Marian Bernaciak
Encyclopedia
Marian Bernaciak (born March 6, 1917 in Zalesie
in Ryki County
, died, June 24, 1946 in Piotrówek
) was a lieutenant in the Polish Army, a member of ZWZ and the Home Army, a major and a legendary leader of an underground partisan unit of WiN in the Lublin
region.
gimnazjum in Puławy. For his compulsory military service he attended the Mazowiecka Szkoła Podchorążych Rezerwy Artylerii (The Mazovian School for Cadets of the Artillery Reserve) in Zambrów
which he finished with the rank of corporal
. He was assigned to the Second Regiment of Heavy Artillery. He worked in the post office in Sobolew
. In September 1939 he was mobilized and during the Nazi invasion of Poland he fought as a second lieutenant of the reserves. During the defense of Włodzimierz Wołyński he was captured and imprisoned by the Soviets
. A few weeks later he managed to escape from a transport which was taking Polish POWs to camps within the Soviet Union, and hence, possibly managed to avoid the fate of other Polish officers who were killed at Katyn
. He returned to his home region and ran a bookstore in Ryki
and a small printing shop in Dęblin
.
's Sub-region "A" (around Dęblin and Ryki) in the AK region of Puławy. From the fall of 1943 on he was sought after by the Gestapo
and as a result remained in hiding. It was at this point that he changed his conspiratorial name from "Dymek" to "Orlik". On 20, November, 1943 he created a flying column
of partisans of which he became the leader. In May 1944 his group received the conspiratorial code name "OP I/15 Regiment of AK Infantry Wilki" ("Wolves"). He carried out more than twenty military actions and attacks against the occupying Germans. Thanks to his group in Dęblin, during Operation Tempest
in July 1944, several military and economic objects were saved from destruction by retreating German forces and the local population was saved from expulsion or extermination
. On July 27, 1944, his unit independently captured and took control of Ryki. In August 1944 Bernaciak, together with about 350 partisan soldiers began a march in an attempt to aid the insurgents fighting the Nazis in the Warsaw Uprising
, on the orders of AK central command. However, this endeavor was unsuccessful as the Soviets began disarming and attacking AK units at this time.
. In March 1945 he recreated his group, mostly out of AK soldiers who were threatened with arrest by the new communist authorities. Initially he accepted the command of Armed Forces Delegation for Poland and later, beginning in September, he joined the anti-communist Freedom and Independence (WiN) movement.
One of his most famous actions took place on April 24, 1945, when Orlik's men attacked and captured the UB
office in Puławy, freeing 107 political prisoners (mostly former AK members). Another famous engagement took place on the 24th of May, 1945 near Las Stocki
, when together with a unit of fifty men under lieutenant Czesław Szlendak ("Maks") Bernaciak won a battle against a force of 680 soldiers (KBW, UB and NKVD) which was equipped with three armored cars. After a fight that lasted a whole day, between 30 and 70 communist soldiers and militia had been killed. This was the largest battle fought in the post-World War II period between the forces of the Polish and Soviet governments and anti-communist partisans
in Poland.
In the fall of 1945 he was made the commander of all WiN units operating in the Regional Inspectorate "Puławy". During this time he was promoted to the rank of major
(according to some sources, captain). The anti-communist partisan group led by him, one of the largest in the Lublin
region (between 160 and 200 soldiers) carried out many military actions against the communist authorities, the communist secret police
(UB), units of Polish People's Army and the Milicja
. According to released NKVD documents, as well as an investigation by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance
in 2006, Bernaciak was considered sufficiently dangerous by the Soviets that they refused to let Polish communists "handle the problem on their own" and insisted on becoming involved themselves.
His partisans operated as a single group until July 1945. However, afterward, due to the increased presence of regular Polish army and UB security units in the region, Bernaciak was forced to change his tactics. He divided his grouping into small platoons and squads which could stay hidden in various villages while being supported by the WiN network. At the same time, communications were maintained between them so that the overall group could quickly mobilize and carry out bigger operations. The approach changed once again in 1946 when the larger group was reformed and then divided into two sub-regiments. The first one operated under the leadership of Wacław Kuchnio, "Spokojny" (Peaceful), in the north of the Puławy region, while the second, operating in the south was under the command of Zygmunt Wilczyńsk, "Żuk" (Beetle).
The source of Bernaciak's successes at this time lay in his leadership ability and the willingness to change his tactics in response to a changing situation. Thanks to his efforts, his patrols and diversion squads, in addition to military actions, also carried out intelligence work, gathered information on the political and social situation in the world and in the region, and published informational pamphlets, communiques, and political manifestos. The best known of these were Orlik's appeal to the public on the occasion of the 1946 referendum
and the pamphlet "The Pulawski Katyn" (a reference to the Katyn massacre
).
with a few of his men, he was ambushed by a squad of soldiers from the sapper
's division of the Polish Army and a unit of Internal Security Corps. He was surrounded and during an attempt to break out he was wounded twice. When it became clear that there was no escape Marian Bernaciak, "Orlik", committed suicide.
