10./ BAWUREAU ACTION OF THE POLISH LAND — UNknown FACTS
Autumn 1943 was cold and wet. The inhabitants of Lezajska and the surrounding area inactive had a fresh memory of the events and experiences of the occupier's pacification in May and June. Many Polish families mourned their closest murdered or deported to camps. At the local cemetery, they were inactive yellowing with a fresh clay lying in the grave of 38 victims of pacification on 29 May 1943. This was the 5th year of Nazi business with the full repertoire of harassment and repression against the Polish people.
One October, the city's top mystery was the news of the mysterious release of prisoners from the German Gendarmerie police station located in the building of the local court. The detainees were to be members of the resistance. Freeing a larger guerrilla force in German police uniforms. Only the business power was silent and contradicted the facts.
It was an event with a large socio-moral aspect. It restored the public's religion in the continued existence and operation of free organizations that posed a permanent threat to the occupier and showed that the bravado of underground soldiers knew no boundaries. The victims of pacification were mostly AK members.
After a fewer days, the names of the 2 released were known. Unknown remaining names of underground soldiers taking part in the action.
Today, in various accounts on this subject, the old people tell little. This episode from the years of war and business is completely unknown to young people.
At the time, for Burggerichtsgefängnis purposes (the Grodsko Court prison) only a twelve detainees were at the disposal of the German Gendarmerie.
Among them, Jan Stelmachovich, a associate of the AK. He was arrested in the city street after a Gestapo agent recognized a leather briefcase from him. The folder was previously owned by 1 of the confiscators from Rudy Łańcucka, who had previously been liquidated from the conviction of the Polish – Underground authorities. Arrested "Wolczur" on the occasion, by another detained, unknown name released from custody, he was to notify the situation of "Franciszek" from Sarzyna.
The destiny of the detainee Jan Stelmachovich was determined. Already known for their cruelty, the nipponese Gestapo came to investigate. They were inactive waiting for the arrival of the biggest torturers: Doppke and Schmidt due to plans to work out the AK liquidation group.
Jan Stelmachovich, Stanislaw Strycz, the key man of the prison, associate of the AK, informed about the Gestapo's intentions. “Franciszek” was to give this information to Stanisław Jazdowski, ps. “Ryś” – the commander of the sabotage-diversity group of the AK in the territory of Nizansk.
The decision was made to release the detainee immediately at any cost. In the event of a failure to carry out the purpose, it was decided to supply him with poison. The action plan developed by “Rysia” rejected the task of hitting a larger group due to the location of detention in a multi-storey brick building easy to defend. The crew counted ca. 30 gendarmes and policemen and always respective Gestapo. The accepted action plan was simple, though very risky. It was founded to be performed in the engagement of 4 underground soldiers by entering the inside of the building under any circumstances. Terrorize the defender and release the prisoner.
The next day was the day of receiving packages for prisoners, and the action was decided to carry out immediately on the second day utilizing this fact.
PARTICIPANTS OF THE designation ACTION IN LIZAN . 19 X 1943
On October 19, 1943, at around 9 a.m. at the railway station in Nisk, members of the Saboteur-Diversity Group of the Łódź Oblast entered the train heading towards Przeworska: Ryszard Młynarski ps. “Aleksander”, Tadeusz Pacina ps. “Borowik” and Edward Sitarz ps. “Leszek”. They were all armed with guns and 2 grenades each. They were dressed like average civilians. At the window of the “Leszek” train in Rudnik he understood his eyes with Stanisław Jazdowski, standing on the platform, “Ryś” who got into the compartment occupied by them. They were alone, without any another passengers. As the action commander, Ryś explained her assumptions and plans. There was peace on the train, there were fewer passengers. As they reached Lezajska, on the edge of the forest next to today's Sylikat Plant they jumped out of the train. Each separately with the preservation of visual communication went towards the court building, joining the action according to a pre-arranged plan. There was small traffic in the streets. Along the front of the courthouse building, a defender – a Ukrainian policeman – walked on the sidewalk. Under the wall there were goat-grids of barbed wire which closed the passages during the night, in the yard there were 3 parokon carts - “forged” at the gendarmes' disposal. 2 women met at the side entrance.
