Antoni Szylling
Encyclopedia
Antoni Szylling was a Polish general, considered, along with Generals Wiktor Thommée
and Stanisław Maczek, to have been one of the most successful Polish Army commanders during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
. He had several safehouses, in which he stored bibuła
and arms, as well as hiding wanted PPS members and members of other organizations. Arrested by the authorities of the Russian Empire
, he served several one-and-a-half-month sentences in the Warsaw Citadel
and Daniłłiczowski Prison. He was also denied the right to study at a university and was conscripted into the Russian Army
for two years (1905–1907). In 1910, he married Zofia Bajkowski (1887–1944). In the years 1909-1912 he was able to finish 'industrial-agricultural courses' at the Higher Agricultural School in Warsaw, and from 1912 to 1913 he worked on an experimental folwark
in Szamocin
. In 1914 he was mobilized into the Russian Army again and fought in the First World War.
In 1917, with the rank of captain, he joined the Polish 2nd Corps in the East. In 1918 he was promoted to major
, and soon afterwards taken prisoner by the Germans. In January 1919 he joined the Polish Army. During the Polish-Soviet War
he commanded the 44th Infantry Regiment. In 1922 he was promoted to colonel
and later retired at his own request. In 1925 he was commissioned again and became the commander of the 28th Infantry Division
in Warsaw. Later he commanded the 23rd Infantry Division in Katowice
and the 8th Infantry Division
in Modlin
. In 1929 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general (generał brygady). In May 1937 he worked at the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces in Silesia
.
During the German attack on Poland (1939) that started World War II
he commanded Army Kraków. This army was the main pivot of Polish defence. Its main task was to delay advancing German troops and withdraw eastwards along the northern line of the Carpathians
and defend the heavily industrialized
Upper Silesia
region. It consisted of four infantry divisions (6th
, 7th, 23rd
and 55th
), two mountain infantry divisions (21st and 22nd), one mountain brigade and two cavalry brigades: one motorized (10th) and one standard (Kraków). It was the most southwestern of the Polish Armies, with Army Łódź to its north and Army Karpaty to its southeast.
During the early stages of the Battle of the Border
the northern Army Łódź was partially surrounded by quickly advancing
German forces. Army Kraków, attacked by the German 14th Army under the command of General Wilhelm List, was forced to retreat to protect its flanks from 2 September onwards. A careful tactician, General Szylling followed the strategy of 'retreat to fight another day' instead of engaging the superior enemy. General Szylling, despite the increasingly difficult situation for the Polish forces, was able to retreat successfully towards the city of Lublin
, following his orders and avoiding several German attempts to surround him. On 19 September Szyling's forces joined with Army Lublin of General Tadeusz Piskor
in the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
, the second largest tank battle of the campaign. Polish forces followed the plan of General Piskor, but the German defences proved too strong and the majority of Polish forces, including the headquarters of both generals, were encircled and surrendered on 20 September.
Hence General Szylling became a German prisoner for the second time. He spent most of the war in the Oflag VII-A Murnau
POW camp. On 30 April 1945 he was freed by advancing American forces; he decided not to return to Polish Communist-controlled Poland, but emigrated to France
and later to the United Kingdom
and, finally, to Canada
(in 1947). In 1949 he married Maria Róża Dobrowolska (1896–1986). He lived on a farm at Abercorn
, near Montreal
, where he died on 17 June 1971. He is buried in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec.He actually died at the Maria (Currie) Sklodowski Polish Home for the Aged on Belanger Street in Montreal
After emigrating he wrote a monograph
, Moje dowodzenie we wrześniu 1939 ("My command in September 1939"). The original draft was given to my father Antoni Borejsza-Wysocki (1918–2000) to be published at a later date. It was published in Krakow in 2007 - with some minor changes and additions unbeknownskt to the author.
In 1946 the Polish government promoted him to generał dywizji in recognition of his valor.
Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée was a Polish military commander and a Brigadier General of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of the Bzura during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.- Early life :Wiktor...
and Stanisław Maczek, to have been one of the most successful Polish Army commanders during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
Biography
Antoni Szyling was born in Płoniawy-Bramura. He finished a 7-year trade school in 1904 and from an early age was an active member of the Polish pro-independence nationalist paramilitary organization the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist PartyCombat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party
The Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party , also translated as Fighting Organization of the Polish Socialist Party; also known as bojówki ; Organizacja Spiskowo-Bojowa PPS ; Koła Bojowe Samoobrony Robotniczej and Koła Techniczno-Bojowe The Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist...
. He had several safehouses, in which he stored bibuła
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
and arms, as well as hiding wanted PPS members and members of other organizations. Arrested by the authorities of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, he served several one-and-a-half-month sentences in the Warsaw Citadel
Warsaw Citadel
Cytadela is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. It served as a prison into the late 1930s.- History :The Citadel was built by personal...
and Daniłłiczowski Prison. He was also denied the right to study at a university and was conscripted into the Russian Army
Military history of Imperial Russia
The Military history of the Russian Empire encompasses the history of armed conflict in which the Empire participated. This history stretches from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution , which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union...
for two years (1905–1907). In 1910, he married Zofia Bajkowski (1887–1944). In the years 1909-1912 he was able to finish 'industrial-agricultural courses' at the Higher Agricultural School in Warsaw, and from 1912 to 1913 he worked on an experimental folwark
Folwark
Folwark is a Polish word for a primarily serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise , often very large. Folwarks were operated in the Crown of Poland from the 14th century and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 15th century, from the second half of the 16th century in the joint...
in Szamocin
Szamocin
Szamocin is a city in Chodzież County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland.During the Partitions of Poland the town belonged to Kreis Kolmar in Posen.-External links:* http://www.szamocin.umig.gov.pl/...
