Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski
Encyclopedia
Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski codename: Alek, Glizda, Kopernicki, Koziorożec (born November 3, 1920, Drohobycz — died March 30, 1943, Warsaw
, Poland
) was a Polish
Scoutmaster (podharcmistrz), Polish Scouting resistance
activist and Second Lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa
during the Second World War. Dawidowski is a main character in the books Kamienie na Szaniec by Aleksander Kamiński
, and Rudy, Alek, Zośka by Barbara Wachowicz.
. Following the German occupation of Warsaw in late September 1939, the senior Dawidowski was arrested in November 1939, and on December 1939 the father was shot in the Sejm Gardens.
(the underground organization of Polish Boy Scouts) and Wawer. He took part in several sabotage
actions against the Nazi
forces, among others. In the Copernicus action he removed the German language plaques beneath the Warsaw
statue of Copernicus on February 11, 1942.
, another resistance leader, was arrested by the Germans on 23 March 1943. The Polish underground army designed a plan to rescue him called "Operation Arsenal". Dawidowski participated in the planning and the execution of the operation. During the attack, he was seriously wounded in the stomach by fire from Germans in the gate house where Bytnar was held. Despite this he threw two grenades enabling his comrades to withdraw from the action. He later died in a hospital from his wounds, aged 22.
During the Warsaw uprising
, Dawidowski's code name "Alek" was later used as the code name for the 2nd Platoon of the 2nd company ("Rudy") of Batalion Zośka
. He was posthumousy awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
and promoted to sergeant. In 2011 he was posthumously awarded the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
is named in his honour.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Scoutmaster (podharcmistrz), Polish Scouting resistance
Szare Szeregi
"Gray Ranks" was a codename for the underground Polish Scouting Association during World War II.The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation in Warsaw until 18 January 1945, and contributed to the resistance operations of the Polish...
activist and Second Lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
during the Second World War. Dawidowski is a main character in the books Kamienie na Szaniec by Aleksander Kamiński
Aleksander Kaminski
Aleksander Kamiński was a Polish school teacher, form tutor, author of Polish Cub Scout and Brownie method, writer, historian, Scoutmaster , and wartime resistance leader under the codenames: Kamyk, Dąbrowski, J...
, and Rudy, Alek, Zośka by Barbara Wachowicz.
Early life
The son of Aleksy Dawidowski, an engineering technologist and Janina Dawidowska (née Sagatowska), who worked in chemical engineering, Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski graduated from the Stefan Batory Warsaw Gymnasium. He was active in the Polish Boy Scout movement. In the fall of 1939 Dawidowski's father was the administrative director of a rifle factory in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. Following the German occupation of Warsaw in late September 1939, the senior Dawidowski was arrested in November 1939, and on December 1939 the father was shot in the Sejm Gardens.
Resistance work
In 1939 the younger Davidowski was a member of PLAN, in 1940 he became member of Szare SzeregiSzare Szeregi
"Gray Ranks" was a codename for the underground Polish Scouting Association during World War II.The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation in Warsaw until 18 January 1945, and contributed to the resistance operations of the Polish...
(the underground organization of Polish Boy Scouts) and Wawer. He took part in several sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
actions against the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
forces, among others. In the Copernicus action he removed the German language plaques beneath the Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
statue of Copernicus on February 11, 1942.
Participation in Operation Arsenal
Jan BytnarJan Bytnar
Jan Roman Bytnar was a Polish Scoutmaster , Polish Scouting resistance activist and Second Lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa during the Second World War...
, another resistance leader, was arrested by the Germans on 23 March 1943. The Polish underground army designed a plan to rescue him called "Operation Arsenal". Dawidowski participated in the planning and the execution of the operation. During the attack, he was seriously wounded in the stomach by fire from Germans in the gate house where Bytnar was held. Despite this he threw two grenades enabling his comrades to withdraw from the action. He later died in a hospital from his wounds, aged 22.
During the Warsaw uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, Dawidowski's code name "Alek" was later used as the code name for the 2nd Platoon of the 2nd company ("Rudy") of Batalion Zośka
Batalion Zoska
- Order of battle of the battalion :-Bibliography:*"Pamiętniki żołnierzy baonu Zośka", Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw 1986 ISBN 83-10-08703-9....
. He was posthumousy awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
and promoted to sergeant. In 2011 he was posthumously awarded the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Legacy
A high school, Gimnazjum nr 56 im. Aleksego Dawidowskiego, in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
is named in his honour.