rifles. The girls had single grenades. The courage of her and her colleagues astonished the commanders[22]. She took part in the bloody battles for the building of the Bank of Poland at Bielańska Street. In the last days of August, the command decided to evacuate soldiers capable of fighting from the Old Town to the City Centre. Despite her own wounds, Alina helped to carry her seriously wounded commander Roman Rot a.k.a. "Jawor" through the sewers (on the section from Krasiński Square to Warecka Street)[23]. For which she was later awarded Krzyż Walecznych (the Cross of Valour).

After a month of fighting in the city centre, as a result of the capitulation on 3 October 1944, together with a group of about fifteen people (inspired by one of the commanders - Second Lieutenant "Sokol"), she left the capital together with the civilian population. She was determined to continue her underground work[24].

Espionage Affair

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Alina Skarzyńska, together with her friends and residents of Warsaw, was sent to a transit camp in Pruszków. With the help of their colleagues from the conspiracy, they managed to escape from it and get to Skierniewice[25], where the "Miecz i Pług" command was located[note 7]

There, the girls were given a task by Mieczysław Przystasz a.k.a. "Pług"[note 8][25][26] and Bogusław Hrynkiewicz[27] to cross the front line[note 9], which was to take place on the night of 28/29 November 1944.[citation needed]

"Fala" and her friends were transported to Modlin, where, to their disbelief, they ended up in the headquarters of the German SD[note 10] (with whom Hrynkiewicz probably had some agreements). Manoeuvred into this situation, with the task of crossing the front line and obtaining information about the Soviet army's support for the Polish conspiracy, they stayed at the headquarters of the SD - a hostile intelligence organization. It was incomprehensible to them, but they did not dare to question the orders of their evidence. [citation needed]

On December 2, 1944, the transfer ended in a fiasco, one of her friends, Melania Kozłowska a.k.a. "Wisła", was shot, while Skarzyńska and the others were arrested by the soldiers of the Polish Army - which was a great luck for them, because those detained by Soviet soldiers were shot on the spot.[25]

Trial and imprisonment

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Immediately after her arrest, a brutal interrogation was launched on charges of spying for Nazi Germany - particularly severe for a Polish resistance activist. The investigation was conducted by a Soviet NKVD officer and translator.[citation needed]

Skarzyńska was transferred to the Special Prison at the Lublin Castle (a dozen or so of her fellow prisoners were shot during the transport[28]). After many hours of brutal interrogations conducted by the senior investigator of the Main Information Directorate of the Polish Army, Captain Władysław Czerniawski, she signed the interrogation protocols.[citation needed] In December 1945, she spent her first Christmas away from home - in prison.[citation needed]

On 27 January 1945, the Military Garrison Court in Lublin sentenced Alina Skarzyńska to prison and deprivation of public rights for five years[16]. Throughout her imprisonment, her mother Amelia wrote petitions (including personally to President Bolesław Bierut) for a commutation of the sentence and pardon - they were always rejected[16]

She remained in the Lublin Castle prison until 26 May 1945. She was then transferred to the prison in Wronki, where she remained until 2 January 1946, and then to the prison in Fordon.[citation needed]

"Fala" and her friends were treated cruelly in prison because of the sentence of spying for Germany - the behavior of their fellow prisoners, common criminals, changed when they found out that the prisoners were in fact members of the Polish resistance movement. In the last of the prisons, "Fala" read a lot[25], made "sculptures" out of bread, wrote poems and worked in a tailor's workshop (where a case for a bread gorget and a liaison doll were made).[citation needed]

Also in prison, Skarzyńska remained rebellious. Perhaps that is why she was held responsible by the prison warden for the prisoners' rebellion, which ended with a short-term improvement in the treatment of the inmates[29].

She served her sentence in full. This ruined her chances of completing her education (she wanted to study art history[16]), and the mark of a criminal prevented her from finding a job for many years. She was under surveillance by the Security Office for many years after her release from prison.[citation needed]

It is worth noting that Skarzyńska did not decide to cooperate with the soviet secret services and maintained her steadfast attitude, unlike many of her colleagues who, subjected to pressure, harassment and persecution, began to cooperate with the repressive apparatus.[citation needed]

On 13 July 1957, twelve years after her arrest, the rehabilitation process of Skarzyńska and her friends began, which ended with their exoneration. It was one of many similar processes to clear the name of Polish independence activists that began during the "thaw" after the death of Joseph Stalin.[citation needed]

In 1952 she married Romuald Skarzyński, with whom she had three daughters: Ewa, Hanna and Renata.[citation needed]

She died on 28.07.1966 and was buried at the Bródnowski Cemetery in Warsaw (section 20G).[citation needed]