In his home village of Zalesie, a monument was erected after the fall of communism
in 1989, commemorating him with an inscription, a cross and a symbol of "Poland Fighting"
.
On 25 June 2006, in Piotrówek
, the President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński
led a ceremony honoring the memory and the tragic death of Marian Bernaciak, "Orlik" and awarded his the Grand Cross of Polonia Restituta
posthumously.
Zalesie, Ryki County
Zalesie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ryki, within Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Ryki and north-west of the regional capital Lublin....
in Ryki County
Ryki County
Ryki County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lublin Voivodeship, eastern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the town of Ryki, which lies north-west of the...
, died, June 24, 1946 in Piotrówek
Piotrówek
Piotrówek may refer to the following places in Poland:*Piotrówek, Legnica County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Piotrówek, Wrocław County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
) was a lieutenant in the Polish Army, a member of ZWZ and the Home Army, a major and a legendary leader of an underground partisan unit of WiN in the 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...
region.
Early life
Marian was born to a peasant family, as the son of Michał and Maria (née Bliźniak). In 1937, he finished the CzartoryskiCzartoryski
Czartoryski is the surname of a Polish-Ukrainian-Lithuanian magnate family also known as the Familia. They used the Czartoryski Coat of arms and were the leading noble family of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century.-History:The Czartoryski is a family of a Grand Ducal...
gimnazjum in Puławy. For his compulsory military service he attended the Mazowiecka Szkoła Podchorążych Rezerwy Artylerii (The Mazovian School for Cadets of the Artillery Reserve) in Zambrów
Zambrów
Zambrów is a town in northeastern Poland with 22,933 inhabitants . It is the capital of Zambrów County. Situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship , previously in Łomża Voivodeship .-History:...
which he finished with the rank of corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. He was assigned to the Second Regiment of Heavy Artillery. He worked in the post office in Sobolew
Sobolew
Sobolew may refer to the following places in Poland:*Sobolew, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Sobolew, Lublin Voivodeship *Sobolew, Masovian Voivodeship...
. In September 1939 he was mobilized and during the Nazi invasion of Poland he fought as a second lieutenant of the reserves. During the defense of Włodzimierz Wołyński he was captured and imprisoned by the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. A few weeks later he managed to escape from a transport which was taking Polish POWs to camps within the Soviet Union, and hence, possibly managed to avoid the fate of other Polish officers who were killed at Katyn
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
. He returned to his home region and ran a bookstore in Ryki
Ryki
Ryki is a town in eastern Poland on the main road between Warsaw and Lublin. It has 9,767 inhabitants .Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship . It is the capital of Ryki County.- History :...
and a small printing shop in Dęblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
.
In the anti-Nazi resistance
In 1940 he became involved in underground activity as part of ZWZ and later the Home Army (AK). He was the head of KedywKedyw
Kedyw , was an underground movement - Armia Krajowa organization during World War II, which specialized in active and passive sabotage, propaganda and armed action against Nazi German forces and collaborators.-Operations:...
's Sub-region "A" (around Dęblin and Ryki) in the AK region of Puławy. From the fall of 1943 on he was sought after by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and as a result remained in hiding. It was at this point that he changed his conspiratorial name from "Dymek" to "Orlik". On 20, November, 1943 he created a flying column
Flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....
of partisans of which he became the leader. In May 1944 his group received the conspiratorial code name "OP I/15 Regiment of AK Infantry Wilki" ("Wolves"). He carried out more than twenty military actions and attacks against the occupying Germans. Thanks to his group in Dęblin, during Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
in July 1944, several military and economic objects were saved from destruction by retreating German forces and the local population was saved from expulsion or extermination
Nazi crimes against ethnic Poles
In addition to about 2.9 million Polish Jews , about 2.8 million non-Jewish Polish citizens perished during the course of the war...
. On July 27, 1944, his unit independently captured and took control of Ryki. In August 1944 Bernaciak, together with about 350 partisan soldiers began a march in an attempt to aid the insurgents fighting the Nazis in 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...
, on the orders of AK central command. However, this endeavor was unsuccessful as the Soviets began disarming and attacking AK units at this time.
In the anti-communist resistance
In 1944/45 he was in danger of being arrested by the Soviets and as a result decided to disband his unit and go into hiding. He was wanted by the NKVDNKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
. In March 1945 he recreated his group, mostly out of AK soldiers who were threatened with arrest by the new communist authorities. Initially he accepted the command of Armed Forces Delegation for Poland and later, beginning in September, he joined the anti-communist Freedom and Independence (WiN) movement.
One of his most famous actions took place on April 24, 1945, when Orlik's men attacked and captured the UB
Ministry of Public Security of Poland
The Ministry of Public Security of Poland was a Polish communist secret police, intelligence and counter-espionage service operating from 1945 to 1954 under Jakub Berman of the Politburo...
office in Puławy, freeing 107 political prisoners (mostly former AK members). Another famous engagement took place on the 24th of May, 1945 near Las Stocki
Las Stocki
Las Stocki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Końskowola, within Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately south of Końskowola, south-east of Puławy, and west of the regional capital Lublin....