. In 1914 he was mobilized into the Russian Army again and fought in the First World War.
In 1917, with the rank of captain, he joined the Polish 2nd Corps in the East. In 1918 he was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and soon afterwards taken prisoner by the Germans. In January 1919 he joined the Polish Army. During the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
he commanded the 44th Infantry Regiment. In 1922 he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and later retired at his own request. In 1925 he was commissioned again and became the commander of the 28th Infantry Division
Polish 28th Infantry Division
The 28 Dywizja Piechoty was a Polish Army infantry division which saw action against the invading Germans during the Invasion of Poland of World War II. The division suffered heavy casualties in battles near Łódź and the remnants retreated to Warsaw, where they surrendered.-Order of battle:*HQ...
in Warsaw. Later he commanded the 23rd Infantry Division in Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
and the 8th Infantry Division
Polish 8th Infantry Division
The 8th Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army. It was active in the Polish-Bolshevik War, as well as during the Invasion of Poland in 1939...
in Modlin
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
. In 1929 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general (generał brygady). In May 1937 he worked at the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
.
During the German attack on Poland (1939) that started World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he commanded Army Kraków. This army was the main pivot of Polish defence. Its main task was to delay advancing German troops and withdraw eastwards along the northern line of the Carpathians
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
and defend the heavily industrialized
Upper Silesian Industry Area
Upper Silesian Coal Basin is a coal basin in Silesia in Poland and Czech Republic. It also contains a number of other minable resources...
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
region. It consisted of four infantry divisions (6th
6th Infantry Division (Poland)
Polish 6th Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. The Division was created on May 9, 1919 in the area around Krakow, its first commandant was Colonel Ignacy Pick....
, 7th, 23rd
23rd Infantry Division (Poland)
23rd Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interwar period . Created in 1921, its headquarters were stationed in Upper Silesian town of Tarnowskie Góry...
and 55th
55th Infantry Division (Poland)
The 55th Infantry Division was a reserve unit of the Polish Army during the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign...
), two mountain infantry divisions (21st and 22nd), one mountain brigade and two cavalry brigades: one motorized (10th) and one standard (Kraków). It was the most southwestern of the Polish Armies, with Army Łódź to its north and Army Karpaty to its southeast.
During the early stages of the Battle of the Border
Battle of the Border
The Battle of the Border refers to the battles that occurred in the first days of the Nazi Germany invasion of Poland in September, 1939...
the northern Army Łódź was partially surrounded by quickly advancing
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
German forces. Army Kraków, attacked by the German 14th Army under the command of General Wilhelm List, was forced to retreat to protect its flanks from 2 September onwards. A careful tactician, General Szylling followed the strategy of 'retreat to fight another day' instead of engaging the superior enemy. General Szylling, despite the increasingly difficult situation for the Polish forces, was able to retreat successfully towards the city of Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, following his orders and avoiding several German attempts to surround him. On 19 September Szyling's forces joined with Army Lublin of General Tadeusz Piskor
Tadeusz Piskor
Tadeusz Piskor was a Polish Army general.Before World War I, he was a member of Polish pro-independence organizations. During World War I he served in the Polish Legions, and subsequently fought in the 1919–21 Polish-Soviet War....
in the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 17 September to 26 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle of the Invasion of Poland and also the largest tank battle of the campaign. It resulted in the destruction of the Polish forces...
, the second largest tank battle of the campaign. Polish forces followed the plan of General Piskor, but the German defences proved too strong and the majority of Polish forces, including the headquarters of both generals, were encircled and surrendered on 20 September.
Hence General Szylling became a German prisoner for the second time. He spent most of the war in the Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau was a German Army POW camp for Polish Army officers and generals during World War II. It was located in the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee....
POW camp. On 30 April 1945 he was freed by advancing American forces; he decided not to return to Polish Communist-controlled Poland, but emigrated to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and later to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, finally, to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(in 1947). In 1949 he married Maria Róża Dobrowolska (1896–1986). He lived on a farm at Abercorn
Abercorn
Abercorn is a village and parish in West Lothian, Scotland. Close to the south coast of the Firth of Forth, the village is around west of South Queensferry.-History:...
, near Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, where he died on 17 June 1971. He is buried in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec.He actually died at the Maria (Currie) Sklodowski Polish Home for the Aged on Belanger Street in Montreal
After emigrating he wrote a monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
, Moje dowodzenie we wrześniu 1939 ("My command in September 1939"). The original draft was given to my father Antoni Borejsza-Wysocki (1918–2000) to be published at a later date. It was published in Krakow in 2007 - with some minor changes and additions unbeknownskt to the author.
In 1946 the Polish government promoted him to generał dywizji in recognition of his valor.
Honours and awards
- Gold Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, previously awarded the Silver Cross
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, previously awarded the Officer's Cross
- Cross of Valour - three times
- Gold Cross of Merit