The Secret Army: The Memoirs of General Bor-KomorowskiTadeusz Komorowski was born in 1895 in Galicia, a region then ruled by the Austrians, and he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army in the First World War. Poland regained its independence in 1918, and Komorowski fought against the Russians in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919 21. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Komorowski was the commander of units defending the Vistula River, but he was pushed eastwards by the fierce advance. Despite being surrounded by German forces, he escaped to Cracow. Although he planned to escape to the West, he was ordered to stay and start a resistance movement. He stayed in Cracow until the summer of 1941, when he sent to Warsaw. The legend of Bór was about to begin. Komorowski was appointed to lead the Home Army in June 1943. The Polish Resistance carried out sabotage and vital intelligence for the Allies, but their main task was to prepare for an uprising when the Nazis were in retreat to help liberate the country. The Polish Government-in-Exile gave the order to commence on 1 August 1944. Tragically, Stalin had plans for Poland after the war: Soviet troops sat outside Warsaw and left the Poles to their fate. The Resistance lasted, incredibly, 63 days. Komorowski was sentenced to death by Hitler, but the order was rescinded. The tale of Bór and the Uprising is the story of a proud nation and their fight against enemies and betrayal by allies. For further reading on the Polish Secret Army visit the Doomed Soldiers Project website. |
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action Allied ammunition arms arrested artillery asked attack August barricades battle began bombs Bór-Komorowski building Burza camp cars cellars centre Chief civilians co-operation Colonel commander Commander-in-Chief Communist Cracow crossed Czerniaków danger defenders district enemy factory fighting fire forces front German Gestapo Ghetto Government delegate grenades hands headquarters Home Army units houses immediately Jews Kedyw Komorowski Kozielsk later liaison London Lwów machine-guns Mikołajczyk military Mokotów Monter Moscow nation night occupied officers once operations organisation Party patrol Poland Poles police Polish Armed Forces Polish Government political population positions Powiśle Praga prisoners propaganda Pruszkow radio railway reached received Red Army Renia reports Rowecki Russians sabotage secret sector sent September sewers side situation soldiers Soviet partisans Staff Stalin Stare Miasto station street supplies Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski Tadeusz Komorowski taken tanks territory tion took troops Underground Vistula Warsaw rising Warsaw Uprising whole wireless wounded yards Zoliborz