, when together with a unit of fifty men under lieutenant Czesław Szlendak ("Maks") Bernaciak won a battle against a force of 680 soldiers (KBW, UB and NKVD) which was equipped with three armored cars. After a fight that lasted a whole day, between 30 and 70 communist soldiers and militia had been killed. This was the largest battle fought in the post-World War II period between the forces of the Polish and Soviet governments and anti-communist partisans
Cursed soldiers
The cursed soldiers is a name applied to a variety of Polish resistance movements formed in the later stages of World War II and afterwards. Created by some members of the Polish Secret State, these clandestine organizations continued their armed struggle against the Stalinist government of Poland...
in Poland.
In the fall of 1945 he was made the commander of all WiN units operating in the Regional Inspectorate "Puławy". During this time he was promoted to the rank of 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. ...
(according to some sources, captain). The anti-communist partisan group led by him, one of the largest in the 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...
region (between 160 and 200 soldiers) carried out many military actions against the communist authorities, the communist secret police
Ministry of Public Security of Poland
The Ministry of Public Security of Poland was a Polish communist secret police, intelligence and counter-espionage service operating from 1945 to 1954 under Jakub Berman of the Politburo...
(UB), units of Polish People's Army and the Milicja
Militsiya
Militsiya or militia is used as an official name of the civilian police in several former communist states, despite its original military connotation...
. According to released NKVD documents, as well as an investigation by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance — Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation is a Polish government-affiliated research institute with lustration prerogatives and prosecution powers founded by specific legislation. It specialises in the legal and historical sciences and...
in 2006, Bernaciak was considered sufficiently dangerous by the Soviets that they refused to let Polish communists "handle the problem on their own" and insisted on becoming involved themselves.
His partisans operated as a single group until July 1945. However, afterward, due to the increased presence of regular Polish army and UB security units in the region, Bernaciak was forced to change his tactics. He divided his grouping into small platoons and squads which could stay hidden in various villages while being supported by the WiN network. At the same time, communications were maintained between them so that the overall group could quickly mobilize and carry out bigger operations. The approach changed once again in 1946 when the larger group was reformed and then divided into two sub-regiments. The first one operated under the leadership of Wacław Kuchnio, "Spokojny" (Peaceful), in the north of the Puławy region, while the second, operating in the south was under the command of Zygmunt Wilczyńsk, "Żuk" (Beetle).
The source of Bernaciak's successes at this time lay in his leadership ability and the willingness to change his tactics in response to a changing situation. Thanks to his efforts, his patrols and diversion squads, in addition to military actions, also carried out intelligence work, gathered information on the political and social situation in the world and in the region, and published informational pamphlets, communiques, and political manifestos. The best known of these were Orlik's appeal to the public on the occasion of the 1946 referendum
Polish people's referendum, 1946
The People's Referendum of 1946, also known as the "Three Times Yes" referendum, was a referendum held in Poland on 30 June 1946 on the authority of the State National Council...
and the pamphlet "The Pulawski Katyn" (a reference to the Katyn massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
).
Death
In order to fight Bernaciak, the communist authorities mobilized substantial military resources, involving more than ten thousand soldiers of the Polish People's Army, Internal Security Corps, Milicja and UB. Marian's parents and his brother, Lucjan (former AK soldier) were arrested. On the 24th of June, 1946, when Marian Bernaciak was returning from a meeting in ŻyczynZyczyn
Życzyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Trojanów, within Garwolin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south of Garwolin and south-east of Warsaw.-References:...
with a few of his men, he was ambushed by a squad of soldiers from the sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
's division of the Polish Army and a unit of Internal Security Corps. He was surrounded and during an attempt to break out he was wounded twice. When it became clear that there was no escape Marian Bernaciak, "Orlik", committed suicide.
Legacy
Bernaciak never married or started a family because, according to him, "there was no time for that".In his home village of Zalesie, a monument was erected after the fall of communism
Revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989 were the revolutions which overthrew the communist regimes in various Central and Eastern European countries.The events began in Poland in 1989, and continued in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and...
in 1989, commemorating him with an inscription, a cross and a symbol of "Poland Fighting"
Kotwica
The Kotwica was a World War II emblem of the Polish Secret State and Armia Krajowa . It was created in 1942 by members of the AK Wawer "Small Sabotage" unit as an easily usable emblem for the Polish struggle to regain independence. The initial meaning of the initials "PW" was "Pomścimy Wawer"...
.
On 25 June 2006, in Piotrówek
Piotrówek
Piotrówek may refer to the following places in Poland:*Piotrówek, Legnica County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Piotrówek, Wrocław County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
, the President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
led a ceremony honoring the memory and the tragic death of Marian Bernaciak, "Orlik" and awarded his the Grand Cross of Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
posthumously.