According to the action plan, in front of the court building on the another side of the sidewalk, from the city side remained “Leszek” with the task of insurance, i.e. shooting a defender in case of proceeding inside the building of shots. This was intended to let colleagues in the building to withdraw. "Borovik" remained at the side entrance door to the stairwell leading to detention, police quarters and grenade police. This door for the watchman walking along the building was invisible. The task of “Borowik” was insurance against the possible blocking of this door by a casual gendarme who could have been there during a possible shooting. “Leszek” and “Borowik” kept eye contact constantly.
“Rys” and “Aleksander” entered the court building and up the stairs for the first storey. “Rys” had previously purchased in Rudnik bread wrapped in paper as a package for a prisoner. On the first storey, at the gate closing access to the prison, they met prison keyman Stanisław Strichz, to whom “Ryś” declared that he wanted to give a package of bread to the detainee, listing a name. At this point, the keyman opened the door in a crater closing the corridor with targets, releasing a prisoner with a broom in his hand. It was Bronisław Mendyk of Leżajska, serving as a cleaner, detained for failing to supply "obligatory supplies- quota".
This is what they did not foresee in the presumption of the action.
"Rys" handing the keypad a leg between the doors, excluding their closure. Together with the “Aleksandre” removed with guns, they terrorized the keyman, ordering them to lead themselves to the cell where Jan Stelmachowicz was staying. The frightened and disbelief keyman “Rys” declared that the full court building is surrounded by guerrillas and only following orders can save his life. Apart from the information available about the organisational belonging of the keyman, after the fresh release of prisoners in Żołynia, this form of intimidation was very effective.
That's how they got arrested. They had a keypad with cell keys that were located here as well as a level above.
There were navy police offices other the prison gate. At 1 point, the keyman stated that the wanted prisoner was in a cell on the level next to the office of the German gendarmerie. “Ryś” not knowing that the keypad was lying recommended “Alexandrov” to go with the keypad on the level after the wanted detainee, staying on the stairway level alone.
“Alexander” on his way to the level with the keyman took the chair where the keyman had previously sat, making it look like he was doing the order work. In the mediate of the road, on the stairs, they met a German female walking to the gendarmerie. She asked me something going in German. “Aleksander” replied to the sign that he did not talk German and gave them peace. Right at the gate upstairs, they met a gendarme and a civilian talking in German. The keyman behaved calmly, and the Germans met without saying anything to them, and came down. They later met “Rysia” and “Borowik” and passed by them they left the building.
With the beginning of the gate to the arrest on the floor, the keyman was suspiciously coming down for a long time. This raised suspicion in “Aleksandra” that the keyman might be “thinking something”. In his account, “Aleksander” even admits that he did not feel very confident. Within 2 steps of the door there were voices of at least a twelve Germans. He was alone deprived of any communication with the another members of the group.
In the hallway with targets, the keyman first opened the door of the last cell gate and said:
– This cell is empty, but check it out.
When he took a step to the cell door, he thought the keyman was trying to lock the door. He instinctively stepped back into the corridor and hit the keyman with a weapon to the head, threatening to shoot him instantly. At this point, the keyman stated that the wanted prisoner was in a cell on the ground floor. They're back on the ground floor. Next to the gate to the detention, “Rys” stood and lifted it. The keypad immediately opened the right cell. It featured the wanted Jan Stelmachovich “Wilczur” and 2 more unknown detainees.
On the question of “Rysia” who they are and for what they were detained, the elder, detained in a railwayman's uniform (Wladyslaw Dziado z Leżajajska) declared that he was detained on charges of rail sabotage, the younger (NN), being detained that he was accused of poisoning horses on agricultural property. They declared that they were threatened with death at the hands of the Gestapo, resulting in “Rys” telling them to go out with them.
At the same time, “Rys” locked a very shocked keyman in an abandoned cell along with the prisoner Bronisław Mendyk, whom they met at the gate. In his reasoning, he accepted that the detainee, employed in the order work in custody, was a insignificant criminal for the occupier and could number on his release. He must have been a witness to the keyman that the release was made by force after he was terrorized.
The freed Jan Stelmachovich was immediately armed with a weapon by “Rysia” and left the detention area unstopped by anyone.
The first went “Rys”, then the young prisoner, then “The Railwayr”, then Jan Stelmachowicz, in turn “Borowik”, and at the end “Aleksander” – the author of this relationship. Immediately on the street at the request of “Rysia” the prisoners' companions, after whom the action was organized, separated. He left the station and followed them standing in front of the Leszek building. Walking along the courthouse building, the watchman didn't announcement anything. On the street, mixed with random passersby, they moved distant from the area of danger. Freed, each on his own sought refuge. The militant group carefully retreated towards the forest towards the monastery area, which in this case could warrant the best shelter.