Orders and decorations

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Notes

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  1. ^ Soldiers' briefings, exercises and underground meetings took place in the building at 7 Białostocka Street.
  2. ^ After the physical elimination of the real leaders of the organization, they were replaced by people suspected of connections with the Gestapo, their places were taken by NKVD agents - the organization became a real training ground for the war of intelligence. More about it in: W. Chrzanowski "Sword and Plough".
  3. ^ For the needs of the Polish conspiracy, he used the pseudonym "Tomek", for the needs of the Soviet intelligence under the pseudonym "Aleksander".
  4. ^ Whether Spychalski was Hrynkiewicz's real orderer is the subject of discussion among historians. Józef Światło claimed that Hrynkiewicz was directly subordinated to the NKVD resident. What is more, the "relations" between Spychalski-"Miecz i Pług" later became the basis for accusations made by Bierut's circle against Spychalski and Gomułka.
  5. ^ Hrynkiewicz, together with the Gestapo, carried out a notorious action to take over the Home Army archive at 37 Poznańska Street in Warsaw.
  6. ^ Rot, Rott or Roth - in literature and documents, the surname appears in these three versions.
  7. ^ In Skierniewice there was also an unknown alleged brother or cousin of General Marian Spychalski, involved in the activities of the "Miecz i Pług". In the intelligence reports, there is mention of "Tomek Spychalski", "the brother of General Mieczysław Spychalski". The "brother" or "cousin" mentioned by the participants of the events could simply have been Hrynkiewicz. See: INP BU 0363/514 vol. 1
  8. ^ This later causes a sense of injustice towards Mieczysław Przystasz, although from the perspective of current historical knowledge it is known that he was equally tricked into this situation.
  9. ^ In fact, it could have been a test of the possibility of opening a new transfer channel from the German occupation zone to the Soviet zone or an action preparing Hrynkiewicz for further espionage activity.
  10. ^ Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers SS (SD, English: Reichsführer SS Security Service) - an intelligence, counterintelligence and security service of the SS, operating in the Third Reich in the years 1931–1945.

References

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  1. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 117.
  2. ^ IPN 819/8 vol.1
  3. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 85.
  4. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 104.
  5. ^ Chrzanowski 1997, p. 37.
  6. ^ a b Acta of Institute of National Remembrance syg. INP BU 0363/514 vol. 1
  7. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 91.
  8. ^ Chrzanowski 1997, p. 65.
  9. ^ Spałek R., "Z dziejów komunistycznego wywiadu. Bogusław Hrynkiewicz's and Marian Spychalski's casus " in "Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość" 2008
  10. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 111.
  11. ^ Błażyński, Światło & Nowak-Jeziorański 2012, p. 108.
  12. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 110.
  13. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011b, p. 107.
  14. ^ Fajer 1957, p. 409.
  15. ^ Wróblewski 1989, p. 250.
  16. ^ a b c d e f IPN BU 819/8 vol.1 & vol.2
  17. ^ Acta of Institute of National Remembrance syg. INP BU 0363/514 vol. 3
  18. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 86.
  19. ^ Fajer 1957, p. 240.
  20. ^ Fajer 1957, p. 290.
  21. ^ Fajer 1957, p. 305.
  22. ^ Fajer 1957, p. 300.
  23. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 268.
  24. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011b, p. 312.
  25. ^ a b c d INP BU 0363/514 vol. 1
  26. ^ Przystasz, Przystasz & Romaniak 2000, p. 8.
  27. ^ Chrzanowski 1997, p. 92.
  28. ^ Lubieniecka-Baraniak 2011a, p. 367.
  29. ^ Otwinowska & Drzal 1999, p. 220.

Sources

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  • Błażyński, Zbigniew; Światło, Józef; Nowak-Jeziorański, Jan (2012). Mówi Józef Światło Za kulisami bezpieki i partii (in Polish). Łomianki: Wydawnictwo LTW. ISBN 978-83-75652-28-4. OCLC 812703533.
  • Chrzanowski, Bogdan (1997). "Miecz i Pług": (Zjednoczone Organizacje Ruchu "Miecz i Pług") na Pomorzu w latach okupacji niemieckiej 1939-1945 (in Polish). Fundacja "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowe". ISBN 83-90-56594-3. OCLC 69644778.
  • Fajer, Lucjan (1957). Żołnierze Starówki. Dziennik bojowy kpt. Ognistego (in Polish). Warsaw. OCLC 752731781.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Lubieniecka-Baraniak, Krystyna (2011a). Dziewczynki z Pragi: opowieść prawdziwa (in Polish). Warszawa: Fundacja "Nasza Przyszłość". ISBN 978-83-61-14645-2.
  • Lubieniecka-Baraniak, Krystyna (2011b). Dziewczynki z Pragi: opowieść prawdziwa (in Polish). Szczecinek: Fundacja "Nasza Przyszłość". ISBN 978-83-61146-45-2.
  • Otwinowska, Barbara; Drzal, Teresa (1999). Zawołać po imieniu : księga kobiet - więźniów politycznych 1944-1958. T. 1 (in Polish). Nadarzyn: Wydawnictwo "Vipart". ISBN 978-83-87124-21-2. OCLC 749262301.
  • Przystasz, Mieczysław; Przystasz, Danuta; Romaniak, Andrzej (2000). Listy z więzienia Mieczysława Przystasza z lat 1945-1954 (in Polish). Sanok: MH. ISBN 978-83-913281-0-1. OCLC 830979440.
  • Wróblewski, Zbigniew (1989). Pod komendą "Gozdawy": 1 VIII-4 X 1944 (in Polish). Warsaw: Instytut Wydawniczy Związków Zawodowych. ISBN 83-20-20715-0. OCLC 69644778.
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