After any time he may have been deliberately extended by the keyman his call through the cell window where he was locked up caused an alarm at the police station. The pursuit direction, alternatively random, was correct, but late adequate to fail. A militant group reached the forest and hidden behind shrubs and trees saw a gendarme moving seeking fugitives.
This incidental may have been a decisive occasion for the liquidation of the layman's detention.
On January 8, 1944, all prisoners were transferred to Rzeszów. Later, they were immediately taken to the Gestapo prison in Jarosław.
The anger of the Germans had no limits. They killed the keyman Stanislaw Strychar and tortured the innocent president of the Stanisław Poliwka Court.
The keyman saved her head, a blackout and a witness to the incidental Bronisław Mendyk from her death and most likely the accounts of Germans who saw strangers.
All the another prisoners were taken out of their cells into the corridor. They lay on a concrete level for hours. They were beaten, faked shooting, asked about the appearance of “bandits”. Releases and rewards were promised for indicating traces to capture the freed.
The clock on the monastery tower allowed to find the exact time of action, 10.00 – 10.35, and after returning to Niska they learned about mass executions of Poles in Rozwodów. The 19 October 1943 monument on the scene present allowed the exact timing of 1 of many bravado actions carried out by soldiers of the Home Army.
The prisoners were freed by soldiers of the Saboteur-Diversity Group of the Nidan region under the command of “Rysia” composed of:
– Stanisław Jazdowski ps. “Ryś” – chemist’s technician, during the interwar period an worker of present Chemical Plants in Nowa Sarzyna, a reserve officer.
– Edward Sitarz ps. “Leszek” – a junior advanced school student from Niska.
– Both died on 15 August 1944 in the fight against the German Gendarmery in the Miechowski Mountains, buried in the cemetery in Słowoszów.
– Ryszard Młynarski ps. “Aleksander” – in Warsaw.
– Tadeusz Pacyna ps “Browik” – in Kraków. Released:
– Jan Stelmachovich ps. “Wilczur” – associate of the guerrilla branch “Father John” and “Volyniak”.
– Władysław Dziado ps. „Dziad” – an AK member, a PKP employee, lived in Leczyajsk.
– NN – unknown by name and location
Any suggestions about alleged engagement in the action of members of local and neighbouring AK facilities are improbable and not yet confirmed.
MEETING AFTER YEARS
After determining the addresses of the participants of the event, on the initiative of the author, on 28 May 1983 on the 40th anniversary of the action, they first met and met “Aleksander” with “Dziad”. Both of them remembered many details of the incident, and after a warm conversation, a detailed description of it could have been obtained.
Władysław Dziado ps. "Grandfather" spoke very reluctantly about the subject even with his relatives. The gathering was open. 5 months earlier, he survived the pacification only due to deficiency of contacts in the organization's operations with Walerian Mirk, who turned out to be the Gestapo's confiscator.
Sitting “under a cell” with “Wolchur”, the same gave him the impression that he expected reflections, which they both did not believe in. The release only lasted a fewer minutes. After leaving the prison building, he can't remember how they divided up. He was walking rapidly home through the railway tracks the shortest way. He knew he was burned and forced to hide. He just wanted to see his family.
Several times his home at late times of day and night came upon the grenade policemen with commandant “Kripo” Wołosem, ensuring solemnly that the hair on his head did not fall, but they just want to find out who did it. He was hiding in his own hiding place.
In order to have contact with his small daughter, to stay unrecognized and to aid his wife on the farm, he most frequently dressed as a female and was called “Baby Jaga” by his own daughter.
Janina Chamiec, the daughter of Władysław Dziada, recalled:
-’ I guess I was the only kid who wasn't afraid of Baby Jaga. I liked her a lot, even loved her. “Baby Jaga” made me toys, held and swinged on my knees, kissed and was very good to me. But I always associate her with my father, for in the same place on his face, she had a scar.”
After gathering the author with participants of the event in 1983, the article besides entitled “Brawurowa Akcja” was printed by the monthly social-cultural magazine in Rzeszów ” Profiles. ”
Aleksander Szumański “Daily Courier” Chicago